New XS owner saying hello.

[BlackD1114]

Hey everyone,
I just bought an '81 Midnight Special last week. The bike is not in running order but for $600 I couldn't pass it up. After cranking the engine over, it's obvious that the carbs need some major attention. I probably won't start wrenching on the bike until later this week and I'm sure that sometime into the carb teardown and cleaning phase I'll be on here asking all kinds of questions. I do have a motorcycle mechanic/builder friend who will be helping me work on this project, but I'm sure that I'll be here quite a bit to learn all the tricks associated with wrenching on these bikes; as I'll be doing as much of the work as I can without help. Well, wish me luck.

[bikerphil]

Welcome. Check out the XS11 info tech tips at the top of this page. Lots of good reading and knowledgeable people here. Congratulations on your acquisition. Good luck!

[DGXSER]

Welcome to the Cult...Uhhh..world of XS11!! IT is certainly a sickness and the folks here will definitely fuel the fire. As has been said over and over, never found a more helpful and knowledgable group anywhere.

Phil hit it on the head, read those tech tips and you will find ALOT of the answers. And when you run into those "OHSH#T" moments, the folks here will get you back on path.

Sounds like you got a good deal on a nice bike. It is very helpful to put you location into your profile and create a signature with the year and style of your bike. Alot of the tech info you are looking for from the site will be year and model dependant. For tuning the carbs, you may also want to indicate if there are any mods to it, like 4-1 exhaust, or pod filters and such. Good luck in your efforts, hope it all goes smooth as silk!

[BigRickxs1100]

Welcome, i to am new to the site and everyone has been great. They are all very quick to help with any info. Good luck with the bike.

[tarzan]

Welcome.An '81 midnight eh?Lets see some pics,we love pics here.
Be careful,this place is addictive.Or is it the bikes are addictive?
Well anyway you can get lots of good information here and you will probably find most of the people are very helpful.
Have fun.
Rick

[BlackD1114]

Pictures will defenitely be coming soon. As soon as I start working on it, I'll be taking pictures. I'll most likely start a new thread and keep everything updated with pictures during the carb dissasembly and cleaning. I'm almost haapy that the weather hasn't broke yet; this way I don't feel bad about wrenching on a bike during the spring.

[lakecountrydave]

Welcome and congratulations! I cannot seem to find the pics you posted of your new bike? Opps! I did not read your last reply. What I meant to say was that I anxiously await the pics of your new bike

[lvrsnr]

Welcome, always happy to know of others obsessed with these bikes mine is an 80LG. allways wanted one, two years ago I found mine, hadn't run since 1986, spent the first winter doing a total tear down and rebuild, 5,600 mi. since then always makes me smile. good luck.

[fredintoon]

Hi Joe and welcome,
all manner of good technical stuff on the list, lots of good fellowship and what was the other thing - - - ?
Oh yeah, a sea of BS.
Look through the tech. sections and use the search function to find that whatever problem you have has been solved or at least coped with by many others.
If those facilities don't work for you, nobody will get mad if you ask.
Some may wax sarcastic but that's their way of being friendly and helpful.

[CatatonicBug]

Welcome! Another MNS?! Always good to see them still being worked on. I got mine for $500 last Sept, and it wasn't running either. So far, with the help of the folk on this site and a bit of elbow grease (and a few other kinds of grease), I've been riding all winter, in beween bouts of repairs and exploration. Tons of fun!

I noticed you listed your "Current Project" as an '81 XS1100SH. If it's a MNS, it should be an XS1100LH

[BlackD1114]

Thanks for pointing out the mistake in my signature. It helps to keep the correct model posted. So far I haven't found any time to start working on it, but tonight looks promising; and that means that the pictures are soon to follow. I really need to get some small parts off so that I can powder coat them. The bike is currently at a friends house which is ideal because of the availability of tools, knowledge, and a lift. It's just difficult to find time to make it over there since my two boys aren't big enough to stay around the equipment in the garage unattended. Also, as soon as the XS is ready, the XJ goes up for sale.

[fredintoon]

- - - I really need to get some small parts off so that I can powder coat them. The bike is currently at a friends house which is ideal because of the availability of tools, knowledge, and a lift. It's just difficult to find time to make it over there since my two boys aren't big enough to stay around the equipment in the garage unattended. Also, as soon as the XS is ready, the XJ goes up for sale.

Hi Joe,
powder coating small parts? Ooh, there's posh! I dip small parts in a can of black paint and cook them in the oven when my wife ain't home.
OK, why sell the XJ? For wives it's only one at a time (to be PC, that also applies to husbands) but you can have as many bikes at a time as you want.
Keep the XJ for solo work and hang a chair on the LH so you can take the boys for rides.

[CatatonicBug]

hang a chair on the LH so you can take the boys for rides.

Of course, then comes the issue of convincing SWMBO that its ok to take her babies for a ride... Not always so easy.

[fredintoon]

Of course, then comes the issue of convincing SWMBO that its ok to take her babies for a ride... Not always so easy.

Hi 'Bug,
it seems Joe is already allowed to take his boys to a friend's garage.
Being strapped in a sidecar is far safer than being allowed to wander free in a workshop full of sharp and hazardous tools and equipment.
And don't forget, Joe also has 3 dogs. Dogs love riding in sidecars.
And although my own experience of young children is way in the past, I'd expect the average nurturing mother's thoughts would be:-
"Anything to get the little darlings out of the house."

[Bigfoot]

Congrats on the find and welcome to the site.