Question on modified special

[skeggo]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a '79 XS Special. Bought it from a guy who owned it for 10 years. He told me the entire bike was stock (and I did not really know better at the time).

From what I can tell, everything on the bike is orignal except the gas tank. The tank appears to be from a standard (in the shape of the standard tank and no off setting on the petcock). Silly way to discover this, but I purposely ran it low on fuel to see when the red light comes on. It did not. I dug into this a bit to find the tank does not have any electronics.

After reading several posts on this board about tuning and the octopus, I took a closer look at my bike. It appears the octopus does not exist.

Could this explain the standard tank? What else should I be looking for? Any concerns? Would I tune it as a standard or a special?

All help is greatly appreciated.

Skeggo

[79XS11F]

The special tank is a tear drop shape the standard tank is more squarish with the rounded front. He may have ditched the octopus as many do and he may have switched out the petcocks. Post a pic if you can.
Rob

[Pat Kelly]

Standards and specials would be tuned the same. The differences are cosmetic (and the XStra fuel capacity you now have).

[renegade_xs11g]

check the number on the right side of the engine....should match the number on the frame located on neck of frame under the forks.....

cross with this.....it'll tell you what you have


http://www.xs11.com/specifications/serialno.shtml

[skeggo]

Serial number on the frame and the engine match and according to the chart it is a '79 XS1100SF. But, someone must have changed the tank.

I will post pictures tomorrow, hopefully it will stop raining here by then and I can get the bike out in the light. From drought to flood in one weekend. Yuk.

[79XS11F]

Originally posted by renegade_xs11g
check the number on the right side of the engine....should match the number on the frame located on neck of frame under the forks.....

cross with this.....it'll tell you what you have


http://www.xs11.com/specifications/serialno.shtml

ya but there's no numbers on the tank so if the tank or tank parts were changed out the frame and engine #s will not help him out.
Rob

[renegade_xs11g]

Stand corrected....

I just thought it would help to verify what he's working on..
I know it helped me..

[fredintoon]

What's filling the hole?

Hi Skeggo,
Both styles of XS11 gas tank have some kinda sender unit in them. If your tank don't have a sender or at least the hole in the rightside tunnel wall where it should be with a sealing plate over it, the tank is an orphan. (BTW, what is the tank's capacity? There's another clue.) The Special should have a flat white plug with a black and a green wire which (on your bike) will be looking for a similar plug from the in-tank sender to mate with.
IMHO the Octopus is not one of Yammie's best ideas and you are better off without one. If your gas tap has no "Off" position it has to be a vacuum operated one and could be connected to the vacuum hose that was intended to work the Octopus. Let us know what you find?

[skeggo]

Thanks for the replys and sorry for the delay in getting better descriptions to you all on this. The weather is finally getting better here in the north. The bike is in the shop today getting new tires and brakes. I will take some pictures tonight and post them. Also, I will be pulling the tank tomorrow to sync the carbs so will look for the pickup wire or lack thereof then.