XJ1100 First Real Ride

[3Phase]

This is my first real ride on my XJ1100.
I feel like I should jump up and down and shout, "I have 2nd gear! Yee hah hah hah haah! 2nd gear, Baby!"

So, on the way to the beach via Topanga Canyon, I stopped at the
Topanga Canyon Overlook and took pictures of the San Fernando Valley.

North by Northwest


North


Northeast



After the overlook, I didn't take any more pictures while I cruised Topanga, Malibu, Zuma Beach, then back over Kanan Road to Micky D's for dinner at Kanan and the 101 freeway.

My XJ with its windshield







I stopped at my friends' house after a nice 100-mile ride and kicked back for a couple of hours.

It's time to go home and still no leaks!


Overall, I had a great day and so did the XJ, slipped effortlessly along the freeway and sharing lanes in heavy commuter traffic. I'll get pictures next time but this time around I was giving all of my attention to the bike for the shakedown cruise.

Total miles today is 101.5 and I'll check the gas mileage tomorrow after I fill the tank.

[motoman]

Nice work, and always good to hear a 'shakedown' ride over a hundred miles doesn't turn into an 'adventure'!

[3Phase]

Nice work, and always good to hear a 'shakedown' ride over a hundred miles doesn't turn into an 'adventure'!

Thank you, Brant. Oh, and, uh, pardon me, "there's just one more thing..." Columbo can stay home and Baby and I'll be doing the Colorado rally!

Right now I'm watching "The Expendables 3" and playing with Windows Photo Gallery to stitch the Overlook shots together.

Eh, it sort of worked.

[donebysunday]

Thank you, Brant. Oh, and, uh, pardon me, "there's just one more thing..." Columbo can stay home and Baby and I'll be doing the Colorado rally!

Right now I'm watching "The Expendables 3" and playing with Windows Photo Gallery to stitch the Overlook shots together.

Eh, it sort of worked.

Nice shake down run !
How's it feel to have a brandy new XJ11 ? ? ?
Looking so sweet !

[IanDMacDonald]

Scott-

How do you compare the XJ versus the XS? Do you feel a power difference? When I rode the '78 XS1100 that was for sale last weekend, I was disappointed by how tame the bike seemed? The quiet nature of the bike was confusing. I have a modified airbox, which gives a nice intake growl, similar to pods. I'm not sure if my bike being a little hopped-up was a good comparison variable or not. Opinion?

[3Phase]

Nice shake down run !
How's it feel to have a brandy new XJ11 ? ? ?
Looking so sweet !

I love it! The ride through the canyons was everything I'd been looking forward to doing and more when I got the bike last year.

In the long run, I'm still concerned about the damaged #2 connecting rod journal. Something large and sharp went through the oil gallery and messed up a hardened crankshaft and the rod bearing when came out. It seems to be doing alright so far with the new bearing shell and I spent a lot of time polishing out the rough part of the journal by hand without removing too much material. I'll have to wait and see what happens but these engines are like Legos, if the rod lets go and doesn't damage the case then I have a couple of good crankshafts I can fit to the XJ's case. That'll require new shells and some TLC so it doesn't just spin the bearings and grenade the first time I grab a handful of throttle.

I had to be careful breaking in the new tires, they're past their "Use By" DOT date but there's no way I'm throwing out a set of Marathons, that's just not going to happen.

I still have to check the dynamic fuel levels and sync the carbs but it almosts floats along the road when I run it up through the gears. When it snatches 2nd gear and starts to loft the front wheel and accelerate instead of dropping its head and hammering like machine gun I can't help but smile, then do it again. And again.

It'd be totally gnarly with the stock '1100 drive and 16" rear wheel instead of the '850 drive but the RPMs would annoy me going out on the road with it.

Scott-

How do you compare the XJ versus the XS? Do you feel a power difference? When I rode the '78 XS1100 that was for sale last weekend, I was disappointed by how tame the bike seemed? The quiet nature of the bike was confusing. I have a modified airbox, which gives a nice intake growl, similar to pods. I'm not sure if my bike being a little hopped-up was a good comparison variable or not. Opinion?

I rode my buddy's '78E a couple of decades ago (man, it's been that long already!), then three or four '79 Specials within the last ten years and both are stronger than the XJ11 when they hit their stride. The '78 was a little smoother and quieter than the Specials with its 17" rear wheel and slightly longer exhaust but they detuned the '79s so it's kind of moot.

