Lazarus

[xs11lover]

Ok I’ve had the bones of a 79 special setting under a shelf in my garage for 5 or 6 years now. I bought it out of a farmer’s field in Lancaster for $50 many years ago.

He told me it had been sitting there like that for 5 years. I thought what the heck a brought it home. Amazingly enough it only took about 45 minutes work to get it running. I think I cleaned out the nest in the air box, flushed out the tank and clipped a battery to it. Bump bump bump bump and it shot a bunch of crap out the exhaust and came to life. I did the standard brake rebuilds and fluid changes, put on a tank and side covers, seat and grab bar, and tires..kind of redid it with some 80 special parts I had around.

.and drove it for a few summers. It ran great..I never even changed the plugs. It had a small oil drip I didn’t know what to do about from the engine case under the stator cover and more electrical gremlins than I cared to fight with. When I started building my unmidnight bobber I picked it apart. Then I wrecked the midnight......so anyway that brings us up to now. You guys seem to enjoy this stuff so I thought I’d post pics as I go.....it may take a while. But I’m getting started and ordered a new wire harness.

I started picking the bones of my wreck and I have more than a few parts hanging around my storage coolers.

[xs11lover]

Forks, triple tree, wheel and brakes were salvaged from my wreck.

[xs11lover]

Well, I’ve got a pretty nice drive shaft ready to go, just have to find one of those little rubber boots and check up on the correct mounting of one of those things. Wheel and brakes are setting waiting.

[madmax-im]

Love it Garrett..I was going to rename Swampthing.. Lazarus too..but it never came to fruition..now the bike is in a state of storage and will not see the light of day for a few yrs to come...

[xs11lover]

You know I would have ridden that for you, .....still would. I may even detail it for you while it was here!

[madmax-im]

You know I would have ridden that for you, .....still would. I may even detail it for you while it was here!

Timing and luck were not on my side...if I had known you would be willing ...

[xs11lover]

I got some good work done today. Swing arm, rear wheel, brakes and a good bath completed. It’s starting to look like a bike again. Now for some long hours of detailing, paint and polish. I’m still up in the air on what to do about the tank and side covers. I was originally thinking just a flat black spray bomb or another attempt at a stripped, polished and clear coated silver tank. My son is pushing me to get one of his buddies to spray it with a really big metal flake job, like the old carnival ride mini bikes I loved as a kid......


Here is a pic of my last attempt at s stripped and polished silver tank. It was done in by the first of about 3 unfortunately bad tank liner disasters. I did several of them,years ago,....with no trouble what so ever, but have botched it every time lately. I’m done with those things!!! Lol
The upside to the polished silver tank is it costs nothing to do but some intense labor and a can of clear coat.

[xs11lover]

Doing a little frame painting this morning before work.

Broke out the 850 and slapped the giant lizard on..may have to sneak it out for a test drive...new fork seals, rebuilt the front brakes and dropped in a new battery...and adjusted the cam chain for the first time since I had it. It’s a little different on the 850 but very easy. I’m a little ashamed I hadn’t done it sooner.....it’s so quiet now.

[skids]

"and adjusted the cam chain for the first time since I had it. It’s a little different on the 850 but very easy. I’m a little ashamed I hadn’t done it sooner.....it’s so quiet now."

And it is safer for the engine!

[Ranger_xs1100]

Silver Tank

Hey XS11Lover,

I've admired your work for quite awhile now....

I really like the look of that polished silver tank. Did you do anything with the side covers to try to get them to match the tank?

[xs11lover]

Thanks! I was just gonna go black but I’ve seen chrome xs 650 side covers and they stay on better with zip strips anyway. Lol
That was where I was going with that before I ended up changing my mind completely!

[xs11lover]

"and adjusted the cam chain for the first time since I had it. It’s a little different on the 850 but very easy. I’m a little ashamed I hadn’t done it sooner.....it’s so quiet now."

And it is safer for the engine!

Yeah, I knew it wasn’t the same as the xs11 and didn’t want to mess things up...they have a pretty slick set up that only takes about a minute and a half to do. I ended up reading about it on the xstriples website when I was baffled by the xs850 forks that seemed to have no caps.

How about this for the silver tank lover....

[Ranger_xs1100]

Silver Tank

Pretty cool!.
I may have to stea... I mean borrow another one of your ingenious ideas!

[xs11lover]

Hey Bob I was just reading a little about all of your projects in your link. All I can say is “wow, you da man”. This thought has crossed my mind a few times so I’ll ask. People replace the final drive of the 11 with the 850 or 750 to make the motor rev less at highway speed. In turn they give up a little snap and power??? So......in turn, if I put the Xs11 final drive I just removed in the 850 I’d have an xs850 on steroids that reved a little higher at highway speed?????

[xs11lover]

Yeah, I knew it wasn’t the same as the xs11 and didn’t want to mess things up...they have a pretty slick set up that only takes about a minute and a half to do. I ended up reading about it on the xstriples website when I was baffled by the xs850 forks that seemed to have no caps.

How about this for the silver tank lover....

I still have that exhaust hanging back there if anyone needs it. It’s a Mac 4-1 with black head pipes. It’s in pretty decent shape. I trimmed the end of the muffler off to get a better look but I hate the way the Mac header looks. I’d be happy with a $100. Pm me.