New 1978 XS1100 owner questions.

[scrapvalue]

Hey Guys and Girls,

I just bought a 1978 XS1100 and I'm new to this forum.
First off, my user name is Scrapvalue. Not because I scap out bikes, but because I have two total hip replacements made of Titanium, so I have scrapvalue.
Anyway, I just picked up this XS11 from the origanal owner.
He bought it new and but on just over 30,000 miles between 1978 and 1988.
He was riding on the freeway in 1988 near Detroit and someone was driving the wrong way and almost hit him.
Scared him pretty bad so he parked the bike in his garage and never rode it again. Still has the plate on it from 1988.
It has been sitting in his garage ever since.
He did start it in 2007 when he moved to Northern Michigan and then it set again until now.
It is in pretty nice condition, except for the exhaust. They are all rusted out underneath.
I did get the bike started, but the carbs are going to need some cleaning.
Idles and runs o.k. with the choke on, but won't idle without it.
Also, I can't get it into neutral. I have'nt ran it very long. Just long enough to get it warmed up and drain the oil.

Is there anything in particular I should inspect on this bike?
Any major problems I should be aware of on this model?


Anyway, I am sure I will have more questions, but it is 4:00am and I just couldn't sleep so I am kind of in a fog.

Thanks for any input you may have.

Bill

[natemoen]

Welcome and Congrats on the bike! They are wonderful when you finally get them running right!

Check over the common thing on Amy old vehicle. Tire, carbs, battery. Wouldn't hurt to pull the front forks apart and clean them and refill with new oil.

The fusebox is a notorious problem, the brass clips just get hard and brittle and can't hold the fuses tight anymore. A moderator here named TopCatGr sells a decent replacement fusebox that just takes a little trimming and it fits well, its a arc blade style fusebox and he even sells thw connectors, whole thing is like 11 buck or so don him.

Another thing to look at is the pickup coils unerring the left side motor cover. The wires on the tend to break inside the insulation and no longer make a circuit. there is a tech tip and explination in the maintenance and repair section the can walk you through the fix.

I am sure there are other things I should include but I have not had any coffee yet. Just ask questions as you go cause anything you run into someone else has already dealt with.

[DGXSER]

Welcome aboard the crazy train!!! The land of XSives and the bikes that own them!!

Here is a link to the FAQ section on what to look for.

Goes over all the typical things to look over and be sure and clean and such. Also discussed several of the typical problem areas on the bike.

Happy riding on the original badazz of the superbikes!!

[natemoen]

Also there is a member here ny the name CatatonicBug and in his signature there is a link to his personal website and there are a few xs manuals there.

[CatatonicBug]

Welcome aboard! Take your time and read though ALL the tech tips (at the top of this page, under \"XS11 Info\") and the entire manual, so you are at least familiar with how things work. The carbs are a standard first thing to attack, since the old fuel likely clogged up the tiny passages in there. You can usually get away with not separating them from each other, but be sure to be thorough in your cleaning efforts. 2-3 cans of carb cleaner spray and a compressor should be enough to clean all 4 carbs.

Do NOT ride that bike until the tires have been replaced. They may LOOK good, but rubber that old is brittle and hard, and will not stick to the road. As mentioned, you can download several things, including 2 iterations of the service manual from the link in my signature.

BTW, we like pictures! Show us your new ride!

[scrapvalue]

Thanks for the info.
As you can see from my signature, this is not my first rodeo.
I have been buying and fixing up several different kinds of motorcycles.
I know all the basic stuff to check over and replace, it is just that I have never had any experience with the XS1100's.
So what I am looking for is any problems that these bikes had that would not normally be a problem on other bikes.
I have already experienced the fuse block weakness. I will be replacing that as soon as I make sure the bike is worth fixing up.
If it turns out to have some major internal problems, I would probably just part it out.

This bike has the factory fairing with lowers, hard saddle bags and basically in very good condition.
No dents in the tank and the paint is good, both side covers are ther and near perfect.
The seat is in excellent condition also, but it is a king/queen deal and that just has to go, regardless of how good it runs.

So anyway, thanks for the replies so far and I look forward to riding this bad boy.
I'll keep you posted on my progress.

P.S. I would post a picture of it, but don't see how it is done.
I will do some research on this site, but if anyone wants to shot me link to how it's done, I would appreciate it.

[lancelot455]

For pics you have to copy a link from photobucket or some site like that. It will not let you post directly from your computer.

[DGXSER]

Besides the fuse block, the most likely points of weakness are the pick up coil wires which tend to break inside the insulation. There are several threads on how to fix that.

The other big issue is the 1st and 2nd gear problem. You would not knwo if you have it till you can ride it and give it some hard pulls in the 5k and up range. That is where it typically shows up. The gears will tend to pop in and out of gear and feel like a maching gun going off under you. The repair is well documented in the tech tips section.

