i'm giving up!

[cheezy]

i'm selling my 81mns and 79 standard. see details in the for parts section. i just don't have the time or desire to finish what i started.

[Elevener]

While Im sorry to hear your giving it up, I still cant get the song " another one bites the dust" out of my head.

[cheezy]

yeah, i know. i started out strong, but hunting season is just around the corner, and i want my garage back. if i can't get the minimum out of the bikes, i may set them in the woods until next spring when the mood may hit me again. i'm ridding the tar out of my 750 midnight maxim, and it's just hard to get motivated to start on the xs again.

[WMarshy]

Have you ridden any of the Elevens yet? Not sure you could pay me enough to ride a XS750 or 850 over the Eleven. GL hope you decide to keep them.

[cheezy]

i don't ride an xs750, i have a 1983 xj750m. big difference!

[WMarshy]

My point was, if you rode the Eleven and knew how sweet they are, then you would chose it over the 750 every time...

[DGXSER]

Riding is riding, whatever you choose. IT still amazes me how many people consider a 750 a beginner or even "ladies" bike. I never rode anything over a 750 until I go an XS11. Never felt I was lacking power at all.

I am sorry to hear someone give up on these bikes, they are fun to work on for me. If you lived much closer, we would be talking for sure.

[jmnjrpa]

Yeah

If you lived much closer, we would be talking for sure.

Got my first 11 from there. Heck of a time getting it home.

[cheezy]

to be honest, i had to clean the carbs a couple of times when i first got the maxim from my dad. i did brakes, head stem bearings, tires, a couple of valve adj. in the 10yrs that i've had the bike. i just get on it and ride. every time i look at the xs, i find something else that needs attention. and then i read all the posts of ongoing electrical and carb issues, and i'm really feeling that the bike could turn out to be a bottomless pit. i had a 77wing that was like that. ride for a weekend, wrench for the rest of the week to ride for the weekend..... you get the picture. i don't read about many happy endings with this bike. if i would have found this site before i took on the project, i probably would have left it. the worst part is the bike cost me next to nothing. but i can't say that anymore. look at the xj or nighthawk sites, they hardly ever talk about spending the time or money on those bikes that the xs's seem to require. i think the xj was the positive turning point for yamaha. the bikes got simpler and more reliable. electronics were better, carbs more reliable. jmho

[cywelchjr]

Most of the problems are from them sitting in the elements for years. A good thorough cleaning of all connectors and such will get them going for a long time with almost no maint at all. I had to change the engine on mine, because of a rod knock, but really, other than having to change the forks (couldn't get the originals apart to change the blown seals, matter of fact, I still haven't gotten them apart) it's been pretty much a put gas and oil in it and ride. And I ride daily, this bike is my daily driver pretty much all the time unless I have to take someone else or the weather is too bad. As a matter of fact, except for the engine, this has been the most trouble free bike I have owned (that is of course only 3 in 30+ years). I have done other stuff, but it's all what I would call elective surgery, things that have upgraded etc. That and painting, which is another level all in it'self. About the only place I have not taken mine yet, is dirt road, and I'm not sure I want to try with a bike this heavy.

The main problem that people have, is trying to make up for all the abuse of the PO's, because these things tend to have been flogged pretty hard.

I may still get another bike for long distance, but we'll see about that when I find someone to recover my seat, as if they get that right, I may not need to consider that anymore.

[cheezy]

well, maybe i'm being too hard on the bike. i'm really torn about where to go from here. i'd like to have a bike with more power, and i like the silly buckhorn bars. i'm a yamaha fan through and through. if i can't get my investment out of it, i'll probably store it for winter and try again next year. maybe........

[yozzie]

i think the xj was the positive turning point for yamaha. the bikes got simpler and more reliable. electronics were better, carbs more reliable. jmho

I somewhat agree, my 82 xj1100 is very reliable, starts instantly everytime hot or cold, never had an electrical problem, just a great all around bike.
But in terms of smiles per mile, my 78 xs1100 kicks ass. Pulls like a raging bull from idle to redline and it gets more attention at the gas station than any harley sitting there. A little more temperamental than the xj, but the first time I rode it after I got the engine back together I had a big grin on my face.

[malber]

i don't read about many happy endings with this bike. if i would have found this site before i took on the project, i probably would have left it. the worst part is the bike cost me next to nothing. but i can't say that anymore. look at the xj or nighthawk sites, they hardly ever talk about spending the time or money on those bikes that the xs's seem to require. i think the xj was the positive turning point for yamaha. the bikes got simpler and more reliable. electronics were better, carbs more reliable. jmho

The only problem I've seen with the XS models is when they've been sitting, but you can say that about pretty much any bike. This site has a lot of tinkerers, so I think that's why you may have the impression that these bikes require a lot of maintenance. My bike was a rebuild after a crash, but has mostly stock parts, including the stock fusebox. I haven't had any electronic problems in the four years I've owned it and have nearly doubled the mileage. The carbs probably could do with a good cleaning, but I just run Seafoam through the system once a year. Every year it's just a couple of oil changes, gas, and go. The only major surgery I've ever had to do was replace the exhaust system which I had a mechanic do because a couple of the studs were sheared off and that's beyond my level. But a rotted out exhaust system is almost to be expected for any old vehicle in the Northeast with salted winter roads. Next on the list is clutch replacement, but again a worn clutch is not to be unexpected on a 30 year old bike. She still runs and I can get her going from 2nd gear.

I think the price you got for the bikes somewhat demonstrates what shape they were in when you got them. Of course they were project bikes!

[planedick]

Where is cheezy?

I can't seem to find anything in your profile that says where you are. There is a possibility that someone here is close to you. I would love to help or take them off your hands, especially if you're close.

[cywelchjr]

Next on the list is clutch replacement, but again a worn clutch is not to be unexpected on a 30 year old bike. She still runs and I can get her going from 2nd gear.

If you can't get it going from 1st and you can from 2nd then most likely it's the first gear problem, not the clutch.