What carbs come stock on a '79

[Electronhammer]

What brand of carbs came stock on a '79 XS?

[natemoen]

Mikuni is the brand. They all had Mikuni's.

[Electronhammer]

Thanks Natemoen. Someone had once told me that Yamaha used some Hitachi carbs. That person must have been in error. I had not ever heard on Hitachi carbs.

[Electronhammer]

How hard is it to get carb parts?

[bikerphil]

The XS850's had Hitatchi carbs. It depends on what parts you are looking for. Some parts are not available new anymore.

[crazy steve]

How hard is it to get carb parts?

To do an 'normal' overhaul, no problem; about $20-25 per carb. But if you have missing or damaged parts (other than gaskets, jets, needles, floats) you'll generally be looking for used.

They also used two types on the XS; the early '78-79 which has cast tops and exposed idle mixture screws, and the late '80-82 which has stamped tops and idle screws inside a 'tower'.

[Electronhammer]

Thanks crazy steve. I was thinking of picking up a '79 XS, but the seller says that the carbs are in pieces. Claims all the parts are there, just in pieces; so I was thinking of the worst(ie missing carb parts). Looks like maybe a missing seat also.

[TomRodgers]

Depending on the cost of the bike, the overall condition, it may be worth it. If the carbs are in pieces...then you may be AHEAD of the game in one aspect......cleaning them before running the bike!!!!! No matter WHAT condition the bike is, if its been sitting for more than a year, you are going to want to COMPLETELY clean the carbs....

[mack]

Carbs

If you can layout all the pieces and post a picture, we can tell if anything is missing. Watch/ look very closely for little wee springs and very small ballbearings. Should be two of each.Depending on how far they have been torn down.

[CatatonicBug]

Thanks crazy steve. I was thinking of picking up a '79 XS, but the seller says that the carbs are in pieces. Claims all the parts are there, just in pieces; so I was thinking of the worst(ie missing carb parts). Looks like maybe a missing seat also.

If it's a Special, the missing seat would be my biggest concern. The SF had a unique seat that only fit on THAT year. rather difficult (not impossible though) to find a replacement.

[crazy steve]

Like Phil said, if the condition/price is right it still may be a good deal. While missing parts are the bane of an XS owner's existance, many parts can still be found (in the used market) realatively easily.

If the carbs are apart, maybe print out and take this: http://www.benefiscal.co.uk/imagine....ame=CARBURETOR with you to look at the bike. A bit overwhelming to look at, but will give a good idea of what they 'should' look like. Watch for broken carb float posts as they can be hard to fix, particularly if they're broken near their base; this usually means replacing. You can still find rebuildable carb 'sets' for $100-150 with a bit of looking. Individual carbs are much harder to find.

As 'Bug mentioned, seats can be a big deal if missing or rusted out. Bikes that sat outside for years are notorious for having seat pans rusted beyond repair, so finding a replacement can take time; the '79 Special seat is particularly hard. Expect to pay $50 or more for a recoverable seat of any type. Same thing goes for exhaust systems; check for rust-through and cracking. Good-condition exhaust systems bring a premium price in the used market, with even very rusty 'repairable' sets being worth $100 or more. Very nice OEM systems can easily fetch $400 and up...

These bikes can be more than a bit of work to get back on the road, but the reward is having one of the best 'all around' bikes ever built...

[rover]

seat

If it's a Special, the missing seat would be my biggest concern. The SF had a unique seat that only fit on THAT year. rather difficult (not impossible though) to find a replacement.

If you are not really fussy about keeping the bike a pure SF, the 80-81 special and midnight special seats will fit. You have to unhook the vinyl cover, and trim the seat pan above the side covers, re-install the vinyl, and you are good to go.

[Electronhammer]

Thanks everyone for your help. The seller is asking $300. Claims that the engine turns over (not siezed) and shifts through the gears. One side of the exhaust is "trash" the other is ok. The headers are in good condition and as said before; carbs are in pieces. Seat is still a question mark. I think that the tank is in good shape, no dents or rust. I have taken apart and fully cleaned the Keihin carbs that are on my Honda CB750k; so I am not a total stranger to carbs from an inline 4 motorcycle engine. Are these Mikuni carbs much different? Anyway, not sure if I want a '79. I was thinking that an '80 or '81 special would be more to my liking. I think I do want to get an XS or XJ 1100 and then sell my 750. My 750 has been very reliable and I do enjoy it, but think I might like an 1100 better. Has anybody or does anybody currently own a Honda CB anything, like maybe a Custom from the early eighties? Just curious. I realize that this is the XS forum. Maybe I will post some pics of this '79 that is in question.

[crazy steve]

Thanks everyone for your help. The seller is asking $300. Claims that the engine turns over (not siezed) and shifts through the gears. One side of the exhaust is "trash" the other is ok. The headers are in good condition and as said before; carbs are in pieces. Seat is still a question mark. I think that the tank is in good shape, no dents or rust...

Given your description, that price is high IMO. I wouldn't go over $200 unless the rest of the cosmetics are pretty nice...

[Electronhammer]

Ok, thanks crazy steve. I was kinda thinking the same thing because I would most likely have to put new tires on it and new battery and find a seat and possibly have to do some brake work and deal with the carbs that are in pieces. So might have to put $500 in it to make it road worthy.