Common Problems Poll

[Elevenator]

I'm curious to see how many XSives have had problems with the crankshaft versus transmission.

[bikerphil]

Yep, cooked the crank bearings after running low on oil in the N. Georgia mountains (59K). I ran that engine (79F) with straight 70W oil for another 25K until it finally gave up. Tranny gears, of course, probably most of us have.

[trbig]

Two motors ate crank and bearings, three motors have had trans troubles. (I think that's the count anyway.. ) This current motor has had the gear fix, but 1st is going out AGAIN.

Tod

[Ivan]

well, if anyone needs a crank, I have a spare in the garage...

I did the tranny fix, but I never use second gear anyway, so it did me no good.

[oldyam80sg]

I have an 80 SG and have less than 31,000 on the odometer-so far no major problems.Bike has been stored maybe 2 months outside the whole time i owned it under a cover.Rest of the time has been in garage or storage unit.No problems yet with transmission or crankshaft.Keeping fingers crossed.

[ccogswel]

Just Tranny troubles for me. My bike and my brothers bike. Mine was worse then my brothers and he has over 60k where mine has only 23k. Thank God for no Crank troubles.

[adam79]

tranny

just 1st gear issues with my tranny. this happened around 56k miles.

[DiverRay]

Transmission on my first, and third bikes. The trans on the third actually did a "lock-up" on me! I know it went into two gears at once, I just have NOT had the time to tear it down, as I'm trying to get a different bike going.
My midnight only has 22K on it, so it SHOULD go for at lest 30K more before I need to worry about the transmission. The one I've got apart had four TEETH missing of the MAIN SHAFT. This is the FIRST I've ever seen, so I do NOT know what the PO was doing, but it wasn't pretty!!

[prometheus578]

My "F" and my brother's "E"... Mileage 50/60k-ish.
No engine or tranny probs.

[aussixs11G]

none of the above

however mine '80 XS11G >200K kms did smoke a little and the base gasket was leaking - the leaky base gasket prompted me to do a complete re-build - everything from the ground up - even wheel bearings

[red bandit]

No engine or tranny probs. 55K

[Bigfoot]

1st gear out on the xj and the midnight special both when I aquired them.

[Cobia]

Only with one of the three.

Haven't had a lick of problems with the tranny on either the 80G nor the 82J. BUT, the 79F (bought w/out road test) quickly let us know, after re-doing the carbs, that second gear was not a happy place.

[madmax-im]

Of all the Yammies I've had the only one to have any problems is my '82 Maxim.Its been well documented here for the infamous endemic tranny failure with approx.20000 miles on him over 24 years...never had crank problems.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Elevenator,

Have you read up on the ride reports by the magazines in the articles section? The crank and it's flat shell bearings are very robust, designed to last many 10's of K miles. The trans regrettably was made with an inherent flaw in the dogs and slots.

I put approx 50K on mine before both 1st and then 2nd gear went out a few months apart. Parked for 9 years, then rebuilt trans, did little big bore kit WITHOUT checking or replacing rod or con bearings cause I didn't need to split the cases. That was in 2000. I don't ride it that much, but have put about 16K more miles on it, still no signs of crank problems.
T.C.