79 XS11 with FJ1200 carbs, ignition troubles?

[DiverRay]

One last "little" thing to try...
check the clearance between the pick up coils and the trigger. I reset mine to about .008", and the ignition now works much better.

[81xsproject]

A couple of suggestions; Pick-up coil wires could be heading south and you REALLY need to get some kind of restricter in-line for the timing hose. One very simple way to do this is to go buy probably the smallest drill bit you can find, cram some jb weld into a hose connector, once dry drill the hole in the jb weld and put the connector in line.

[bfreehill]

the pick-up coil wires are looking good from what I can see.
Im now trying to deside where to spend my money... CDI or coils?

(btw, I have a small jet in the vac line to approximate the small outlet of the XS carbs)

[81xsproject]

I can tell you from using my homemade manometer/synchronizer that even with 35 and a 42.5 pilot jets in the same line, it was not enough to stop the pulsating. As for the pickup wires, visual inspection means nothing. I strongly recommend that if it hasn't been done, just do it and save yourself a question mark in the current equation as well as future ones. When mine went I could find no visible indications, yet doing the repair fixed the problem.

The TCI's go pretty cheap on ebay, and unless you got the cash to drop for Dyna's or Accel's, get the ones TC recommends in the tech tips from mikesXS.

[stoked]

lol, my trouble shooting always goes by cheapest fix to most expensive. I actually plan on getting an extra CDI anyway though some time on e-bay just to have around.

I'd like to have an x-tra CDI, clutch cable, and of course fuses on hand. These seem like things that can really put a stick in your spokes when they fail.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Bfreehill,

First, please edit your profile to include the Exact model/year you have. You mentioned it in this thread, but in later threads, or several pages into this one, gets harder to keep track of the details, and it can make a difference in info provided!

Both you and Stoked have 79 machines. There is a tech tip about how you can replace your TCI....yes, let's be right, our "Black Box" is NOT a CDI....Capacitance Discharge Ignition, but a TCI= transistor controlled Ignition....important for acquiring aftermarket coils "other" than the MikesXS or OEM!

Randy(elect. guru) has noted that the solder joints for the external plug connectors on the TCI's have gone bad, and just RESWEATING them can fix a flaky connection that could be intermittent with heat expansion!?

Let us know what you find! T.C.

[pggg]

Yeah the FJ carbs, wouldn't match the GSXR carbs and for the FJ carbs I'm only going on diagrams from the net, they look to be basically the same XS1100 carbs but widened 2mm to 36mm, BS36's, maybe there are better ones on the very latest model FJ1100-1200's, but the ones I'm looking at look like the same pretty inefficient inside clunky and slow responding, the GSXR carbs and others different altogether. But Bfreehill will know the true answer, but still the FJ carbs would be convenient if they easy slide onto XS1100 manifolds at the cylinder head, to do it right you'd want to match the inside manifolds to smoothly flow from 36mm back to 34mm, or real keen, 36mm all the way through including including intake port entrance, but just bolting them on as is easiest, if they're good, the manifold rubbers pulsing alarmingly with the motor devouring huge gulps of extra air

That bike running out of petrol if that's what's happening when it's conking out, then fuel starvation, something to do with the carbs breather hoses or similar?

[mro]

$hit happens

maybe I've been lucky...
but have yet to have a problem with a TCI... or even the "dreaded 2nd gear" problem. XSes I've worked on (79 and 80's) with 10 to 70,000 miles on em, those compoents have been good.
Just not much left to cause your problem as long as I've been reading your post right.
Spare XS parts...I've got maybe a little carried (XSive?) away with those. Should be someone not to far from you that might be willing to loan you a TCI just to be sure... if not, think I have an 80 and 81 spares.... let me know if ...


mro

[bfreehill]

FJ carbs:
they do bolt up pretty easy.
the main issues were re-routing the oil feed line and finding a throttle cable with the correct fittings on either end. I also had to make a cable holder at the carbs. (ill post some pics)
The basic design is very similar to the XS carbs.
Do they really perform better? I think so but my stock XS carbs are not in that great of shape.

When my problem occurs the bike has plenty of fuel.

Coil pick up wires:
are these available new? I cant seem to find any...

[81xsproject]

check out this Tech Tip for the repair info.

[bfreehill]

Update on wierd problem.

So I wish I could tell you all what was wrong but the problem stopped after a leakdown & compression test.
(both tests were positive with minimal leak and good comp)
I did remove the coil pick up wires, removed their cover to confirm good connection. The wires look new and I believe were replaced by the previous owner.

So it runs like a champ now and the front wheel reaches for the sky on 2nd gear shifts (and Im @ 5700 feet).

Thanks for all the support guys.

Brooks

[Shuriken]

Your story is of great interest to me, because I'm at 5700ft elev. right now and my 79sf doesn't even come close to the performance you describe.

1. What is the general condition of your bike's engine? How many miles?

2. What year of FJ1200 did your carbs come from?

Thanks,
Ben

[Shuriken]

Also, can you post a pic?

What modifications did you have to do to fit the carbs? For example, do they fit the stock airbox or are you running individual filters? How about lines and hoses?

Thanks,
Ben

[Shuriken]

I just received a set of FJ1200 carbs. They look pretty much the same as XS carbs of course, except for the concave surfaces on the slides. I'm not sure yet if I will try to use them on the XS or not.

Ben

[81xsproject]

You should try them and tell us all how they run.