Project progress..

[AlanB]

Hi Crazcnuk,

Not starting after sitting for a while is common; especially on faired bikes. The carbs get pretty warm when the bike is stationary after a run, and some of the fuel in the bowls evaporates through the vents, dropping the levels.

If you switch the taps to "Prime" for just a few moments before you hit the button, it should start straight away.

Yamaha found the problem much worse on the FJ11/12 series bikes, 'cos of the factory fitted fairing, so those bikes have a heat-shield fitted between the carbs and motor. the shields got bigger on the later FJ models........

I am pretty sure that a couple of the UK members have adapted the FJ shield to their XSs.

AlanB

[Crazcnuk]

I have been trying the prime thing, and it does seem to help.

Never thought about it being due to having the fairing and lowers.

Today I got the shock mount fixed, mounted the bags in thier final positions, changed my shock springs (progressive) abd changed the lock in the trunk.

Also moved the helmet lock to it's new position on the luggage mounts.

The bike is now pulling right to redline. However, my throttle cable broke, so I it's going to be sitting until I can get a new one.

Bought all the stuff to build one of those home-made maonometers so we can synch our 4 cylinder bikes whenever we need to.

All that's left to do is idle adjust and synch the carbs and hook up the trunk lights.

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

Built one of those homemade guages too. One comment, make sure you get quality vaccum lines. Had mine set up, got no. 1 and 2 carbs to match, got 3 and 4 to match and was getting ready to set the two pairs together and then then vaccum readings went off. Cause the bike was getting warm the "inexpensive" lines had expanded slightly and were not making a good seal on the nipples. Used small cable ties to seal them up.

What a difference, though, once the carbs were synced!!

Ernie

79xs1100sf

[Crazcnuk]

Derwat just picked up a set of liquid filled vacuum guages. Will see if those will work as well.

I am now getting down to the cosmetic stuff.

I still need a seat, that fits a standard. I am using Derwat's stock seat, off his Special, and while it works, it doesn't fit very well on the standard.

I will be looking for one of those slide-in backrests that goes with the carrier.

Also need the tank emblems and sidecover emblems, and possibly better sidecovers.

Compiling stock looking tools, to put in the tool box.

I assume the hole in the lower edge of the rear fender is for a mudflap?

Flushed the front brakes, still have to do the rear, wish I had done it before mounting the saddlebags. I have new pads for all 3 to put on.

My horns are not working very well, but I rarely use em. Later on the list.

Have to find a plug to match up with the Vetter trunk so I can hook up the trunk lights.

Next priority will be to go thorugh the charging system. Just needs a good clean, I hope.

[Crazcnuk]

Bike is running quite well, now, still have to set the carbs, synch, etc.

Fuel mileage is not the best right now, hoping the carb setup will help. I am running the 2nd half of a can of Seafoam through now. Put 197kms on with 19.3l of gas.

Next on the list:

Clean electrical connections for the charge system.
Clean the lighting connectors.
Fix the hinges on the cyclesound rain cover.
Flush rear brakes, then change pads on all three calipers.
Track down and eliminate a bunch of vibration noises out of the fairing.
Fix the leaking final drive drain plug.
Fix or replace the horns. Was in a parade on saturday and they quit all together.

Right now the left hand signal lights work only when they feel like it. Most the time the dash light comes on, but no flash. The right side only work if the rpms are above 1500-2000.

My headlight relay buzzes up to about 2000rpm.

Yikes! The list changes, but never gets shorter!

[Crazcnuk]

Flushed the brakes today, the rear fluid looked like mud. It was so thick it coated the inside of the clear tubing I use to bleed into a jar. Must have flushed at least 4 full master cylinders full of fluid through.

Put the new pads on all 3 corners.
Fixed the fairing vibrations.
Fixed the muffler mount.
Fixed the final drive drain, used an engine drain plug.
Replaced the headlight relay.
Replaced the grommet on the rear caliper stop.
Fuel mileage is better, but need to wait for a calculation to know how much.

I ordered a universal, marine, watertight stereo cover, to see if it can be used to replace the CycleSound cover system.

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

Check the grounding wires to your signals. On mine they only worked sometimes. Found out that PO had put the rear ground wires on the outside between the rubber mount and another rubber washer! I rewired them and moved the ground to the inside, under the seat and against the stock metal washer. No more problems!

