I need help

[Kmccaslan]

I recently purchased a '79 xs1100. I love the bike, but am not a motorcycle or any type of mechanic. I have a couple of questions: 1) I feel that my bike is losing something in second gear. It does not happen everytime, but does happen every couple of times I gear up. Any clue if this is a huge problem or can be fixed? 2) My turn signals went out today. Me headlight and brakelight both still work. Any clue as to why this could be? Like I said, I love my bike but know nothing about maintaining one without a repair shop. I want to treat this bike as it should be but am going to need help. Also any first time rider and xs1100 owner tips would be great.

[Bigfoot]

Welcome to the site. You came to the right place. Take a look at the tech tips section. There is alot of information about the second gear fix. It is a rather common problem and isn't too hard to fix.

As for turn signals. It is most likely the switch. Open it up and look at the wiring. Look for broken solder connections .

[DGXSER]

Tip for first tiem rider and owner of XS1100, take the motorcycle safety course please!! Also, realize you have a very powerful bike here, not at all a typical first time rider bike. Be VERY respectful of how much power and weight you have there. Go slow and easy till you get used to things and then go slow and easy.

[Kmccaslan]

Thanks

Thanks for the advice guys. As soon as i climbed onto my 1100 I knew it was not a beginners bike, but the look of it is just not replicated anywhere else in my opinion. I was shocked by the weight and the power and considered getting something different, but I just cannot bring myself to letting go. I will definitely take it easy and look forward to more questions and great advice from you guys!

[DGXSER]

It is an awesome bike for sure. I love the styling and the power. Can be a stump puller for torque and has lots of top end speed, but also a cruiser to just ease on out the highway for hours.

Just because I truly believe in the importance of it, I will repeat, PLEASE take the MC Safety Course!! It is VERY helpful for even an experienced rider. OK, enough playing over protective parent now.

Glad you love the bike, I highly recommend you also get a manual on the bike and go through every one of the maintenace items one by one and complete them. Good maintenance keeps you from making alot of costly repairs. Like having to replace a rotor because the PO decided it was more fun to keep riding than to replace the back brake pads that were clean down to the metal!!

[randy]

Welcome.

In addition to the XS-cellent advice above, I'd add that "not any kind of mechanic" + "new rider" could add up to disaster. Post your location and possibly a local member can help you get started with the basic maintenance.

[mro]

bike is losing something in second gear.

Depends on what you mean by losing.
Loss of power? could be electrical, like the pick-up coil wires or a fuel problem like the carbs need to be tuned or cleaned or if it's making a rackit then could need the "second gear fix".

Turn signals stopping all at once could be a problem in the switch or the flasher. I've found that the rear turn signal grounds needed attention on all of the XSes I've had.

If it's not been done, spend a few hours cleaning ALL the electrical connectors from the head light bucket to the tail light. This will save you some time and frustration in the future. Should be a good section in the tech tips for what to do with an XS when you first get it.


mro
BTW
welcome to XS land, have any pics of your bike?

[CatatonicBug]

I completely agree with all the stuff everyone else has mentioned:

1. Take a safety course. This was my first bike too, and I learned a TON at that course!
2. Take it SLOW, and stay out of traffic for a little while until you get more confident on the bike. The weight will pull you down VERY fast.
3. The Second Gear Fix is quite possibly your problem, and takes me about 6 hours to do all by myself. It was my first venture into motorcycle repair, but I'm really glad I jumped in and did it.
4. I'll add one more possibility about the turn signals. If they turn on, but don't flash, it may be the battery or one of the bulbs. The voltage has to be up to a certain level to get the flasher to work, and the alternator on these bikes is not the most efficient. It's not uncommon to see an XS at a light, idling, with the turn signal on, but not flashing. Then, as you accellerate, the flasher kicks back on.
5. Get a manual (free download from the link in my signature). With that and a few basic tools, along with help from the folks on this site, you can do just about anything you might need to do to your bike. Of course, a lot of patience helps too.

Welcome aboard!

