Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Amazing...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Amazing...

    I have had my 80g for about a year and a half. I have put close to 10K miles on it. In that time, I have religiously performed all of the maintenance as specified. It is amazing that this bike never needs any of it. The cam chain never gets loud, and never takes adjustment when I do it. The carbs barely go out of synch in 6 mos. The valves never need adjustment. The oil is always clean when I change it. It just runs and goes. It has 55K on it, and I ride it with other crotch rocket riders (read HARD), and it never really needs much. Does anyone else have this kind of results.
    I guess I am somewhat anal retentive regarding the bike. It is cleaned and inspected after nearly every ride (esp. after the new paint, etc), and always stored inside. It is not run in the rain, either. It has a good life, is maintained often, but still gets ridden hard. I was just wondering if amidst all the carb problems, cam chain problems, valve clearance problems, etc anyone else has had this kind of experience?
    Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

    Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

  • #2
    Actually, there are a lot of them out there with similar stories. The XS - XJ has been described as a 'brick on wheels" because it will run for 100K + with only routine maintenance.

    It was estimated that 10 - 15 percent of these bikes have transmission problems, and fewer than that have problems with the CDI. Howver, broken wires in the pick-up assembly are common.

    Most 11s die from neglect. A lot of what you see here is bikes that have been mistreated, have sat for long periods outside or without running or have been otherwise ignored. Once you get the bike sorted out they are as reliable as anything on the market as long as you do the routine maintenance.

    Now, certain parts are no longer available from Yamaha, so some repairs may take some engineering or substitution, like mufflers and some trim parts. This doesn't detract from the reliability of the 11 series; the fact that the bikes are outliving the parts supply in itself should tell you something about the longevity of the 11 series.
    Jerry Fields
    '82 XJ 'Sojourn'
    '06 Concours
    My Galleries Page.
    My Blog Page.
    "... life is just a honky-tonk show." Cherry Poppin' Daddy Strut

    Comment


    • #3
      Sure. Mine is pretty much trouble-free. But, then I did a ground-up. The guys who just fix what's needed and go eventually wind up fixing everything, a little at a time, so it may seem as if there are alot of problem bikes, but it's all in the way you look at it i guess.

      Comment


      • #4
        Exactly. These bikes are relatively bullet-proof, as long as you treat them well. They are not high-maintenance at all. The only issues happen with neglect. Very few issues happen repetatively, and usually, once you get a problem fixed, you don't see the same problem happen again. If you fix everything from the ground up, then the problems go away before they surface, but most people just wait for them to happen and fix it along the way. It's less painful on the wallet that way IMO.
        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

        Comment


        • #5
          I just got back from a 5-month trip with my special. WA, Oregon, CA, Arizona,Utah, Idaho. Bike rode in the back of my truck to get to the "nice" roads/weather in these states. Bike performed amazingly well and didn't leave me stranded.

          Wasn't a perfectly maintenance free trip. I replaced the front brake pads, added another clamp to the fuel line, stopped a leak at the cam chain tensioner, changed the oil, replaced the headlight bulb. Nothing I wasn't prepared to do on any 30 year old machine.

          I followed the following philosophy:

          " Positive performance should never be viewed as the entire lack of problems."

          Before I went I took care of any problems I was aware of. The site here was crucial to that process. Although the bike was 30 years old, it was at a known-good-point in the maintenance schedule. Translation: tested and roadworthy.

          New, as in fresh from the factory, is just a point in time where all the maintenance/repairs are miles/time down the road. (Theory of course...) For those of us that own these bikes these repairs/maintenance/preparation are up to us to keep ahead of. Not keep up on but to keep ahead of. That is one of the great things about these bikes: anything that has gone wrong with them has done so and this site lists so very many of these problems/solutions.

          Just a thought, but the bike discussion forum here is oriented towards helping those owners who have encountered some difficulty. Like a squeaky wheel they call out for attention and then once the problem is dealt with the noise stops.

          Just listen to the sound of all the other members/owners who are enjoying their XS1100s: Their silence in the "discussion forum" while they ride.

          PS: I NEVER ride in the rain. Kinda figure it like driving your car in a storm without a hood. Way too many things exposed to water that would be best kept clean and dry.

          Comment


          • #6
            Hey Ford,

            I did my rebuild back in 2000, big bore kit, not quite a frame up restore, but close. I've ridden it on many LDR's, also trailered it to the fun spots several times for some good hard twisty riding, etc. Have done some mods like the MikesXS coils, and fuseblock, etc., but hadn't really touched the engine....except for adding a steel clutch plate and new springs some 6 years after the rebuild, and just last year put in new viton tipped float needle valves, was leaking a little!

