xs11 milage

[firecat]

hi all, im looking at a 1983? xs11 with 63000km(39000 miles) the guy says he thinks nothing has ever been done to engine. is this engine a time bomb? he says it backfires, what can cause that. im sure i can get it for $500.00 canadian. is that to much? thxs.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Firecat,

It's probably an XJ11, they were made for Canada thru to 84. The XS11 stopped in 81! These bikes are very solid. Depending on how it is/was ridden, and cared for, several folks have reported 100 K "miles" without an overhaul!

The carbs are notorious for getting gummed and varnished from just sitting! If it looks good, minimal rust, then it's probably worth the $500. There is a thread in the MISC section about what to look for in a NEGLECTED XS11.

But just realize that you'll need to put a bit more $$ into it to get it truly road worthy, including a fair amount of mechanic work, are you up to the challenge?! Things like rebuilding brakes, new tires, battery, etc.!

Check the serial number, should be in this series:11G-010101 which is XJ11 82-84.
T.C.

[trbig]

Man our dollar is getting weak... *Sigh. We used to go to Canada pretty regularly, and would always get about 27 bucks Can per US 20. $500 Can is about 448 bucks now.

Backfiring means it's getting raw fuel into the exhaust. It may just need to be rode a bit after cleaning up the carbs and other stuff, it may just need a valve adjustment, ...or it got rode EXTREMELY hard while out of adjustment and has burned an exhaust valve.

is this engine a time bomb?

That's one of the things that people in here love about these bikes... they are dang near bullet-proof. The newer bikes that are wore out after 50,000 miles.... doesn't apply to these. Even if it burned a valve, you can get a new (Used) head pretty reasonably, or you can still buy valves for it. I wouldn't think there would be anything wrong at all with the lower end of it... except maybe needing the 2nd gear fix. Do a search and read about that.

Figure out everything you will need. Possible rebuild on the front and back Master cylinders, and possibly stainless brake lines... new tires, battery, fluids... etc.
If you like the bike, and are halfway mechanically inclined... and if YOU think it's worth it. Jump in with both feet and climb aboard. Everybody here loves these bikes and are willing to help in any way they can.

Tod

[firecat]

thanks for the replys, i will check out the section on what to look for on these bigs. and i do all my oun mechanical work, im also working on a 1986 ninja 900 that has a bad rod bearing, i got that bike for $200.00. if i buy this yamaha ill post some pis of it. once again, thxs.

[Pat Kelly]

If nothing has been done to it then the valves may be out of adjustment. As the engine aquires hours the valve clearance closes, possibly to the point where an exhaust valve is not closing enough.
He may also consider backfiring the same as 'popping' which could be air getting into the system, possibly from cracked carb boots or an exhaust leak (gaskets, hole or crack in a pipe/seam).
Many possabilities but none serious.

[firecat]

i looked at the bike today, it is a 1981 xs 1100 special, it has a ugly windjammer on it , a trunk and saddle bags, 63000km, i can get it for $500.00 canadian, but heres what it will need, one header pipe has hole, needs tires, needs a throttle cause he broke the kill switch, the carb boots are cracked on the outside so likly need carb boots, seat needs recovering, and then would junk the windjammer so would need headlight and signal lites. and needs a good tuneup, cause didnt run real good. so what ya think, is it still worth 500 bucks?

[JWSanders]

That fairing and hard bags go for decent prices on Ebay. Would probably make you enough to get the all the headlight parts you need, with some leftover to get it running right. That's only around 40k miles....plenty of life left.

You expecting to be talked out of it? Heh, not likely.

There's very little that can't be fixed on these bikes. It's always good when another's on the road.

[Ken Talbot]

Go for it, Firecat! If all else fails, you'll easily make more than that back just parting it out. If you're anywhere close to a m/c boneyard, you should be able to find the headlight parts you want for pretty cheap. The last set I picked up from a boneyard in Canbrook were from a different model, but they fit just fine. Where abouts are you?

[firecat]

im at moosejaw sask, and theres a cycle salvage in regina, and i thought i had myself talked out of the bike but now im not so sure. this is a great site and looks as though there are many people on here ready to help with problems, so im getting close to going for it. i will decide by tomorrow morning. thxs guys. very freindly lot here.

[Ken Talbot]

SWMBO and I have been through there a couple of times! I've got Aunties in Regina, Yorkton, and just outside of Veregin. We've been through there in both the cage and on our bikes when we've been out that way visiting. Grab that bike, get it runnning reliably, and bring it on out to Revelstoke this August to our little rally. We can get it "fine tuned" when you get here. I've even got a few spare headers and carb boots lying about if you still need them by then.

[firecat]

well here she is guys, needs some tlc and it do backfire like crazy,the pipes are a easy fix so thats good, it accually sounds to be out of time, so ill check that along with the carbs . hmm, i would put picture here but cant figure out how to do it.

[firecat]

ok, here it is, have the picture thing figured out.[IMG][/IMG]

[Ken Talbot]

I've seen worse, and I've paid quite a bit more for one of those 'worse' ones. More than once!

[firecat]

so the kid i bought this bike from said he had the carbs cleaned by the local yammie dealer, well they are clean but so out of sinc. after reading the write up on the carbs here , there are 2 that are closed at the butterflys, one is open a bit and the other is open lots, plus water in the gas helps lots.

[firecat]

so i get the carbs back on, glance at coils, and start it, still seems to be labouring and its backfiring. so im thinking this morning about what the problem is, is the timing way out or what, then i look in my clymer book for my kawasaki and look at which coil fires which plugs and notice that left coil fires one and four and rite fires 2 and 3, and i remember that the yammies had the left firing 1 and 2 and the rite was 3 and 4, so i look here and find a picture of somone replacing there coils and they have the plug wires layed out to which plug they go to, so i mark that down go to bike , change 3 plug wires to where they suppose to go, and the problem is fixed, no more backfiring, idles great, and instant reving, but its raining so no test drive. and at 63000kms the engine sounds great.