Final Drive Transplant _ Kudos 2 Chop!

[50gary]

pggg, I made some good progress on the R1 front end this weekend. Spray welded up the steering stem and ground to 1.193" for a perfect press into the R1 lower clamp. New bearings, and an upper bushing to fill out the top R1 clamp because the bearings are diffferent on the top, 25mm for the XS11 and 30mm for the R1. New seals for the fork legs now I have to build the forks, I may shim the R1 springs for a bit more stiffness, on a budget you know? I have the wheel/tire/rotors/axle, calipers, and fender. I'll need s/s lines and a way to run the speedo. Oh yeah, also bored the top clamp to accept the tubular handlebars, I'll use XS650 risers. Getting there.
Cheers, 50gary

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by 50gary
To figure any tire diameter and circumference:
EX: 140/80/17" 140 x .8 =112 x 2 =224/25.4 = 8.82 +17" =25.82 That's the diameter. Then, 25.82 x 3.2427 = 81.12" that's the circumference.
EX2: 130/90/16" 130 x 90 = 117 x 2 = 234/25.4 = 9.21 +16" = 25.21" That's the diameter. 25.21" x 3.1417 = 79.21" That's the circumference.
17" with 80 series tire =25.82" diameter
16" with 90 series tire =25.21" diameter

Dan, my 1978E standard has quite a bit of room on the right side of the tire to swingarm clearance about 1.5". This is with a stock wheel and a 5.10" x 17" tire. Right side as sitting on the bike.
Cheers, 50gary

This is actually quite simple,you can obtain the diameter of the tire from the manufacture on the web and then figure the cirumference from that which is what you need to figure your MPH based on your RPM. All 130-90 x16 tires do not have the same diameters,ditto for the 80 series.The rear tire I have now is a 130-90x16 Dunlop Qualifier and has a diameter of 25.3 inches.Dunlop makes an Elite III in this size that measures 25.7 inches in diameter. A 140/80 x17 tire requires a minimum rim width of 3.5 inches which means it will not work on the narrow standard's 2.5 x 17 inch wheel (safely). Diameter x 3.14= circumference or roll out,very simple.You will never actually know if the combination you speak about will fit untill you actually put it on there, but the shaft housing is the problem clearence wise,not the swing arm.Good luck.

[50gary]

Thanks Dan, you are so right, all tires are not necesssairily the same. I was doing simple math just to get a rough idea of how to estimate various tire sizes and the concept of how tire section is figured. On the UK XS11 owners' site they talk of an "XJ900 Diversion" rear wheel that is 4"x17" that bike is shaft drive, so that may help? 60 degrees here today got some miles on, that makes it a good day.
Cheers, 50gary

[Dan Hodges]

Originally posted by 50gary
Thanks Dan, you are so right, all tires are not necesssairily the same. I was doing simple math just to get a rough idea of how to estimate various tire sizes and the concept of how tire section is figured. On the UK XS11 owners' site they talk of an "XJ900 Diversion" rear wheel that is 4"x17" that bike is shaft drive, so that may help? 60 degrees here today got some miles on, that makes it a good day.
Cheers, 50gary

There are at least a couple after market manufactures that have wheels that will work on these things but the swingarm to shaft housing distance limits the tire size you can use.If it were just a matter of a wheel and there were no clearence problems I would have had one 25 years ago,but it's not that simple.

[MAXIMAN]

Spacer Update

I was in an oilfield supply store the other day and stumbled upon a perfect spacer. It is a rocker arm bushing for a 346 Fairbanks Morse engine. It is made of bronze instead of copper and actually fits a little better than the copper tubing and the wall thickness is about 1/2 mm thicker. Being made of bronze it should be more durable.

The copper will work but I think this bushing would be a better long term solution. You should be able to get one at any oilfield supply. It is readily available through Arrow Specialty Products. Arrow Specialty can be found on the net. They have offices in NY and OH and other places but most Oilfield supply store would be able to get this common part for you. The Arrow part number is 1009 for a 346 Fairbanks Morse.

You'll have to cut it to length. But you'd have to cut the copper collar to length too.

