New XS Eleven Special owner in the Philippines, question!

[hanger10]

Hi all. Ive retired to the Philippines, and just bought an XS Eleven Special. It was in outstanding shape, nut we had a problem with the fuel configuration. The four hoses from the gas tank went to a diaphram, and it was leaking. That is a part you cant get here. They rerouted the hoses, and bypassed that diaphram, they said it was a safety feature. It runs just fine, but its eating gas like a pig!!! I get right at 30 mpg. Does anyone know, could the new fuel configuration screw up gas mieage?? I dont see how, but Im not a mechanic, thats why I ask!! Here is my blog with pics of the bike. Any help with the mileage thing would be appreciated!!

http://randyemy.blogspot.com/

Randy

[tarzan]

No the fuel line routing wont screw it up,unless they are kinked,but then the bike would stop running or run poorly on the affected cylinders.Probably the carbs need some attention.Is mileage at 30mpg or a littile higher.These bikes get from about 32-44 miles per gallonIt depends on how much weight your packing around and miles on the bike.And a lot of times it is just tuning.But the carbs are often times the problem.If you look in the tech tips and search around the site ,you will find all kinds of info on getting it to run optimum.And the people here are very helpful and knowledgeable.Good luck and congrats on your new bike.

[John]

You get 30 MPG? That's not so bad...That's all I get with my 80SG at freeway speeds, and I get about 35 or so at slower speeds like 45-50. I would say the formulation of the fuel may have something to do with your milage, but it is not because of the fuel line routing. The diaphram (octopus) is just a distribution valve and a shut off when the engine is stopped. You actually only need two fuel lines to run the bike. From the rearward nipple on the petcock, run your fuel line to the carbs on the opposite side of the bike, and cap off the forward nipple. It is for priming the carbs, but will not be needed. The fuel will flow from the petcocks when in the run or reserve position. That is how I have mine plumbed, and it works fine.

[dbeardslee]

Randy - That's a sweet lookin' ride! I agree with John - 30mpg isn't bad. When I first got Betsy running she was gobbling gas at a rate of 12-16mpg! After a LOT of work she now consistently gets around 32.5 mpg - and that's floggin' her like a red-headed stepchild. Looks like yours has aftermarket 4/1, which affects jetting requirements and fuel economy. I don't know what other mods you have, so additional info would be illuminating.

There has been a discussion going on in the thread MPG and Modifications Poll regarding the addition of acetone to the fuel to improve mileage and throttle response. It's worth a read. Lots of info on stuff that affects mileage.

[BrianB]

Welcome to the site Randy. That is a very beautiful bike you have.

I agree with the others and would do as John has pointed out. Just remember to turn off your petcocks when not riding your bike. Without the diaphram, the needle and seat is the only thing keeping gas from getting into the engine and possibly down into the oil. Get into the habit of turning them off everytime you park your bike.

[hanger10]

Hey all of you, thank you so much!! Finding this site was a godsend!!! Ive gotta million questions! But, will stick to the mpg and performance for now. As far as I know, the only mod is to the exhaust. The carbs havent been cleaned yet, but they have been synced well. When taking off, Im getting alot of lag, but that may be normal. I havent gotten to go on a ride yet until this Sunday, but put 57 miles on it riding in the city, and got about 25 mpg!!! I may have been riding it wrong from what I have read though. I tried to baby it quite a bit in town. Do I need to keep the rpm between 4k and 6k in town also, or just on the road?? Here is another problem we havent gotten solved yet. When Im cruising, any gear, and I let off the gas to maintain steady speed, and then I give it just a little throttle, one or two cylinders will start missing. I close the throttle completely, and it backfires once, and quits missing. Carbs need cleaned probably? Ive got brand new carb boots coming from the states, but the ones on it arent bad. After they rerouted the fuel lines, it didnt do this nearly as often, but still does it. Oh, and at below 2500 rpm it runs rough. It has the stock air filter. When you put a load on the trottle, itll part your hair, and runs beautifully, but the miss is driving me nuts!! I will have many more questions as I learn, but God, I love this bike, but Im worried about being able to afford to drive it if I dont get above 20MPG!!! Thanks so much again!! Take care, and mabuhay from Liloan, Cebu, Philippines

[bikerphil]

missing

Quote: "I give it just a little throttle, one or two cylinders will start missing"

Could also be the pick-up coil wires under the left side ignition cover. They tend to fray inside the insulation and will cause intermittent firing of 2 cylinders. Check in the tech tips under "pickup coil fix". Make sure these are not at fault before chasing a fuel problem. JMHO.

[boyat68]

When taking off, Im getting alot of lag, but that may be normal. mabuhay from Liloan, Cebu, Philippines

That is not normal, The beast of mine just about comes out from under me when I goose it, and I get a definite light front tire that scares the diddle stop out of me. I would say that after you perform the carb maintenance and synch, you will not notice any lag in any gear and fuel economy will increase.