The smog cams, heads and pistons make the XJ and the late-model XS11 Specials and Standards more tractable at lower speeds but the stump-pulling rush isn't quite the same. Now that the XJ is running I can have some fun tweaking it and dialing it in but mechanically the engine will never match a '78/'79 unless I swap out a lot of parts that I just finished bolting back on.

[Wildkat]

Great job, Scott!

Congratulations on your win!
Just dont let Columbo get jealous.
lol

Enjoy the ride!

[3Phase]

Congratulations on your win!
Just dont let Columbo get jealous.
lol

Enjoy the ride!

Ah, thank you, 'Kat! Columbo's up next and knows it.

I should be able to get everything back together, out of the garage and on the road again before the rally in July but there's no deadline this time around so there's no rush and no pressure.

Now that the new rings have their initial set in the XJ and it can safely idle for a little while, it's time to go check the fuel levels and the sync but that'll be in the rebuild/welding thread.

[soccer4m]

NICE MAXIM FOR 3Phase

Yeehah, another XJ rises to live another day. Congrats Scott, your "Baby" looks great and sure sounds like it puts a smile on your face. These XJ's have a different feel than the XS's, more boulevard spunk and look. Looks like at least a couple of XJ's will make it to the Colo. Rally, probably meet you and D-Ray on the way through Utah, will give you a call soon. MAXIMS RULE,,,,,Mike in SUn diego

[3Phase]

Mike, I have to make a run to Riverside to get some notarized papers from the courthouse.

I want to visit Ralph and his wife too and I was thinking about heading down this Friday so I could take the weekend after playing tag with the clerk.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Congrats Scott on a job well done!
Bike looks great! Bohn will be proud how shiney it is!

Way to hang in there until you got the bugs worked out.
That's always been the tough part for me... just get it all together, have an issue, and have to take it back apart again... Aaarrrgghh!

I've had both, the XS and the XJ. Even the sounds of the engines at idle are completely different. The '78 and '79's have lopey cams and sound like a hot rod. The XJ goes " dadadadadadada... smooth, but docile.
By '82, they'd changed cams, valves, carb parts, exhaust... added all the electronics...
One change I did like is the electronic ignition timing. No more broken pickup wires... Little vacuum controlled potentiometer under the gas tank sends a voltage to the tci... pretty cool way of doing it.

You were told correctly about the oil level switch. Reads only low level and nothing to do with oil pressure or over filled level.
One thing I did think sucked though was the low fluid level warning light for the battery...and the special battery...
But, one other cool warning light... Kickstand! Helpful for us guys that are a bit forgetful! Lol...

Very happy for you, Scott. Congrats, and wishing you miles of smiles!
Have a blast at the rally.
Bob

[3Phase]

Thanks, Bob!

I have some first-hand info about the oil level sensor from you and BillyRok, next I'll have to do an oil pressure check.

I'm wondering if one or more of the main bearing pads in the case didn't seal correctly when I put the case together and bolted in the crank.
The Book warns about loss of oil pressure if they leak, along with that lonesome o-ring that seals the oil passage between the case halves.

The low oil level warning would go on if those areas leaked because the oil pump would run wide open while it tries to make pressure but the oil can't drain back fast enough to keep the level sensor from tripping.
I'm not sure why it would do that intermittently, or stop warning after the engine warms up.


I'm actually not a fan of the XJ's non-adjustable timing plate and pick-up coils or its one-off TCI and vacuum advance.
It's a good idea but I don't really like it.
Maybe when it's time for the annual mechanical advance and vacuum advance lube and service festival I'll appreciate the XJ's solid-state ignition.
If not, I have a couple of tuneable '79 ignition sets and common-as-dirt 2H7 TCIs that are just waiting to get bolted on.

[3Phase]

I have to thank Mike, Tom and their wives for making this a total trip.
I'm back from Sun Diego after only a five-hundred-mile ride but it was one excellent, dare I say, "Memorial!" weekend.!


Sitting in Mike's front yard and everything's rosy.






Dinner at the local Mexican hamburger burrito joint.




Mike's XJ11 and '81 Venturer.




We worked on Tom's '80G yesterday but it needs fuel system parts so we didn't get to go riding.
It's Memorial Day today and it's time to head home and beat the traffic so I don't get squirshed.



I'm glad to be home in one piece and the bike ran flawlessly!

[XJOK2PLAY]

Awesome, Scott!
Bike looks great.
500 miles is a good shake down run.

[3Phase]

Bob, the first four hours and two-hundred-miles were splitting traffic to get to the courthouse in Indio, CA. That was an insane run but I made it with five minutes to spare!