My new bike

[Alex Bond-Smith]

Hi everybody. I have just joined up and am from Cape Town South Africa. I have 2 Yamaha's at the moment ( A 2000 XJ900 Diversion and a 1981 xs400 special) and am busy buying a third, a 1981 xs11 special from a mate who has built it up from 2 bikes. It is in immaculate nick and runs very sweetly. The only reservation I have is that there is a slight jerk when changing into 3rd gear. My mate says this is normal for the bike as all xs11's gearboxes are a bit "Clunky". Any comments??? I will be getting the bike next week and feel pretty good about it as my mate has the other gearbox if I have problems with this one.

[TopCatGr58]

Congrats on a fine acquisition, and welcome to the group,
Yes, the trannies on these machines are a bit clunky, but from what I've experienced, it's a harder shift from 1st to 2nd having to go thru neutral, and you can split shift 4-5 and find a false neutral if you're not careful, but I've always had a pretty good if not firm feeling when shifting from 2nd to 3rd!?!?

What RPM's were you at when you attempted the shift, this bike likes to REV and will perform better running in the mid to higher rpms when you're accelerating and upshifting, once you get to the speed you want, it will maintain it nicely at a modest RPM~4k.

Also, has the clutch been worked on, new plates, new springs, and has it been properly adjusted at the engine lately?? If it wasn't disengaging properly, that could also lend to a more difficult shift!? And I'm sure the oil is at the proper level!?

These bikes are more notorious for the dogs getting rounded off on 1st and 2nd gears, and then slipping in and out of gear due to the gears sliding apart, the dogs sliding away and loosing contact with the mating slots under torque. Surprisingly, 3rd gear is undercut at the factory to help keep in engaged, why they didn't do that to the other lower gears I don't know!?!?