My first XS11? Advice please!

[newtoXS11]

Hi everyone! Long time Virago owner here looking to get into something bigger, So I found an 82 XS1100 for $800. 27k miles. The paint job on the tank is a disaster as you can see in the pictures (it actually flattens out in the sun but it's overcast today when I took the pictures) but other than that it appears to have been kept in pretty nice condition. The owner is looking to get a 400 enduro (I live in WI, so plenty of dirt trails) and needs the space.

The problem is that I've never even SEEN an xs1100 in person let alone driven one. I took this bike out and it drove wonderfully, but an almost "hissing" sound came from the motor. It increased with revs and wasn't anything air related, like I said, it sounded to be "inside" the top end of the motor. I don't know if this is normal, I would suspect anything TOO broken would have impacted the ride somewhat. From riding Viragos and having starters that sounded like ice cubes in a blender I understand that strange noises can be par for the course so I'm just checking to see if this is out of place.

I only had my cell phone with me when I went to look at the bike. I took pics and recorded the motor sound so if anyone can give some advice I'd appreciate it. You have an awesome forum here, so hopefully this bike pans out and I can be part of it

EDIT: Oops, posted this without pics and sounds. I will post them in about half an hour once my phone decides to stop updating its firmware.

[newtoXS11]

delete this thread please

The pictures and sounds all turned out to be absolute crap and I couldn't figure out how to edit my first post again. I can't ask people to identify a mystery sound that I don't have a recording of or check out a bike I don't have pictures of. Sorry to come off as a tool, I guess I'll just ask a local bike mechanic to take a look at it.

[natemoen]

Congrats on the buy and welcome to the forum!

I guess its hard to say about the noise. I dont hear anything that sounds like a hissing from mine but everyone had a different way of describing the same noise, so hearing it would be best.

Where in WI are you from?

[natemoen]

Also pretty much any bike mechanic will have no idea what to do with a 30+ year old bike. There are plenty of horror stories about people taking old bikes to mechanics and ending up with a lot less money and a bike that is in even worse condition that it was before you brought it there.

The bikes are easy to work on yourself. Get a manual!!! There is a member on the board his name is CatatonicBug there is a link to his personal website in his signature and you can get a couple of manuals there!

[newtoXS11]

I'm in Milwaukee currently. I guess I shouldn't describe it as hissing but I'm not a mechanic, so bear with me. It sounds more like some kind of scraping, almost as if some tolerance it too tight. It increases and decreases steadily with revs which is why I think it may just be normal (plus the seller has already put on 2000 miles this year and reports the sound as standard for as long as he's owned the bike).

While I'm not a mechanic I do enjoy wrenching on my own vehicles and I luckily happen to have a coworker with an extra Clymer manual for these bikes as he used to have a couple XS11's and swears by them. My father also used to own a garage in the 80's and is more than willing to help me work on any machine I bring home that's "built to last" as he says.

In any event it looks like I'll be getting the Maxim. Since I'm selling my 750 Virago for the same price I figure I have ~ $300 to spend on goodies (and a tune up!) before I hit the $1/CC limit I like to impose on anything older than 20 years.

[dpotter58]

These have some noise in the top end. Like someone said, down load the manual and check the cam cain tension. It can create a lot of sound if it needs adjusting. Be sure to read up on how before doing it though.

[natemoen]

I am out in the far western suburbs and I know there is at least one other guy on the board thats in the area (I have never talked to him though cause I just moved out here a couple weeks ago). I would always be wiling to help (with my limited knowledge, I just got mine too and am fighting my own gremlins with it). Just PM me.

[fredintoon]

The problem is that I've never even SEEN an xs1100 in person let alone driven one. I took this bike out and it drove wonderfully, but an almost "hissing" sound came from the motor. It increased with revs and wasn't anything air related, like I said, it sounded to be "inside" the top end of the motor. I don't know if this is normal, I would suspect anything TOO broken would have impacted the ride somewhat. From riding Viragos and having starters that sounded like ice cubes in a blender I understand that strange noises can be par for the course so I'm just checking to see if this is out of place.

I only had my cell phone with me when I went to look at the bike. I took pics and recorded the motor sound so if anyone can give some advice I'd appreciate it. You have an awesome forum here, so hopefully this bike pans out and I can be part of it

EDIT: Oops, posted this without pics and sounds. I will post them in about half an hour once my phone decides to stop updating its firmware.

