fd swap change ?

[dpotter58]

Ok, I'm doing the swap and have a couple questions. I read the swap thread but stii confused...

1 is the only reason for undoing the pinion retaining nut is to put sealant in the two holes? I dont need to pull anything out right?
2 The whole 750 drive is used as is with nothing swapped from the 11 except the shaft and spring right??

[bikerphil]

1. Yes, Just take off the nut and washer, seal the holes and put new larger washer on. Tighten back up.
2. Yes

[dpotter58]

thanks I'm on it

[dpotter58]

Any secret tricks to getting the @*^&% driveshaft back in?

[bikerphil]

Yep, what I do is while shining a flashlight down the swingarm tube from the rear, slip your fingers under the rubber boot and rotate the u joint (tranny in neutral) till it is visibly straight. Then slip the driveshaft in the splines of the u joint. Might take a few tries. It also helps to hook a couple bungee cords to the boot to pull it towards the rear of the bike. Easier to get your fingers in there that way.

[dpotter58]

too many hours and too many gallons of sweat dickin around with this today. My fingers are too fat to fit in to move the u joint around. I pulled the swing arm... Drive shaft slipped right in. Tomorrow I'll bolt everything back up.

[bikerphil]

Sorry that didn't work out for you, Glad you got it together though. My fingers are thin, and it's still rather difficult to maneuver that u joint to the exact right spot.

[natemoen]

I have read the FD swap tech thread and was just wondering what all the benefits are? is it mainly just for better mileage? or are there other benefits as well that I am just not seeing?

[DGXSER]

I would NOT recommend doing the swap just for milage, as I do not find it effects milage enough to matter.

The primary benefit is running highway speeds without feeling like your revving way to high. The XS11 was geared to pull the 1/4 mile. And it has some great top end speed, but riding for long periods at 70 MPH at 5000 RPM or so, gets kind of un nerving. In fact, a fellow local XSive who bought his bike brand new off the showroom floor in 1980 just recently made the swap. He now recommends it to eveyone. It really does seem to be the ratio the bike was really designed for (which is what I have read here to be the reality, they designed with the 750FD, then had to bump the gears to get the 1/4 mile performance they needed.)

Another benefit is a little more top end speed, but not to many find they need that.

[tinman905]

I have read the FD swap tech thread and was just wondering what all the benefits are? is it mainly just for better mileage? or are there other benefits as well that I am just not seeing?

Mileage is the main reason ,the reduced RPM's at cruising speed is nice . It will reduce your bottom end so if you're wanting to keep your 1/4 mile time the swap will not be what anyone wants. If you do a lot of in town or city driving it will be a waste of time you won't notice any real difference in mileage.

[natemoen]

Well I am definitely not going to be doing any 1/4 mile races but it makes more sense now. Something to look into in the future!

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Well I am definitely not going to be doing any 1/4 mile races but it makes more sense now. Something to look into in the future!

Find a fellow XSive near you that has made the swap and talk him into letting you take a test ride.

I think you'll be falling all over yourself gettin' the stuff to make the swap.

Unless your all into crotch rocket, it's the best mod ever for the highway.

Really, the difference in power and take off is minimal but your RPMs drop 800 to 1000 at highway speed.................6th gear!!!!!!

I just rode from here in Tulsa to KC and back this weekend.........sweet!!!!

Gas mileage was between 30-35 but I was running 70-90 mph all the way and playing with Harleys and others on the way. Had a blast!

[TexinMaine]

So you are taking the Final Drive, which is the silver thing that attaches to the rear wheel, from a XS750 and putting it on the XS1100? And this makes it not rev so high at highway speeds.

[XJOK2PLAY]

too many hours and too many gallons of sweat dickin around with this today. My fingers are too fat to fit in to move the u joint around. I pulled the swing arm... Drive shaft slipped right in. Tomorrow I'll bolt everything back up.

dpotter58,

Cody & I just swapped mine this last week. I had the same problem, but used a screwdriver in through the pulled-back boot area to hold the ujoint straight and in place, as I looked down the shaft w/ a flashlight...

Once I had it lined up, I inserted the shaft carefully until I felt it begin to try, then with a small push it went right in. Not enough room to get my fingers in there while trying to keep it straight!

The trick's all in getting the ujoint straight first, and being able to hold it there while the shaft goes in. Long, flatblade screwdriver was the ticket.

HTH's ya... you're gonna love it when you get it goin'.

Oh, we also compared the 2 springs between the 850 FD & the 1100, they were the same length, so it didn't matter.

He's told ya right... don't remove the pinion... just unbolt the coupler... and that's only to seal the 2 holes...and put some sealer around the backside of the new washer.

Good Luck!
Bob

[bikerphil]

The FD swap is a huge improvement on the Specials and XJ's, they are high winders with the 16" rear wheel to begin with. The Standard with the 17" rear wheel isn't so bad with the stock unit.