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Hi All!
New owner of an '81 XS11 Special. Based on the previous owner's insurance cards, it is listed as a Midnight Special, but the serial number listed on the title indicates an "SH" rather than an "LH"(the Midnight, right?). The tank and sidecovers have obviously been repainted multiple times (on top of each other apparently) so I don't really have any idea what the original paint was. I would accept it to be a regular special, except my Pastor has a nearly identical '80 special and there are some subtle paint differences on different parts of the bike. For example his has chrome valve covers and mine are painted black with silver highlights. Also the rear wheel gear housing and resovoir (sorry don't know the tech name for it) on his bike is all siver where mine is again black with silver highlights.
These could just be standard variations, but I do not know, so I thought I would throw it out there for someone who knows to maybe shed some light on it for me. It really doesn't matter so much, except I am planning on tearing it down and repainting it this winter, and knowing what she started out as may influence my color choice.
Thank you in advance for your input.
Quentin
New owner of an '81 XS11 Special. Based on the previous owner's insurance cards, it is listed as a Midnight Special, but the serial number listed on the title indicates an "SH" rather than an "LH"(the Midnight, right?). The tank and sidecovers have obviously been repainted multiple times (on top of each other apparently) so I don't really have any idea what the original paint was. I would accept it to be a regular special, except my Pastor has a nearly identical '80 special and there are some subtle paint differences on different parts of the bike. For example his has chrome valve covers and mine are painted black with silver highlights. Also the rear wheel gear housing and resovoir (sorry don't know the tech name for it) on his bike is all siver where mine is again black with silver highlights.
These could just be standard variations, but I do not know, so I thought I would throw it out there for someone who knows to maybe shed some light on it for me. It really doesn't matter so much, except I am planning on tearing it down and repainting it this winter, and knowing what she started out as may influence my color choice.
Thank you in advance for your input.
Quentin
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