just got a XS11g and need some advice

[puttman]

Hey guys I am new here and need some help. I just got a 1980 XS11g from my boss and it looks like it will be a good bike.

#1 Can I get a kick starter for this? (do I need one)
#2 Were there any problems with the shaft drive?
#3 What is this bike worth 17,000 miles some oxidation from sitting in a garage with chlorine.
#4 there is a battery in it that has a lead with a resistor inline comming out of the center, top of the battery, what is it for?

thanks for any responce, I will have more questions soon.
I have gotten some realy good boat and fishing info from forms and hope I have found this one with some frendly folks.

Thanks again
Charlie
Dallas area

[Mike Hart]

Welcome, Charlie

You don't need a kickstart. In fact, from 80 and on, the gear behind the plug isn't even there, so forget about it

Shaft drive is very reliable. Check Maintenance forums.

#3 is too hard to answer - "it depends"

Sounds like you got a battery meant for an XJ1100 which has a tap for sensing fluid level.

If the bike has been sitting for any length of time, check out the thread What to look for on a neglected XS/XJ 1100

[puttman]

Thanks Mike and I will go check out the "what to look for".
It has been last registerd in 91 so it has been sitting for a wile, I plan on oiling the cylinders befor I turn it over slowly by hand also I am going to remove and rebuild the 4 carbs, clean the fuel tank, change fuel lines, motor oil and filter, new break pads and fluid, I might even pull off the wheels and check and re-pack the barrings.
Will the battery still work (with the lead on it) if it is any good (on charger now)?
I got this bike free so I dont have much to lose.
I would post a picture if I knew how (little help).
Thanks again

[puttman]

wow now im scarred after reading the post on "what to look for"

this bike has been sitting quite awile so I guess it looks like I need to work on the cylinders (oil) and fuel system first then see if it will run, then go from there.

thanks again and if anyone is in the Dallas area and just feels the need to come check this bike out and tell me what you think im all ears.... bring me some Yamaha wisdom.

Parts?? anyone have a good line on parts?
I will be getting a service manual soon.

Charlie

[sixtysix]

Hi Charlie,

The answers to all your questions are here, just do a search for parts and many good sources will come up, I use Zanotti's for OEM stuff. I wrote the 'What to look for...' tip and if it's been sitting since 91 you will have your work cut out for you. Good Luck!

[Jerry]

I would post a picture if I knew how (little help).

There is a little write-up about posting photos at this URL:

http://sopris.net/~fieldsj/html/11com.html

Getting an older bike ready for reliable riding can take a while and covers a lot of ground. Remember, the bike is 20+ years old. Worth it in the end, though, so do the maintenance a step at a time and see it through. Be advised you will end up with $500.00 - $700.00 invested (tires, battery, spark plugs, oil and filter, new fuse block, brake pads, so on....) but cnsidering you got it free (Nice!) the investment in maintenance will stil be less than the bike is worth in good running condition. Besides, we all like 'rescue stories' and getting more XS and XJ 1100s back on the road.

[Mike Hart]

Charlie, if the batt charges ok, it will work fine without that resistor lead attaching to anything.

You never know - you might find yourself up and running in pretty short order. Main thing, don't spend much $ until you find out what condition the engine is in. Once you determine that it runs and has good compression you can get to brakes and wheel bearings and steering bearing and tires etc.

Check Forum How-To forum for info on posting pictures.

Good luck - there are many here who started out in a similar way, your questions will find answers!

[Mike Hart]

another thing - you mentioned 'rebuilding' the carbs - cleaning the carbs is usually enough. Some rebuild kits are a total waste of $ and time. The slide diaphragms are $$$ to replace - if they have only small holes, you can fix. You might even luck out - as soon as you get the first float bowl off, you'll have a clue as to what you're in for - if it is squeaky clean (yeah it could happen) you might not have to do anything!

[bobbjhnsn]

alright i know youl grow to love that 1100 ive had my 1980 1100 since 1980 / the restr in battery line was for a radio il bet i put one on mine to cutt static / drive shaft just put grease in it at least once a year no probs /will have get used to it if only had chain drive bikes tho -dont let off in a corner!

