new xs problems

[xsscooters]

Just got my xs1100 home it raan fine when i test rode it . But when i got home with it a four hour drive it wouldn't start the battery was dead i put it on the charger for awhile and it started but it does'nt seem to be charging . Should the head light get brighter when you rev it up? Also if you hammer it hard in first it jumps out of gear is this a sign of the dreaded tranny problem shifting normal it was ok.

[planedick]

Yep

You're right, not charging and it's the "dreaded" gear problem with these things. However the fix isn't difficult and once it's done you have a real bonified rocket. You're lucky in that all the expertise you need to make it like new is right here on this site. Owners of other motorcycles should be so lucky

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Scooters,

Yeah, Dick is right, dreaded tranny, but 1st gear instead of 2nd, see the tech tips FROM THE MAIN FORUM PAGE, not the yellow column, and you'll see what it will take for fixing both 1st/4th gear dogs and slots, and 2nd/5th while you're in there!

First, pull Reg/Rect off and clean contacts to frame, pull all plugs from ALT and inspect for corrosion, clean, same for all battery connections and such. Then retest with voltmeter, should be 14.5 volts at around 2500 rpm, but if only 12 then it's messed up. There are tech notes on how to trouble shoot what is wrong with it, but usually it's the Reg/Rect, the Alt rarely goes bad unless the stator parts get loose and rub against the moving parts inside the ALT cover!
T.C.

[XMRGWX]

I feel your pain. Of the two I'd much rather deal with the charging problem. You may luck out and only have a bad connector. Good Luck

[planedick]

Do it all

Once you do the tranny and you should do 2nd gear too while you're in there, you got a real bullet proof tranny. If you buy a 2nd gear from Yamaha you will find it's been cut back like you do with the dremmel. I've done two and it's not that bad.

[xsscooters]

xs problem

Ok i already have the charging figured out. Rode it somemore this evening you really have to hammer it hard to get 1st to jump which i probably won't do much. My question will it hurt it to ride it like it is for awhile or should i fix it now .

[John]

If you don't hammer on it, then first should be ok. You will still have to do the work, sooner or later. About 14 years ago, mine had gotten so bad that it would jump ot of first as soon as I eased the clutch out. I had to start off in second gear for a while. Luckily, a coworker who used to race xs11s, told me about the Demel Fix so I attempted it. It worked for many years, and when I did the big bore, I had a machine shop do the undercutting again just to make sure that all dogs and slots are the same dimension and angle.