new to this

[mjdsr20]

i am a new owner of a 1979 xs1100. im not sure of what the different models are, all i know is that its a 79 and a xs1100. it wont idle and it has a bad misfire in one of the two cylinders on the left side. it has spark. but it seems like its not burning all the fuel on that side. i was told that is hard to work on the carbs on this bike but i would really like to be able to ride this bike some day, any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance.

[DiverRay]

Well, as it's summer, and I KNOW you don't ride in January, I've been in Plattsburg in January! I'd say you need to rebuild he carbs. Georgefix on ebay is the guy for the kits, and if you put the first three characters of your VIN we can tell if it's a standard or Special. (2H7 is standard) It's NOT hard to work on the carbs, it's just hard for a SHOP to do a proper job of it! Look through the "tech tips", and you should get a better idea of what you are needing to do. My first thought is you have #1 or #2 with a stuck float, or a bad float, and the fuel is just running through the carb un-metered.
You will find a LOT of information here, you just need to look through the site, and pick out the bits you need.
Welcome to the MADNESS

[MindWebs]

welcome to the wonderful world of XS11!!

there is everything you want to know on here and any data you could imagine.

here are all the manuals you could ever want for your bike:
(asuming yours is a special) (it would say special on the side covers)

Vacuum gauge calibration instructions
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WC0A3044

YamFactoryXS1100Manual.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZXHFKEDY

ShaftDriveManual.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=42QVZYLC

XS1100SFPartslist.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZKDCH8AN

Yamaha_XS1100_Owners_Manual.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7SRUNM0P
Next

Fork Air rail assembly
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6GAGY4TT

1979 XS1100SF Factory Service and Tech Bullitins.doc
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A6T4FMMY

and now the library of repairs

Maintenance
http://www.xs11.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=22

Repairs
http://www.xs11.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=23

Modifications
http://www.xs11.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=24



Now... on to the important part..
yes the carbs need to be gone through.

You CAN do this.
but you need 4 things to do the job right.

(4)Carb rebuild kits
Petcock rebuild kit (1 kit may contain parts for 2 petcocks, i forget.)
Carb sync gauges (vacuum is easiest)(you'll need 2 or 4) (4 = easiest)
http://www.harborfreight.com/fuel-pu...ter-93547.html
Colortune tool http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Color...item41505abbae

these tools and parts will help you to tune your bike to top performance and avoid damage by running lean.

please read and search the site freely
i hope we can help you keep it on the road.

[DGXSER]

As has been stated, you need to identify which model and year bike it is to get the correct carb kits. Now, you may want to pull the carbs out and just go through them thoroughly first. You may find they just need a good cleaning, and you may find you need more parts than come in a rebuild kit.

The VIN will decipher what year and model. Do not go form the POs info. I went to look at what was advertised as a 79 XS1100 and brought home an 81 special.

The carbs are really ALOT simpler than many I have dealt with in the past.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Serial # ID

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=396]