Hello from DFW

[Team RJ]

New member here and not exactly "official" as my MNS probably won't arrive for a few weeks. I have the deal done and it's purely a matter of logistics from here on out. It is possible for it to fall through, but highly un-likely.

I'm really excited about the bike. My first motorcycle I ever purchased was a Yamaha ... a 1973 DT-80 that I paid $150 for with my OWN earned money at the age of 11. Lots of bikes followed of course Been doing the Harley thing for the last 15yrs or so, but sold our last one about 6mos ago. The LAST thing I ever expected was to be getting a 1980 XS1100 MNS, but I saw it and the most amazing wave of memories took my mind over ... " ... I gotta have this bike ..." I'm really (and I mean REALLY) looking forward to doing a soup-to-nuts, ground-up, resto-mod. I'm so eat up with it I've already ordered some NOS parts I've found ... and the dang bike ain't even in my name or sitting in the garage!!

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone during the restoration and hope I can offer some tips as well. I've been lurking for about a week and glad I can actually join
Located in DFW area ...

Team RJ

[normalthom]

Hello and welcome RJ!! Your story sounds almost exactly like mine except for I didn't jump on the Harley bandwagon for 15 years, I stopped riding completely for more than 20!! Then I saw a 1980 MNS in someones garage and just asked him about it, he told me he was too old to ride anymore (82 years old) and could tell by the look in my eyes that I needed to have it. He offered it to me for $900 and I went and got it the next day. Still having some carb and maybe clutch issues but just as much fun as I rermember having all those years ago.

[Ranger_xs1100]

Hello Team RJ.
Welcome to the forum. I'm looking forward to your restoration posts, hopefully along with some pictures as you progress... Good luck with the project and let us know how we can help as you travel that journey.
Bob

[Radioguylogs]

Welcome!

Looking forward to pictures and following your progress.

[EzHax]

Welcome from H-Town!
Just got a 80 XS1100. Waiting on my son to get home from college so I can teach him to clean carbs. Promised him I wouldn't touch it!

[Radioguylogs]

Welcome to you too EzHax!

[normalthom]

Welcome EzHax. My daughter lives in Seabrook, I'll be down there visiting her and her husband for Thanksgiving.

[EzHax]

Welcome to you too EzHax!

Amazing.....this is a tiny town for sure. Surrounded by large towns. Welcome to Texas!
Boy came in Friday...got the tank and carbs off yesterday. Will post a new thread so as not to hijack.

[Team RJ]

Thanks for the replies!

Question about value …. Don’t really care much but I am curious so be as truthful as you like lol

1980 MNS, 42k, above avg condition, motor all stock, has full Vetter setup w/bags (no stock parts were kept)

Be pricey to get it back to stock, but as is …
What say you all on price?

[cajun31]

Thanks for the replies!

Question about value …. Don’t really care much but I am curious so be as truthful as you like lol

1980 MNS, 42k, above avg condition, motor all stock, has full Vetter setup w/bags (no stock parts were kept)

Be pricey to get it back to stock, but as is …
What say you all on price?

Book on them is about 5000, however that would be in above average condition. A picture would help to evaluate for you. I have 3, 2 80s and an 81. I have owned one since I bought it new. I have never really thought about selling them. Bob (Ranger_xs1100) has restored a few and he has actually sold a few. I believe he actually made good money on them.

[Ranger_xs1100]

Correct Jim (cajun31). I’ve restored or customized 6 midnights over the past dozen years. I still own two of them. One is completed and the other one is a work in progress that I am documenting on my website. For those who want to follow along: The Dueling Projects (2021) – MY QUEST FOR THE YAMAHA XS1100 MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (wordpress.com).

I haven’t sold one in a few years, but if the market is still the same, I would expect to get between $3500 and $4000 for a really nice one. I guess I’ll find out soon enough because after I complete what is likely to be my final project, I plan on selling one or both of the midnights.

[Team RJ]

^^

Pretty much what I was thinking … my thoughts were $2500-$3000 with all the Vetter stuff on it.
getting it restored back to stock I figure I’ll have around $5k in it (doing the labor myself) so not too far under when it’s done.

Thanks for the feedback, greatly appreciated

[LAB3]

Back in the 80's I was also an HD guy, a good friend who we called "Coker" (Cow Biker) was also from a small town just outside of Dallas. His dressed midnight had a set of chrome bullhorns mounted to the front fender and a genuine horse saddle for a seat. If you'd have told me back then that I'd be riding "rice" by the end of the decade I'd have probably laughed in your face but some of us evolved to learn we had more sense than dollars, especially when the kids started to being born.

[Team RJ]

Back in the 80's I was also an HD guy, a good friend who we called "Coker" (Cow Biker) was also from a small town just outside of Dallas. His dressed midnight had a set of chrome bullhorns mounted to the front fender and a genuine horse saddle for a seat. If you'd have told me back then that I'd be riding "rice" by the end of the decade I'd have probably laughed in your face but some of us evolved to learn we had more sense than dollars, especially when the kids started to being born.

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving!!

I hear ya ... I actually loved my time with Harley ... great brotherhood and *mostly* nice folks ... I just started noticing Harley was more about Merch than Mototcycles ... and REALLY started pushing back on 3rd-party mods. Our last one was a 2019 CVO Roadglide. Had a whopping 890 miles on it when I sold it. My wife hated to get rid of it but it was too much money tied up in a land-yacht; both of us moving away from "trips for weeks" so it made sense for it to go.

I've always had a penchant for Yamaha, and not just beause I lost my cherry to one. Yamaha has always been what I consider a leader in all tech motorcycles, with probably the most "game changers" of any brand. I would guess Honda as a close second (V-4, VFR, RC, etc) but there really IS no other bike like the RD/RZ series of two-strokes, along with the continued improvement of the inline-4 started with this bike. You're looking at the very first "R" and "MT" series of bikes, now considred some of the best in the world, inside the XS11 program.

If I could afford it I would probably have 15-20 classic Yamahas in my garage.
Go fund me anyone? (rotflmao)

Had to move a different direction as the deal I thought was wrapped died on the vine at the 11th hour.
I have 2 on the hook now so wish me luck (one might surprise y'all).

More to follow ....

TRJ

[skipt]

A real cliff hanger! Sorry you lost the deal and good luck with what ever follows.