Cutting Weight...

[geniusloerts]

wow...that is pretty good.....my bike gets 33 consistantly, but i have a......well.......lead wrist.... he must be doing some propane injection...has anyone tried that?

[AustinPhoenix]

Whoa whoa whoa

Buy a different bike. They are what they are.

I love our bikes. I got offered a 96 gsxr750 street fighter for mine and I turned it down. I would have bought the gsxr outright, but the guy wanted my bike.

I may want to change a few things and make it better or buy another bike, but will never stop riding my XS.

[geniusloerts]

Can I get an Amen!?!?!

[DGXSER]

Heaviest thing on the bike....Maybe its me??

[Randy McShag]

anyone have any idea about what rims from a modern bike would fit on ours without mods? and what about forks from a modern bike, wouldn't mind changing the old forks to summat more modern. I am making a hardtail chopper, so might need longer forks anyway. Any ideas guys?

[AustinPhoenix]

chopper

That's my plan for my 79 special when I get her back. I was thinking about cutting the frame from just behind the tank and back off and angling it down to a hardtail. Use a springer seat. Forge a small "oil reserve" to hold all the electricals and battery. Fabricate a small rear fender.

Too bad we can't get a slightly wider tire.

But back to the losing weight thing...spoked rims would work but then you have spokes to worry about.

[latexeses]

Buy a Sportster! An XS is an XS!

[earl G]

wheels and rotors that is the place to start. you said the back wheel was heavy try the front.

[renegade_xs11g]

not sure about stripping the bike to get better milage,
BUT, adding weight doesn't seem to take it away
SWMBO and I went 1000 miles over Labor Day weekend last year
we had so much weight on the luggage rack...I put it on the center stand to get fuel....both tires were off the ground, balanced on the center stand, I shoud have taken a pic
still got 30-32 mpg

[wa407mpp]

You want to be careful leaning the mixture too much on an air cooled bike, some of that wasted gas is what helps keep it from overheating.

[79XS11F]

I would say replacing the huge monster battery with a smaller one, and cutting the seat down would net the best results for the money, along with the mufflers, mine has a single Kerker exhaust, so quite a bit lighter I assume, as for jetting the carbs with just straight mufflers, I don't have a clue...
Another thing you could do would be to just remove anything unneccesary, I would keep the gauges, but that's just my preference, maybe ditch any excess plastic pieces, etc.

Don't reduce the battery size. These bike already have weak electrical charging systems. Weight loose ... chain drive kit, 4 into 1 exhaust, fiber fenders and fuel tank if $$$ is no issue, remove inner and outer kick starter parts Loose the air box if you can tune it after it's gone... OR just do an 1179or 1196 kit with a nice 4 into 1 with proper jetting and weight will not be an issue ...
Rob

[81xsproject]

Buy a Sportster! An XS is an XS!

I hate to say it, and I really am not trying to hurt anyone's feeling, but the thought of all these 11's being 'chopped' really sickens me. If you want a V-what-ever, get one. I have seen all the different attempts and they just look like wanna-be, poor attempts at Harley's. There are thousands upon thousands of Harleys out there, I don't understand why people want to chop up these limited/rare bikes.

Stepping down from the soap box.

I am not a purest by any means, but no matter what you do, the XS will never look like the choppers these folks set out to build. Maybe the aluminum frame is a great idea after all. We'll need something to replace all the chopped up frames with soon.

[AustinPhoenix]

Easy there 81

I hate to say it, and I really am not trying to hurt anyone's feeling, but the thought of all these 11's being 'chopped' really sickens me. If you want a V-what-ever, get one. I have seen all the different attempts and they just look like wanna-be, poor attempts at Harley's. There are thousands upon thousands of Harleys out there, I don't understand why people want to chop up these limited/rare bikes.

Stepping down from the soap box.

I am not a purest by any means, but no matter what you do, the XS will never look like the choppers these folks set out to build. Maybe the aluminum frame is a great idea after all. We'll need something to replace all the chopped up frames with soon.

I didn't mention chopping my XS to reduce weight. Just stripping things off it or replacing them with lighter components. Keep in mind that I added "If i find a spare frame I would chop...." I would murder somebody for touching my bike. I haven't even scoped out how that would work or what the frame would look like with that chop, but if it didn't make sense, a frame made of DOM tubing wouldn't be difficult to build. Scrap yards are littered with all the other parts (front forks, neck, triple tree, tank {if I didn't make it}, and seat) that I would need to finish it up.

I love our bikes. Love the way they handle. Comfortable for a 4 hour ride (Kyle to North of Dallas...heck yeah) yet I can lay down flat on my tank, hug the bike with my left arm and fly. Need I remind you that I turned down a straight up trade for a really nice GSXR750?! Sweet bike...no doubt...but it's no XS!!!

Dunno about any of you, but this video is pretty sweet (except he has the bike idling too low or needs a good sync...at least from the way it spits and pops...imho)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-bLu...eature=related

[xsilerating]

Hear Hear

I hate to say it, and I really am not trying to hurt anyone's feeling, but the thought of all these 11's being 'chopped' really sickens me. If you want a V-what-ever, get one. I have seen all the different attempts and they just look like wanna-be, poor attempts at
Harley's. There are thousands upon thousands of Harleys out there, I don't understand why people want to chop up these limited/rare bikes.

Stepping down from the soap box.

I am not a purest by any means, but no matter what you do, the XS will never look like the choppers these folks set out to build. Maybe the aluminum frame is a great idea after all. We'll need something to replace all the chopped up frames with soon.

81;
I couldn't agree more. These bikes have stood the test of time because of what they are. If people keep destroying them in the name of 'looking like a Harley' or 'looking like a chopper', they won't be around for another 30 years.

If you want a Harley... buy one. If you want a chopper, buy one or make one out of a Harley. If you don't like the XS11 for what it is... give it to me. I'll make sure it's well taken care of and, remains original.

[Randy McShag]

in response to all the comments about people building choppers, i feel i must explain. I brought an already hardtailed frame. My brother in law had an xs11 in boxes ready to be rebuilt so i brought it off him to fit into the frame. I also have the standard frame, which i am planning on turning into an xs11 again. I wouldn't of chopped my frame, but saw the chance to do something i have always wanted to do, which is build my own bike from the bottom up. Just as a further note, this is my first bike, and i am really enjoying getting to know the xs11 as i am building it. I agree, it is a nice bike, that is why i have decided to rebuild the original instead of taking the standard frame to be recycled!!! Other here in the uk, finding or seeing an xs11 is near impossible, so am looking forward to getting 2 very different ones onto the road.


And breath!!

Sorry for the long reply and for getting so off topic!