Second XS11, disease getting a hold of me...

[ron2830]

found on ebay, original exhaust in good shape, orginal seat (near perfect) 12000 miles, but has been stored for seven or eight years. Price was right, worse case scenario is I will put exhuast on mine and part out. I do think it will run, coils are good, plugs show no rust on tips, from what I can see cylinders are not rusty. Petcocks were capped off, I think carbs were drained but he left gas in tank, it is a rusty mess. Drained it, flushed with detergent and water and dried in sun with shop vac air blowing through it. Tank is perfect on outside and not leaking, any suggestions on removing rust without damaging good metal underneath. I have not heard good things about these lining kits, been told the lining stuff contaminates the gas and eventually gums the carbs.

Airbox removed and had mice nest in it, but filter kept them out of the carbs. Going to change the oil, new plugs, and cycle the oil a bit without letting in fire. Will use my tank to prime carbs and try to start. Any other suggestions before I try to fire it up?

Thanks, (any known cure for XS11 disease?)

[mro]

lining stuff contaminates the gas

if you do a search, you will find several posts about cleaning and lining the tank. Seems if done properly will hold up.

I'd pull the carbs anyway. Do at least a minimum cleaning, check float height etc...

Would be surprised if brakes work.


mro
btw
what year/model???
______________________

(any known cure for XS11 disease?)

yup, you can ship your XS'es to me.
Don't think your withdrawals would last too long

[ron2830]

It is a 79 1100 SF special just like my other one, I have been looking for an orignal exhaust system and they are sky high on ebay so if this won't run I will just upgrade mine and part out what is left. I do think it will run, here is what I found today,

I have to save this tank, it and the side covers have the original gold flake black paint, did not know what that was until I saw it in the sun, gorgeous, the tank on my other has obviously been repainted, nice but not original.


Pulled the drain plugs out of the carb bowls, #1 had just about an ounce, green slimy stuff, #2 had more, ugly green and slimy stuff came out, # 3 and 4 were dry.

Pulled the carbs and they look clean at a glance but will pull bowls off to clean out the crud. Diaphrams on #1 and 2 seem stuck, 3 and 4 slide up and down easily.


Also wanted to look at the boots, cracks on the outside but perfect on inside, can't believe how thick these are cracks are probably only penetrate about 15 % so no need to replace.

Brakes actually do work, but I am going to take off calipers to make sure they are not sticking, check master cylinders, bleed lots of new fluid etc, if I get the motor running.

I plan to do a basic cleaning of the carbs and will reinstall without the air box, just to see if it will fire up. If it does, I will probably pull them again and rebuild them.


A couple of other questions, the boots came off the engine very easily so I am going to seal the outside with black RTV unless someone can suggest something better, just for cosmetics. When I reinstall the boots should I use any type of RTV or sealent where they fit against the engine, does not appear to use a gasket that I could see.

Also I have never taken apart a motor this far, but looking into the intake ports I noticed black carbon buildup on tops of intake valves and stems, dried and flaky from sitting I suppose. Any reason to try to clean this? Can't figure how to do it without some of it falling into the cylinder.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[79XS11F]

Must be nice to come across these bikes cheap like that. I never see any deals like that here in Canada or in my city that's for sure. There's just not as many of them up here.
Rob

[prometheus578]

Pulled the carbs and they look clean at a glance but will pull bowls off to clean out the crud. Diaphrams on #1 and 2 seem stuck, 3 and 4 slide up and down easily.

Better do more than just clean the crud outta the bowls... pull the jets, pilot needle, etc, and give a good squirting of carb cleaner.

I plan to do a basic cleaning of the carbs and will reinstall without the air box, just to see if it will fire up. If it does, I will probably pull them again and rebuild them.

Clean the carbs first, then fire up. I'm sure it will run. But with crappy carbs, if it runs like crap, you won't know if it's due to engine trouble, or the crappy carbs.
No gasket for carb boots. None needed. If you have a vacuum leak later, then deal with it at that time.
Don't get all "flakey" about the stuff on the valves.
Fire it up and let us know how it runs.

[TopCatGr58]

Prom's an actual bike mechanic, and doesn't mind doing and redoing repairs!!

The intake manifolds can sometimes have the rubber that is over the metal portion that mates with the head get dry and cracked. Due to the presence of gas, the use of RTV is not recommended.

However, using some other gasket type replacement sealant like Yamabond or non hardening Permatex wouldn't hurt to help ensure the that you don't get a vacuum leak with them will help it run better from the beginning, and eliminate a diagnostic step!

