new xs owner

[savagejoe]

I just got a 1980 xs 1100 and am waiting on the manual. But I could not figure out how to get the seat off any help?

[roadcat]

There are two nuts under the edge of the seat about 3/4 of the way back that attach to the seat, and fit into a slot in the frame. Loosen the nuts and slide them to raise the rear of the seat. Then pull the seat back as it is slotted under the rear of the tank.

[DGXSER]

Roadcat has it. Two bolts, look under the edge of the seat. Watch because there are also bolts there that hold the bracket the seat bolt slides in to the seat as well. You almost want to find all three bolts there and turn the middle one loose. Then slide those bolts forward out of the slot in the frame. Then lift the back of the seat up and pull back just like stated.

Next you may want to remove the tank, under the front edge of the seat is one bolt that holds the tank to the frame (12MM). Then you need to remove the fuel lines form the petcocks. From there, you simply pull the tank back and up from the rear and grab under the front of the tank where the tunnel is that wraps the frame.

For manuals, find member "Catatonic Bug" and look in his signature of one of his post. There is a link to his personal website where he has all the manuals available for free download.

[TomRodgers]

I see how you are Don...not letting the 'younger' guys answer the not so difficult questions!!!

Speaking of seats....

Does anybody else seem to think that there is a slight design flaw in the mounting tab direction for rear of the seat. the 'slots' open to the front of the bike...and if for some reason you dont get the seat "seated" all the way against the tank, the seat bolts work loose and the seat flops around.....the tabs should have been open to the rear...that way the bolts never work completely out and would be easier to tighten up...JAT....

[DGXSER]

You know Tom, when your day consist of sitting in a wheelchair stairing around the house and reding up on the internet, throwing my 2 cents in is about as exciting as my day gets!! Sorry if I came across rude. But I did say he had it pretty well covered, I'm just very detail oriented.

[TomRodgers]

I gotcha!!! Just 'bustin your balls' so to speak!!! One of these days i will have as many posts as you hehehehe

[barrykustes]

I agree with Tom the design kinda is a pain in the SSS I have a luggage rack and its hard to get my fingers in there. Its the little things that stress me out LOL

[mro]

Another seat thread?

Hi ya savagejoe,
welcome to CH 11

Got an 80 XS, is it a special or standard?
Running?

Do you happen to have any pics to show?


mro
BTW, the slot for the seat if opened to the rear and the bolts came
loose the seat could actually fall off. Design may be safety related.

for the seat removal challeneged
do a search, theres a thread about replacing the bolts with a lever/cam type fastener here somewhere

[savagejoe]

Not runninit was my brothers and has been sitting for about four years but ran when parked. I have been trying to get him to do something with it for about that long. But now he started law school and realized he doesn't have the time or money so he gave it to. I am going to take some pics I really want to document my repairs on this bike. I will post them when I get them taken.

[CatatonicBug]

for the seat removal challeneged
do a search, theres a thread about replacing the bolts with a lever/cam type fastener here somewhere

I tried that lever cam thing, and it doesn't work. At least not with the levers I found (the ones used on bicycle seat posts). The lever cams don't have enough travel to properly clamp the seat down.

As for the design of the seat bracket, it makes perfect sense to me. The tank is what pushes the seat to the rearward position. It will not move forward. If the bolts rattle loose, they will still stay in the forward-facing slots, and prevent the seat from sliding off the rear of the bike. If the slots were rear-facing, the seat could just slide off the bike on accelleration.

Savagejoe - feel free to download the manual from the link in my signature. No need to wait for anything other than the time it takes to download it.

Oh, and get some pictures posted! We like pictures!!

[DGXSER]

Not runninit was my brothers and has been sitting for about four years but ran when parked. I have been trying to get him to do something with it for about that long. But now he started law school and realized he doesn't have the time or money so he gave it to. I am going to take some pics I really want to document my repairs on this bike. I will post them when I get them taken.

Well, minimum you should plan on is cleaning all the braking systems, and the carbs and maybe fuel tank.

The braking system most likely will only cost you new brake fluid and hours of your time. I have worked on two of my own and helped a fellow member get his brakes fixed. I've yet to need new parts for calipers or master cylinders. Just clean them up, and put them back together. Work like new.

The carbs, chances are you will only need new float needle valves and seats. Before you dig into the carbs, read the threads on here about carbs. No, no the three million where someone had issues with their carbs, but Wildkat put together a great pictorial of carb cleaning 101. That is a must read. There are also tech tips on it that are good as well.

Chances are, in a couple good weekends of work you can have a working beast that roars to life at the touch of a button, for not alot of cash outlay.

Ohhh..and Tom....twist my left arm all you want, but please do not bust those anymore. Ever seen what swelling and bruising occurs after a major accident, it can be scary!!!

[savagejoe]

here are some pics.

[DGXSER]

Congrats Joe!!! You are the proud owner of a just about completely stock 1980 XS1100 Special or SG for short.

The exhaust pipes alone are like gold in that condition. Very nice bike!! Looks like it is missing one of the bolts to hold the rear brake light to the grab rail in the back. Otherwise she looks ready to rock and roll.

Again, very nice bike. A little TLC for the brakes and the fuel systems and you should be ready to ride. But you may want to go through the "what to look at in a neglected XS1100" thread in the FAQ section and check that stuff out to be sure. With as vulnerable as you are on a motorcycle, it is important to make sure all of the bikes components and systems are working correctly to limit your risk as much as you can.

[ambidextrous]

nice looking bike ya got there!

rear tire seems to be a little low, or flat

but with a little TLC that baby will make you very, very happy

congrats

[fredintoon]

- - - Does anybody else seem to think that there is a slight design flaw in the mounting tab direction for rear of the seat? - - -

Hi Tom,
whaddya mean, "slight design flaw"?
Groping around with a 14mm deep socket trying to find two fasteners you can't even see without a mirror?
it's a plain total f**kup.
Especially as their 1980 and newer XS650 seats had a far superior easy to use lift-off latching system that worked with the ignition key.