what have I got here?

[revscottm]

I just bought a yamaha 1100. I was told that it was a midnight special but nothing leads me to believe it is. It seems to be a 1100 xs. But I am not sure really what it is. it has 1100xs on side covers it is maroon with gold pinstriping (original) is it an xs gs ???? help dear club!

[Toolmaker Tim]

Midnight Special

Welcome to our family! Do you have any pictures you can post? If you look in the bikes for sale part of the forum there are a couple Midnight Specials for sale with pictures. The members here will give as much help as you will ever need for working on these bikes!

[petejw]

if you put up the first 3 digits of your
engine or frame number, we'll be able to tell
you quick enough.

welcome to the forum.

[DGXSER]

Welcome to the madness of XS11 ownership!!

ALOT of people see that the "Midnight Special" version is worth more than the others and advertise their bikes as being one. I have even written to a local person who was advertising on CL like that and gave him all the info and he never changed his ad. My project bike has Midnight Special emblems on the side covers, but will not be advertised as one when I sell it because it is not, it is an 81 Special.

As old as these bikes are, alot of parts get changed out through the years with something from another model. So, it is not uncommon to find what has been affectionately termed "Frankenbikes". The Vin no on the steering head of the bike is the only "true" identification of the bike, as even the engine may be a swap out. There is thread on here to help ID the bike from the VIN.

To post pictures here, you need to open an account with a pic sharing site like Photobucket. Then you can place the IMG link from there into your post here and the photo shows here. With a couple pics of the bike, alot of people here could tell you what you have right down to the year it was made.

[CatatonicBug]

Welcome aboard! Congrats on your aquisition! MNS or not, these are great bikes, and you'll find answers to any of your questions about it here on this forum. Compare your VIN/Serial Number to this list and let us know what you find. Also, we like pictures! You can't upload them directly to this forum, but here's some instructions on how to get them here.

Also, if you don't have one yet, you can download a copy of the service manual from the link in my signature. Be sure to read through all the tech tips, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

[Welsh1100]

Welcome

From what you describe..it sounds like an xs1100 standard. Do you know what the fuel tank capacity is? Standards had 5.3 gallon capacity where Specials had 3.5.
Also, most Specials have "tear drop" style fuel tanks where Standards came with larger "bread box" types.
Another clue would be the headlight and turn signals. Standards are square and Specials are round.

Welcome to the Xs-ive gang.

Kevin Welsh

[XS1100 Newbie]

Besides which, a true Midnight Special is black, and gold.

[jmnjrpa]

Sorry Guys,

Anything that can be removed has on a lot of these bikes. The ONLY way to tell what the original configuration was, is the VIN on the frame. Everything else including the engine may have been "basterdized" or changed by the PO.
The engine has a VIN but as far as I know all the DOT's go by the frame's VIN. When in doubt check the number!

This is a repeat of what others have informed you in this thread but I felt the need to dwell on.

[fredintoon]

I just bought a yamaha 1100. I was told that it was a midnight special but nothing leads me to believe it is. It seems to be a 1100 xs. But I am not sure really what it is. it has 1100xs on side covers it is maroon with gold pinstriping (original) is it an xs gs ???? help dear club!

Hi rev and welcome,
the frame number prefix will tell you what the bike was when it left the factory, hit the "search" button and ask it for "frame number/identity"
Your bike may have been modified to suit past owners preferences. It's easy to do because XS11 parts swap like LEGO.
Post some photos via photobucket or other public photo site (the system will not show photos direct from your computer) to see what all those POs have done to it over the years.