[scrapvalue]

I am pretty sure this bike was never ridden to hard.
I bought it from the origanal owner, is a rather elderly gentleman.
Him and his wife rode it together most of the time and only quit riding because of a real close call on the freeway.
The problem I am having with the transmission is, I can't get it into neutral.
I have had it running, but had to hold the clutch in.
I have changed the engine oil and both places on the drive line.
It may just need to be run awhile to get things to let go, unless there is something I am not aware of.
I am in need of a couple of main jets because to of them broke when I tried to rove them. They just snaped off right under the head.
I was able to get them out by drilling and using an easy out.
If some one has a couple they want to sell, or can direct me in the right direction to purchase complete car rebuild kits, that would be cool.
From what I can see, they look to be 137.5's.

[DGXSER]

If you just want a couple jets, you can go to your local yammarobbers and pick them up. Tell them you need Mikuni large round jets in the 137.5 size (or whatever size you need) and they shoudl be able to order them for $4-6 a jet.

If you want complete kits, then I would go to Georgefix on ebay or his online store (I forget the link but there is a recent thread on here about it.) He knows these carbs well and is really good guy to deal with. Just tell him the year and model bike you have and he will knwo what is stock for your bike. Or tell him the jet sizes you want and he should be able to get them for you.

[petejw]

jat
the cam chain tensioner can cause problems
the side bolt can easily strip its threads and can
cause the plunger to become loose, causing bent valves.

[DiverRay]

Welcome to the site! As most of the people here have already answered the pressing questions, I'll just add my 2 cents worth.
First off, if the last bike you road was the 750, be prepared to have your arms removed from the sockets when you twist the throttle on the XS! This bike has more torque at low RPM than anything else on the road. The second gear fix you will have to do at some point isn't that hard. For the first time in, figure 16 hours with MURPHY'S HELP, 10 hours if all goes well. you do NOT need to split the cases, or even pull the engine to do the repair! The other BIG item is the pick-up coil wires. On the '78, the factory crimped the wires too tightly under the left cover, and that is the weak point. I loosened the crimp, and left it loose when I fixed my first XS back in late '78.
The fairing you have looks big, but actually works very well! It does NOT cut the top speed buy more than 5 mph, unlike the Vetter fairings.

[scrapvalue]

Welcome to the site! As most of the people here have already answered the pressing questions, I'll just add my 2 cents worth.
First off, if the last bike you road was the 750, be prepared to have your arms removed from the sockets when you twist the throttle on the XS! This bike has more torque at low RPM than anything else on the road. The second gear fix you will have to do at some point isn't that hard. For the first time in, figure 16 hours with MURPHY'S HELP, 10 hours if all goes well. you do NOT need to split the cases, or even pull the engine to do the repair! The other BIG item is the pick-up coil wires. On the '78, the factory crimped the wires too tightly under the left cover, and that is the weak point. I loosened the crimp, and left it loose when I fixed my first XS back in late '78.
The fairing you have looks big, but actually works very well! It does NOT cut the top speed buy more than 5 mph, unlike the Vetter fairings.

Thanks for the input.
I just sold my 1987 Kawasaki Concours and up to about a year ago, I had a 1985 Honda V65 Sabre. Now that was an arm stretcher!
0-60 in about 3 seconds and 145mph in 4th at redline. And it was a 6 speed!

How many miles on one these until the 2nd gear problem arises?
I would imagine it depends on how hard the bike is ridden also.
I will check the crimped wires as oon as I get back out to work on it.

If I get this bike running good, I plan on making a custom out of it.
So the fairing will be one of the first things to go.
If anyone is interested in it, let me know.
If the motor turns out to be junk, I will offer the whole bike up for sale or part it out.
I know some people take it way to hard when someone wants to make a custom out of a nice complete bike.
Hopefully that isn't the case so much here.
But if the parts I don't want to keep, help someone else make theirs better, then I guess it is all good.

[CatatonicBug]

I know some people take it way to hard when someone wants to make a custom out of a nice complete bike.
Hopefully that isn't the case so much here.
But if the parts I don't want to keep, help someone else make theirs better, then I guess it is all good.

Both groups live here. There are some folks (like me) who are purists, and cringe at the idea of cutting frames and "simplifying" the wiring harness, while others are just fine with anything that isn't blatantly unsafe. Be prepared for some ribbing about anything that isn't reversable, but know that we all respect the fact that it's YOUR bike, and you get to do with it what you will.

[crazy steve]

...How many miles on one these until the 2nd gear problem arises?..

Maybe never; some owners with higher mileage bikes still haven't done the tranny fix. I think it has more to do with how the bike was treated. Beating the snot out of it, shifting without the clutch, or failing to be very 'positive' when shifting seems to have more to do with the trans issue than miles. So you might get lucky...