If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Hey guys, my birth day is coming up and I decided to cash in my "rewards" points on my credit card and buy myself a present for the bike. I've got 150.00 coming in the mail and wondering what the best bang for the buck is. Things I'm considering....
Braided brake lines, MikesXS coils (probably the black ones), HID light upgrade, driving lights, LED signals... ??????
What is your favorite mod or upgrade you've done for less then 150.00?
Hi psyco,
my favorite upgrade was installing the Standard gas tank in place of the Special gas tank and that did cost $150 by the time I'd spent $100 on paint for it. My best upgrade was improving the brakes with stainless lines. For solo work a Tkat brace would be nice but on my sidecar rig it'd take an Earles fork conversion to do any good and that's ~$1,500 for a good used one. Better lights? In principle, yes, but my night vision has gone so far down the chute that I don't ride in the dark. What I put in for as a Father's Day gift is a Stebel Nautilus 139 decibel horn. Even if I can't see I WILL be heard.
Fred Hill, S'toon
XS11SG with Spirit of America sidecar
"The Flying Pumpkin"
Here would be my choices depending on the style of riding you like. The combined items in each choice group comes out to about $150.
Here would be my list if you like long distance rides:
-750/850 Final Drive ($50 or less; I loved this mod the best)
-Throttle Lock ($30ish?)
-Grip Puppies ($9, see my review for info)
-Handle Bar Risers ($35 to $65 depending on style)
or if you are happy with your handle bars as is
-Highway foot pegs
If you like short and fast and/or twisty rides:
-Stainless brake lines or fork brace (be about a tie in my opinion, but I don't have stainless lines yet so I can't say for sure)
-A cheap feel good accessory
If you want to go plain and fix problems before they begin:
-Coils with new plug wires
-Fuse Box
1980 XS1100 Standard "Touring"
Fairing, Trunk, and Bags
850 FD
Fork Brace
Progressive Front Springs
Engine Guards w/Foot Pegs
Oil Cooler
Throttle Lock
Uni Air Filter in Airbox
I agree with Randy and Andy - SS brake lines and the fork brace, in that order. With all the weight of the fairing and the bags (and contents) you'll need the stoping power.
1980G Standard, Restored
Kerker 4 - 1
850 Rear End Mod
2-21 Flashing LED Arrays on either side of license plate for Brake Light Assist, 1100 Lumen Cree Aux Lights,
Progressive springs, Showa rear shocks
Automatic CCT 1980GH Special, Restored
Stock Exhaust, New Handlebars, 1" Spacer in Fork Springs, Automatic CCT, Showa Rear Shocks '82 XJ1100 (Sold)
Automatic CCT, RC Engineering 4 X 1 Exhaust, K&N Pods, #50 Pilot Jets, YICS Eliminator. Sorely missed.
Thanks for all the great suggestions, A fork brace was something I thought about and then I forgot about it. It seems to be on everyone's list of upgrades so I sent an e-mail to TKAT, waiting to hear back about availability and pricing. I think I'm going to go with that and keep the left over to buy my vetter bracket when one comes available again.
1979 xs1100 Special -
Stock air box/K&N Filter, MAC 4-2 exhaust, Bad-Boy Air horn, TC fuse box, Windshield, Soft bags, Vetter Fairing, Blinkers->Run/Turn/Brake Lights, Headlight Modulator, hard wire GPS power
Short Stack - 1981 xs1100 Standard - lowered for SWMBO.
Originally posted by fredintoon
Goes like a train, corners like a cow, shifts like a Russian tractor, drinks like a fish, you are gonna love it.
3.00 bucks a foot for the line, ends are like 7 - 12 depending on what you get. Looks like its going to cost about 60 bucks to do the front.
1979 xs1100 Special -
Stock air box/K&N Filter, MAC 4-2 exhaust, Bad-Boy Air horn, TC fuse box, Windshield, Soft bags, Vetter Fairing, Blinkers->Run/Turn/Brake Lights, Headlight Modulator, hard wire GPS power
Short Stack - 1981 xs1100 Standard - lowered for SWMBO.
Originally posted by fredintoon
Goes like a train, corners like a cow, shifts like a Russian tractor, drinks like a fish, you are gonna love it.
1980 XS850SG - Sold
1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).
Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
-H. Ford
Yeah, I saw that but I don't want it bad enough to pay 90 dollars to mount a "free" fairing.
1979 xs1100 Special -
Stock air box/K&N Filter, MAC 4-2 exhaust, Bad-Boy Air horn, TC fuse box, Windshield, Soft bags, Vetter Fairing, Blinkers->Run/Turn/Brake Lights, Headlight Modulator, hard wire GPS power
Short Stack - 1981 xs1100 Standard - lowered for SWMBO.
Originally posted by fredintoon
Goes like a train, corners like a cow, shifts like a Russian tractor, drinks like a fish, you are gonna love it.
Comment