Hi newto and welcome,
the XS11 is a great bike; top heavy, overpowered and shifts like a Russian tractor. It also has a rep for lasting forever. You are going to love it.
FWIW, this site won't accept photos direct. You gotta send them to a public site (I use photobucket, there are several others) and send the photos from there. There's a note on how to do it.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there NewtoXS11,

However, if your machine is truly an 82, and says MAXIM, then it's an XJ 11, and a bit different/advanced than it's XS predecessors, so be sure to get a manual that covers the XJ! It has lots more electronics...= possible more gremlins to go wrong...see the pilot box/dashboard for example.

The engine is essentially the same as the XS series with a few EPA twists...ie. the YICS system. It has some extra "safety" starting interlocks built into it..kick stand and clutch switches. 27K is barely broken in!!!

The brakes are also different, foot controls rear and left front calipers, hand only controls front right, you may have already figured that out by following the hoses?

As stated, most likely just cam chain noise, and can be reduced by a PROPER adjustment...please read the tech tips and manual before attempting, otherwise you can cause it to actually be LOOSER which can cause it to jump sprocket teeth, then bend valves, etc.! These machines are relatively easy to work on, but certain aspects require the proper technique or you can quickly muck things up!

Welcome, take some time to read thru the tips, peruse the manual, and then use the search feature BEFORE you attempt doing any service or wrenching...no aspersions on you or your dad's skill/knowledge, but as stated, jumping in without full knowledge can lead to damage! $$

[jmnjrpa]

+1

Not much I could add to it but welcome. As far as the mechanic -I would suggest taking the time to find out first hand by asking the people here. Not too many mechanics will work on or fix your bike.

[Ken Talbot]

Not too many mechanics will work on or fix your bike.

Sadly, there are quite a few mechanics out there who will look at and work on and still not fix your bike, all at a very steep price. There have been recent posts about mechanics who have worked on guys' bikes and screwed them up, and still charged a lot of $$.

The tech articles cover quite a wide range of issues, and just about anything else your bike could need has probably been done by at least a few of the owners here. With any luck, you should be able to hook up with another owner somewhere close to you. You'll be able to see and listen to an XS that is running correctly, and get a reliable diagnosis on how yours sounds and compares.

[DGXSER]

Sadly, there are quite a few mechanics out there who will look at and work on and still not fix your bike, all at a very steep price. There have been recent posts about mechanics who have worked on guys' bikes and screwed them up, and still charged a lot of $$.

Amen to that!!! I have recently helped out a little on another members bike where they took it to a local mechanic who did alot of work on it, and charged them over $2k for it. It still was messed up and sat for a couple years maybe. Then another very kind member started wokring on it and so far, between us, we have redone 90% of what the "mechanic" did.

Also helped swap out an engine for a member who had a "machanic" do alot of work on it for him recently. Then he bought a "good" engine from the same mechanic. After putting boht sides of the shift fork shaft back together including replacing the oil pump idler gear, performing the 1st second gear fix on it, replacing a bent valve, and new cam chain with valve lapping. IT was running pretty well, Hate to see what he calls an engine that needs work!

[BigRed]

Welcome!

My bike makes a "hissing" too; it's the cams spinning against the valves, and is normal (on my bike). Like some other members mentioned above, your cam chain could be out of adjustment, and you'll need to fix that. Don't worry, it should only take about 5-10 minutes for first timers; you just need to follow the correct procedure. While you're doing that adjustment, you could also spend another 2-4 minutes removing the cam chain tensioner completely to check that it hasn't reached it's limit yet. You don't likely have to worry about that, as your bike is almost new!

The big thing to remember is just that whenever you're doing anything with the cam chain tensioner, you've got your timing mark set to "C" (at least that's what it says on an XS... your XJ may be different). The manual makes it really clear.

Congratulations on your "new" bike!

[klrconcours]

Hi Newto. I'm pretty new too! The upper sound you hear concerned me also. I rode a Kawi KZ1000 (as a cop) for many years and the similar engine that has made no such sound. I concluded the xs11 is just different somehow. Mine sat for many years after being messed up by a "mechanic." After I got her running it made a whirring sound along with a light clanking, almost like little rocks in the combustion chamber. I adjusted the chain and all but the whooshy whirring went away. Put a few hundred on her now and it seems normal. I love this bike. My all time favorite, despite the (and I love this description) shifting like a Russian tractor!
John

[CatatonicBug]

Welcome aboard! As mentioned, you can download a manual from the link in my signature. That "hissing" is perfectly normal. I have the same thing. Stay away from the mechanics, and stick with this site for advice. You'll learn a LOT more, feel a LOT more satisfaction, and save a LOT of money doing it yourself. Nothing on these bikes is all that complicated. Just take your time, read ALL the tech tips, and the entire manual.

Oh, we like pictures too!