            I'll be helping a fellow Xsive this weekend do the Dremmel fix and other stuff. I have put 16K miles on mine...yeah, I know...Tod had pointed it out to me that it was less than 2K per year, but I didn't want to put a bunch of unnecessary routine to work and back miles on my new topend!

            I set the valve clearances after lapping them during the rebuild, haven't taken the top off to check them! I just this past weekend did my cam chain tensioner adjustment, think I heard a slight tick as the plunger pushed in a few mm's, but that's it!

            The word bulletproof isn't strong enough for these machines!!!
            T.C.
            T. C. Gresham
            81SH "Godzilla" . . .1179cc super-rat.
            79SF "The Teacher" . . .basket case!
            History shows again and again,
            How nature points out the folly of men!

            Comment


            • #7
              I think it is good to here from everyone who is not having problems every once in a while, and just enjoying their bikes. (Of course, I still feel for those who have obtained a neglected bike, and have to do all the work to get to that just turn key and ride stage). But there is certainly less maintenance required on these bikes than I originally thought would be. I'm glad to hear there are others out there with the same experiences. Now lets all get out and ride!
              Healthy is merely the slowest rate at which you can die

              Some people will tell you that slow is good - and it may be, on some days - but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I’ve always believed this, in spite of the trouble it’s caused me. Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba….Hunter S. Thompson

              Comment


              • #8
                Being new to these bikes, i think it would be great if one of the older members could put together a list of what services we need to do, and what we need to look at when we first get one of these bikes. Mine only has 11000 miles on it, and runs great right now. I intend on changing fluids in the mid and final drive, and greasing her up. I don't seem to have any of the most prevelent problems that seem to arise on here. A checklist would be great.
                1980 XS1100LG Midnight
                1991 Honda CBR1000F Hurricane


                "The hand is almost valueless at one end of the arm if there be not a brain at the other"

                Here's to a long life and a happy one.
                A quick death and an easy one.
                A pretty girl and an honest one.
                A cold beer and another one!

                Comment


                • #9
                  All you need to do is follow the repair manual for that. Some of what we do WILL keep you from working on it so much. Use synthetic oil in the middle and final drives, and you can go 20K between oil changes. Higher power coils, and iridium plugs and you don't need to change them for 10K, not 2K like the "normal". Valves will usually go 10K between checks, but that MAY get a little sooner as you get more miles on the bike. At 100K, I'm looking at 7.5K miles now. Carbs go about 30K once they are set, if you use filters.
                  Ray Matteis
                  KE6NHG
                  XS1100 E '78 (winter project)
                  XS1100 SF Bob Jones worked on it!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I guess I am one of the lucky ones. Bought Thunderpig in February, changed the oil and replaced the battery. That's it. Just made the meeting of the minds in Texas, and the only thing broken after 800+ miles that weekend is my butt. Didn't even need to add oil when I got back. Granted, there are some things I want to do with the bike, but they are cosmetic in nature, not mechanical. Although I will probably do the coil upgrade, fuse block, and 750/850 final drive this winter. But it is riding season now, not fixing season. Thunderpig takes everthing I throw at him and asked for more. I couldn;t be happier with my purchase.
                    Lee aka trainzz

                    I am my inner child!!

                    I have no idea how you managed to make that connection within your brain, but I applaud whatever cellular mutation just took place.

                    1980 XS11 Special-"Thunder Pig"
                    1980 XS11 Special-"Crazy Trainz" (project bike)
                    1979 Xs1100 Standard ( parts,parts,parts)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      11's are good...

                      mine needed a bit (still needs a bit)...

                      but yes it was neglected, it sat for at least 4 years before i aquired it.
                      the carb's needed the most attention and full rebuilding.
                      i swaped HD muffers onto it due to rusted originals..
                      Funny story about that.. it rejected them broke the welds between the inlet pipe and the main casing. apparently it don't like hog crap loaded onto it.... i'm thinking i'll try rocket cans next. see if it likes them better.

                      maybe it has decided to associate more with my 2 rockets then all the hogs out there.

                      i believe that the people you meet in here have "basket cases" and the ones you don't "talk" to are all the people that have done the repairs and are out riding

                      So, GOOD LUCK to All!!
                      may your adventures on the road start soon!!

                      Webs
                      1979 XS1100SF Special.78 E motor/carbs, Jardine 4-2 exhaust, XS Green coils, Corbin seat, S.S. Brake lines, Hard cases, Heated grips.

                      2012 FJR1300 Gen 2. Heli bar risers, R-gaza crash bars, mccruise cruise control.

                      (2)2008 WR250R. Because kids outgrew others.

                      2007 Suzuki V-Strom 1000. (Just added 2024) pre-crashed.

                      1975 Kawasaki S1 250. My first bike. Still have it. NO I'm not selling it!!

                      Most bike problems are caused by a loose nut connecting the handlebars and the seat!!

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X