xs 1100 problems

[xsscooters]

I really liked this bike too felt great there is no doubt it would have been great to tour on. My local yamaha dealer's mechanic is also a good friend he knows more about bikes than anyone in this area he said back in the day he would fix 2-3 xs1100 trannys every month he also said the xs850 had a tranny problem too . . If anyone has a xs650 to trade i would be interested.

[xsscooters]

ebay item no

this the auction no for the bike if anyone wants to look at it 230075534922 .

[DiverRay]

Yamaha changed the gear design and they no longer break as easily. If you have worked on a 650, and split the cases then the 1100 is easy. If you can't get a reasonable price for the bike, see if someone on the board is close to you, and you may have some help.
My bike was an e-bay item, and it needed a LOT of work, even though the PO said it was "almost" ready to ride anyplace.
Good luck, and look for an XJ650-900. They are inline 4 and will be smooth on the highway.

[xsscooters]

Arkansas?

Is anyone close to Ft Smith Arkansas ?

[DiverRay]

Do a search on members. I think there are some near your city.
Ray

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Scooters,

I already searched, a member named Isipell ?Sp? lives in Mayflower, just north of Little Rock, about 60 miles East of you. You are near the Oklahoma border, didn't check there?
T.C.

Editted.....I hate GEOGRAPHY!

[xsscooters]

Thanks

The people on this forum are very helpful seem like a great bunch of guys. I'm gonna try changing oil to get the starter clutch to work it gets really cold here so that might be the problem. What do you guys recomend for colder weather .

[DiverRay]

Go with a 10w40 oil. You may want to try 10w30, but only if it isn't going to get much over 50 degrees F. The oil will break down quickly much above that.
I would also put about a pint of Berrymans B12 Chemtool or SeaFoam into the oil, idle on the center stand for about 5 minutes, turn off, let set for 5 more minutes and then drain. That should clean out anything that may be causing the "sticky" problems in the oil gallery.
Ray

[STEPPENWOLF]

.
I would also put about a pint of Berrymans B12 Chemtool or SeaFoam into the oil, idle on the center stand for about 5 minutes

What is that stuff?never heard of it before and what is it suppose to do? Thanks.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Wolf,

Doing a search for SeaFoam will reveal a lot! There's mention of it in the PRODUCT REVIEW section, as well as many posts about it here! Works very well to UNGUM up engines and gastanks, carbs! As DiverRay said, only run at idle, no LOAD on engine, and then drain! It's been called tuneup in a can, etc.!
T.C.

[xsilerating]

I checked with the mechanic who has done the maintenance on my 80 XS11 Midnight Special since it was new. While the engine has had a rebuild, the bike has well over 220,000 mi. on it. His recommendation for oil is Motul 10W50, semi-synthetic - NO 100% synthetic and NO additives.

For all climates and, particular the colder ones, the 10W will take care of the cold starts and cold weather operating temperatures. For all climates, the 50W will perform extremely well. I imagine that most of you may feel that the 50W is overkill. However, it must be remembered that it isn't only the atmospheric temperature range in the climate in which you reside but, more importantly, the temperature at which the engine operates. These bikes have relatively high revving, air cooled engines that operate at extremely high temperatures. And, it is the temperature of the engine and not the ambient air temperature that the bike is ridden in, that is the important factor.

My understanding is that my XS11 has between 80K and 100K mi. on it since the rebuild. This past riding season I put approximately 3000 mi. on it and it used less than 1 oz. of oil. For all intents and purposes, that's not bad.

Just another persons opinion/experience.

Ron

"Us oldies that live together... play together... ride together - let's hope that we don't, you know, break down together!"