[puttman]

ok guys here is where im at,
I have taken the carbs off and empted the fuel that must have just gotten there when we moved it (I opened the fuel valve) cause the bowls had dried like varnish in the bottom of them and the fuel was like varnish itself so I think the guy had turned it off and let it sit (it dried up).
The first carb was fairly clean the next had some varnish third alittle more and the forth alittle more, one of the fuel lines is gummed up alittle and the other was clean.
I would like to post some pictures but don't have time to figure it out just yet. I charged the battery and the horn, signal lights, natural light came on but no head light or radio(maybe they run off the magneto?).
I did turn it over a three times just a tap to see if it sounded ok and all seems like it is ok.
I found the boots between the carbs and the intake are cracking so I think I will fill the cracks with hi heat epoxy till I see if it runs ok.
I posted a bunch of pictures on a boat site I visit so you guys can take a look at what I have and tell me what ya think!!!

http://www.nitroowners.com/shared/me....asp?VIEW=6973
^^^^ go here ^^^^^ let me know if it dont work.

I'm all ears
I do appreciate all the help and advice.
Thanks
Charlie

[bobbjhnsn]

check fuses on brake side of bike headlites will be fused maybe bulb out ?i would replace carb boots cause if they leak itl mess up the carb vacum / itl be worth it it s a great machine

[sixtysix]

Carb boots often are cracked but seldom go all the wat through, the ouside is a dense, harder rubber and the inside sleeve is a much softer rubber. Best way to tell is to start it up and spray some starting fluid or something around the boots and if the engine revvs, then they leak (I never tried this only repeating what I heard). Mine are one a few years old and are already cracked.

Next the carb pictures I looked at were pretty good, so a 'total disassemble' (I usually leave the carbs assembled to the rail and just spray them with canned cleaner if in good shape. Spray in all the holes and make sure fuel comes out where it should, take out all jets, floats, valves, diphrams etc. Instructions can be found in tips section or following some of the off site links.

The best way to check the diaphrams is a small high intensity flash light. shine it from behind (like touching it) and look for pinholes, if none you are OK.

The headlight does not come on until the bike is running, but radio shoud work. Look for tips on fuse blocks to see haw to fix these babies up.

[puttman]

Well I have began taking the carbs apart and did a really bad thing, oh did I say three bad things?

Well I did before I read, here we go ... everything was coming apart fine until I got to the pilot jets, with the wrong size screw driver and not soaking I managed to bust off the heads of two of them so I guess I need to find an EZ OUT and carefully take them out.

I see that these parts are all still available. Right? :-)

Ok that was two now for this one, I pulled out the DIAPHRAGM ASS'Y I managed to slip and jammed the tip in to the carb body and bent the tip.
I straightened it really well but there is still a little curve in it .... will that be ok?

The next question I have is, is there anymore rubber on these carbs other than the fuel T and the boot around the chokes?

I want to take them off the rack (apart) and put them in a dip cleaner I bought ( worked GREAT on the parts).

From the condition of these carbs I assure you this bike was not going to run without pulling them off, two of the NEEDLE VALVE ASS'Y were stuck like glue with varnish when I put them in the dip for about 18 hrs and pulled them out and they were apart and clean as a whistle.

All in all I think things are going well considering.

Thanks guys for any and all info.

Charlie
ps I will post more pictures of the dissemble and condition tomorrow

[Nulle]

Just got done with a XS1100 that is a 1979 and first thing I did was the carb. re-paring thing. The bike had only 8,000 miles but sat for long time. I replaced everything in the carbs and with buying the parts off the net and haveing Yamaha shop doing the work it came to about $1,000 but worth it to me.
Just baught another one this week and will start on that next.
First one I paid $800 and the second was $1,000 but runs good.

[xssiveone]

Originally posted by puttman
Ok that was two now for this one, I pulled out the DIAPHRAGM ASS'Y I managed to slip and jammed the tip in to the carb body and bent the tip.
I straightened it really well but there is still a little curve in it .... will that be ok?

I'm not sure here, but I would think that unless you get it 100% straight, you might experience some strange fuel mixtures at high speed. Easy enogh to replace later if it causes problems tho.

The next question I have is, is there anymore rubber on these carbs other than the fuel T and the boot around the chokes?

Yes, there are small seals around the throttle shafts on each carb. If you don't take them out, the carb cleaner will damage them. To remove them, you have to remove the 2 screws on each throttle plate, remove the plate, and then you can slide the shaft out. The screws are peened in place at the factory, so will be difficult to remove. I braced mine on the back, (wooden dowl thru the throat of the carb) so I could bear down on the screws, otherswise you will bend the shaft. Make sure you use red loc-tite when you put them back together. Don't want one of these screws coming out and getting sucked into the engine!! Think on a couple I even had to resort to my impact driver.

Also, under the top cover of the carbs, there should be a black tube that the choke rod slides thru. And quite possibly an o-ring in the cavity that the mixture screw goes in