[mro]

It's not uncommon to see an XS at a light, idling, with the turn signal on, but not flashing. Then, as you accellerate, the flasher kicks back on.

Most of the time they won't blink at idle is because of "dirty" connections.
Including the generator connections behind the fuse box.
I had one with a corroded bulb socket keeping them from working.

mro

[CatatonicBug]

Most of the time they won't blink at idle is because of "dirty" connections.
Including the generator connections behind the fuse box.

Mine does it every once in a while, when the idle drops below 1100 rpm. My connector behind the fuse block is now permanently soldered, and all my connections are super clean, with dielectric grease, and anti-sieze (where applicable). I've seen several other guys' bikes that do the same thing, and I know they have checked and cleaned all their connections. Of course, I have a touring package, with running lights on the fairing and the trunk, and that sucks more juice than the charging system was originally designed to feed, especially while stopped (brake lights in the trunk) at a light, at idle.

[cywelchjr]

Mine does it every once in a while, when the idle drops below 1100 rpm. My connector behind the fuse block is now permanently soldered, and all my connections are super clean, with dielectric grease, and anti-sieze (where applicable). I've seen several other guys' bikes that do the same thing, and I know they have checked and cleaned all their connections. Of course, I have a touring package, with running lights on the fairing and the trunk, and that sucks more juice than the charging system was originally designed to feed, especially while stopped (brake lights in the trunk) at a light, at idle.

Bug,
Most auto parts stores carry LED replacement 1157 type bulbs in red (can't seem to find them in amber even though the same co that makes the red ones makes amber ones as well) which are a direct plug in replacement on the vetter trunk. I replaced all my red taillights with them and the difference in electrical load in huge. I used to be able to see in the headlight when the brake lights came on (significant dimming) and now there is no difference. I also find that they are pretty much the same brightness as the old bulbs, AND the heat level from the LED bulbs is so much less. I used to worry about temp transfer from the lights in the trunk to contents (my laptop bag used to get quite hot) but now there is no heat to speak of at all. It's the best mod for the vetter trunk you can do, and is pretty much recommended by Craig Vetter (although he was suggesting a replacement light assembly, but replacement bulbs were pretty rare when he wrote that).

Next for me is to put a wig wag module on the brake lights to get more attention. I've got my eye on two different models, just gotta decide which one to go with before I pull the trigger.

[CatatonicBug]

Hmmm... I'll have to look at that. I just took all the light fixtures in the trunk apart and re-wired them, and created a new wiring harness for the trunk so I could keep the stock fixtures (the purist in me at work). If I could find direct plug-in replacement LED bulbs for the brakes, I'd be all over that! I never thought to look for them.

[latexeses]

CatatonicBug,

Have you seen this site?

http://www.superbrightleds.com/led_prods.htm

[cywelchjr]

I have bought them at both Autozone and Kragens/O'Rielleys. I'm sure most auto supply houses have them, generally in the same place as the bling that riceboys get the stuff to put on the honda civics. I've been running them on my bikes for about 2 years now (2 years on my 400 and just about since I got the 1100), and they have worked perfectly. I'm not as impressed with how the 3157 version works in my malibu however, the difference on them between high and low is not as big. I have found a site or two that have multiple different types, including 90* ones that should work in our rear turn signals just fine. They also have the amber 1157 replacement bulbs, but for some reason I just keep not getting around to ordering them. I guess there is a difference between picking them off the shelf at the auto parts store, and ordering them off the internet. The address of the site that has just about every replace light type I can think of is http://www.superbrightleds.com/led_prods.htm

They seem to have far more than just automotive and motorcycle related stuff too. I am starting to think about some of the LED replacement units for house lighting, their still pretty expensive, but the savings is supposed to be significant, even other compact fluorescent.

[CatatonicBug]

I want to avoid using LEDs in the turn signals because I want to retain the auto-cancel feature. Unless they have LED bulbs that draw the same current as the regular ones, I'll stick with the regular ones. I kinda feel weird ordering light bulbs online... Seems like something I should be able to find locally and hold in my hand. I will definitely go looking for the LED brake light bulbs today, and see what I can find.