Cg

[John]

Mod complete

I finished my FD mod this afternoon, and was able to get in a short test ride. I can definitly feel the difference on take off, but it won't be a problem. The bike accelerates nicely, and I can keep it in gear a little longer. No more having to short shift first gear when leaving a stop light and there are cars ahead of me. At 60 mph, my tach was showing about 36-3700 rpm, as compared to 41-4200. I had to replace my tach after last years accident, and it has alway read a little high since then. I will fill the tank tonight and ride to work tomorrow, and fill up again, and check the milage when I get home from work. A round trip is 33 miles.

[MAXIMAN]

AWESOME!

Yep at 60 mph mine shows about 3200...it used to show 3800 - 3900. I think overtime you're gonna love this mod.

I rode mine saturday againfor a couple hundred miles just to "pinch myself" and make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Sure enough at 70 mph I got right at 40 mpg (technically 39.7) and I fought a 25 to 30 mph for the first 75 or 80 miles.

Keep us updated.

Cody

[pggg]

You guys and your overgeared XS11's, 3600 revs is O.K but 3200? Myself, I want lower gearing for an even more brutal kick at mid/low and scorching 1/4 mile blasts... Max'll love this comment - an overgeared XS11 feels sluggish, bland and boring with no character to ride, and missing the X factor of the original one and only get up and go kickass XS1100, may as well go ride a sensible Honda..

[HobbyMan]

After reviewing this mod for a while, I have decided that I am probably going to try and pick a neglected XS this winter to try it on. I know that seems XSessive, but it will be my carte blanche bike to try everything on. Right now, I couldn't bear taking my bike apart any more times, I miss riding it soo much. Maby that is why I don't have a GF right now This seems like the BEST mod out there. After that, I am thinking fuel injection... Imagine that mileage. This seems easy enough. Along with an extra fuel tank like John's and heated seats, you won't be able to stop me. The only downside to this mod is not with the bike, its the speed limits. Even now, Its annoying to ride at "slow" speeds. Anyway, just keep us informed of the results later on like you said.

[pggg]

Like I said before when my bike was doin' 3000 revs at 63mph I thought it was the catswhiskers and it was great on looong arrow-straight roads, but corners are the best place for a motorbike so tall gearing was no advantage to me, but in Arizona I'd say it'd be a good idea?

[MAXIMAN]

Originally posted by pggg
You guys and your overgeared XS11's, 3600 revs is O.K but 3200? Myself, I want lower gearing for an even more brutal kick at mid/low and scorching 1/4 mile blasts... Max'll love this comment - an overgeared XS11 feels sluggish, bland and boring with no character to ride, and missing the X factor of the original one and only get up and go kickass XS1100, may as well go ride a sensible Honda..

Hehehehehe HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Oh lord I laffed til I cried.

Well that is true. I use my Maxim for a long distance touring machine. So like I said at the beggining of this thread if you are all about 1/4 mile times this probably isn't the mod for you.

So yes...my Eleven is my "sensible Honda". Because for HotRodding ...for wheel stands...stoppies and 1/2 mile shots of 160+ mph I use THIS!

[MAXIMAN]

Andrew

At highway speed (80 to 85) this mod is da bom! And if you ever need a little more "grunt" on the open road it is a real simple idea. It's called downshifting (doh!)

Before at 63 I was revving 4000.

Now it's about 3200 at 63. But if I drop down to fourth at 63 I'm revving about 4300.

And for touring the western states (as I do exclusively) on long flat stretches of desert road this modification is a must because the Eleven is gear too low for that application ...IMAO.

When ya get ready to do it call me.

[xschop]

Moral of the Story

When I first started the mod, I should have named the post "xs1100 sixth gear". This was my original goal....gas/hiway cruising-lower RPM. My idea was to have a custom fith gear cut, which I heard had been done to other bikes. But that's not fair to my other fellow xsives nor my wallet, so I decided to find a bolt on solution (FD)and see if I liked that first. Well, after much time in the bike graveyard I found it. I figured that a 10% decrease in revs would not hurt 1st gear and definitly help the gas tank in 5th. This F/D was a 12% reduction, so I told myself,why not? So you say, well, What's the moral to this story? The XS11's superb torque has no problem with the taller gear!

[MAXIMAN]

Re: Moral of the Story

Originally posted by xschop
The XS11's superb torque has no problem with the taller gear!

Especially MINE

Mwhau ha ha ha

[pggg]

I retract my statement about the XS losing 'character' with tall gearing, but it's an unforgetable, tragic and traumatic experience when a Harley whips an XS between traffic lights tho!!