If your brake fluid was that bad you may need to rebuild MC's if you find them getting spongey. I take it everything bled okay?

Sounds like you're getting close! Keep at it!

Ernie
79XS1100SF
(Improving with age)

[Crazcnuk]

Yes, they bled ok, and the brakes work fine. The fronts needed a flush, but nothing out of the ordinary, but I doubt the rears have ever been flushed!

The (one of the) PO had changed all the pads.

The bike is running nice now, although I don't find it as zippy as it I thought it should be. I still need to synch the carbs. I am not sure how much the fairing and bags, etc., slow the bike down. It runs great in the low and mid ranges, but seems to die out at the top end.

I am still experimenting with float heights. I am also burning lots of oil, from full line, in the window, to not showing in the window in a couple hundred kms.

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

Years ago when I had a full jammer and bags on my 79 it seemed to slow it down at top end. Riding it naked now and seems a lot quicker than I remember but I'm also older and married with children, everything's relative.

The oil consumption doesn't sound good if you're losing that much in only 200k. No leaks or lots of smoke out of pipes?

Thinking about your lights again I forgot you have a vetter on it. I remember on mine the adapter plug for the Vetter was missing the locking clip on the pug and would sometimes just rattle a little loose causing the signals not to work. I ended up using a small cable tie to secure it better to the fairing.

[Crazcnuk]

Yes, my vetter plug is a little wonky too, but so far it only bothers the cassette deck.

I am pretty sure I have a bad ground for the signal lights, and I know I don't have the best connection in the rear signal/park light bulb socket.

Right now, the bike runs great from idle to ~6k rpm or so. Then, depending on which gear I am in, it lags more and more.

In 1st and 2nd it will pull right to redline with very little hesitation above 7000. In 3rd, 4th and 5th, it is slower, in each succeeding gear, to pull in the upper rpms. I am assuming this is likely normal, to a degree, and just being amplified by my non-synched carbs and the fact that I am burning oil.

The bike has no leaks, that I can see, but I can smell the burning oil when cruising on the highway. My friends tell me they can see the blue smoke coming from the left side pipes.

[fredintoon]

How fast is that?

Hi Craz,
it'll only do 6,000 rpm in high gear you say?
How much over the speed limit is that anyway?
By all means get the engine sorted but meanwhile, slow down, ride safe and pay smaller fines eh?

[Crazcnuk]

Lol, it will do considerably more than 6k! It just takes it a while to climb up, and with the fairing, it gets really noisy.


I haven't had it much over 160kph, so far. From what I understand the faired ones tend to become airborne much above that.

It's not that one wants to TRAVEL that fast, it's just one of the tune-up indicators of how well it's running.

[olebiker]

I have had quite a few fully dressed bikes and all of them got a bit light somewhere between 160 and 180. I don't know if I ever took any of them faster than that. I know that my Kawasaki Voyager 12 had more top than that just can't member if I took it there.

[egsols]

In earlier years I remember taking it well over 160 kph when it was naked, after installing vetter 160-170 was a chore.

[Crazcnuk]

Well, go the carbs set and synched today, what a difference!

Runs very smooth now. Lots more power, but what I noticed the most was the sound. It just sounds happier.

I soaked the rings in diesel mixed with combustion chamber cleaner. Changed the spark plug boots and changed the oil again. Using up my last paper filter, before my SOFCA shows up.

Cleaned all the electrical connectors. Now my right signal lights don't work, but left is fine. Was the other way around. Will be easy to find out why.

Aimed my headlight, it was distracting aircraft.

Changed my horns. Could only get 1 of the old set to work. I had another set laying around.

The bike starts right up now. Just hit the starter and it goes.

I think my floats are set too high, now, though. The plugs are still tan, but VERY light, almost white. Fuel mileage is getting much better. I am at 155kms now and still not on reserve, and thats counting all the fuel I have lost putzing around with the gas tank, which incidentally we dropped on the garage floor, put a nice dent in it.

My 4-way flasher decided to go. It just buzzes now, but I have another one in the shed.

Put the battery hold down bracket in.

Have put some muffler paste on the one slip on, to see if I can seal it up.

I am losing oil out the cam chain tensioner, will have to deal with that.