The Black RTV on the outside of the manifolds is fine for making them more cosmetically appealing. I tried Plastidip spray, but it was too thin and just kinda slowly drained into the cracks, so I couldn't get them to look sealed, but that was several years ago before I had found XS11.com enlightenment!

The bike was probably stored on the sidestand, and possibly the petcocks were leaking a bit as well. Gravity kept the fuel more in the left 2 carbs, hence the Green Slime there vs. the right 2 that were essentially dry. But fuel varnish has probably formed in the "dry" carbs as well, so it would be best to pull the floats, the needle valve, the pilot and main jets, the needle jet=emulsion tube, and be sure all of the little orifices are clear.

The black flaky stuff is probably just unburned hydrocarbons. You could slowly turn the engine over until the valve was closed, then squirt some carb cleaner in there, along with some compressed air to remove the large flakes if you want to! Wear Goggles!
T.C.

[MAXIMAN]

Re: Second XS11, disease getting a hold of me...

Originally posted by ron2830
(any known cure for XS11 disease?)

Nope...I bought three Elevens in less than a year. There IS only one hope for you my friend.

GO BUY 3 MORE!!!

[mro]

three Elevens in less than a year

NOT that I'm trying to one-up ya.
Have 5 in 9 months.

Looking at an 81 special, but price to high right now.


mro
80G daily ride
80LG project (slowly coming together)
(3) 79' H (will have one on the road soon)

[strom]

Just made an arrangement for my 2nd XS11.
Its a standard... 80 or 81. Looks like 78E, but has black/silver gas tank and rear plastic behind the seat. The 1.1 sidecover markings one. Got around 20k miles, all services done by an authorized yamaha shop. Its missing headlight, gauge cluster, middle drive (that I put on mine) and exhaust (nabbed that one too) a while ago.
Anyway, I just wanted to ask you guys, the contact list on merriam cycle page does not work, anyone got their email?
I mailed Bob Jones once about the 2nd gear and he was most helpful.
Now I would like to know something else.
He said that vmax shocks were heavy duty, for larger loads and/or passangers. Mine rock if riding solo... two-up and I scrape metal in the twisties. Way sooner that I would like. Didnt do so with stock shocks. Both set to max preload. Any ideas?
Neither me, nor my SWMBO are lightweight.

LP

[webbcraft2150]

These dam things are addicting!!! My long term wish to to have a 80 Special, "naked" standard and a 80MS to keep my dresser 80G company. But with 2 teenage girls on the cusp of heading to college, crooked teeth and both wanting cars, it could be a while

[ron2830]

definitely going to need fuel filters, petcocks were turned off so I think they may be OK, but the screens are a mess. Any source for these?

[MAXIMAN]

Re: three Elevens in less than a year

Originally posted by mro
NOT that I'm trying to one-up ya.
Have 5 in 9 months.

Looking at an 81 special, but price to high right now.


mro
80G daily ride
80LG project (slowly coming together)
(3) 79' H (will have one on the road soon)

ONE UP? ONE UP?

Sounds like ya "TWO UP-ed" me!

[mro]

can't count, nor spell

ONE UP? ONE UP?
Sounds like ya "TWO UP-ed" me!

79's are "F"'s, surprised no one caught that.

Worked on the exhaust for the LG and should be able to salvage it. (really crappy welds/rust). Need to p/u some 1 1/2" tubing to replace the sections I cut out in front of the muffler. Should look near original when done.

Looks like the guy with the 81 special may have got a buyer. So missed out on another one.


mro

[dpotter58]

Talk to my wife. I have three and she swears I have lost my fn mind...I think she tried to block this and the ebay site...

[ron2830]

love you guys......

never would have bid on this bike on ebay without the support network here. giving myself some credit too, it not only runs, it purrs!!!! Bought it as parts bike, exhaust, seat, etc. but it runs. Carbs are slimed, cleaning them, but took the carbs off my other 1100SF, tank etc, had to know if it would run. New NGK plug caps installed, put my tank on, changed oil, etc. Starter spun great but no start. Determined no spark.. bad fuse box (learned that here) bypassed fuse box, still no spark.......took igntion unit off my other 1100SF and..................as Tom Hanks said in the movie CASTAWAY.....AHA, look what I have created....FIRE!!!!!. Blew a long abandoned mice nest out the right exhaust all over my garage and laughed my butt off, I knew it was in there, shop vac just would not suck all of it out........

Here is the weird part, assumed it was a bad igniton module, but just for grins reconnected ignition module it came with and now it starts and runs fine, maybe just needed a kick in the butt? does not make sense to me, but hey......

Rear brake is not releasing, lot's of work to come, this may be a restoration...... love these bikes. ...