What carbs come stock on a '79

[Electronhammer]

Pic of the '79 XS1100 I'm thinking of buying

Here are some pics of the '79 I am thinking of buying. So is it a special? How about some opinions on it's worth as pictured? .jpg[/IMG]

[bikerphil]

That's a Standard, maybe a 78? I'd pay $500 tops.

[natemoen]

Absolutely a sexy standard!

[DGXSER]

As my signature implies, I have owned a couple CB750 Customs. Loved them, they were a nice combination of light and maneuverable and decent power. Very reliable and comfortable to.

When I went looking for a bike a couple years ago, I was actually looking for another CB750C, found my XS11 instead and been very happy with it. They are quite a bit heavier and in my opinion a lot less maneuverable than the CB750. But the power difference is obvious. And the CB750 will not let you pass anything in site at the slightest twist of the wrist.

I think both are just as reliable, and if you have handled the CB carbs, these will pose no real difficulties for you.

As to the price, well, depends on what you want. I paid $200 for one in very rough shape. Some folks find them for $50 or free. But then, some folks win the lottery.

[Electronhammer]

Free is always nice.. So the concensus is that it is a '78 standard and not a '79 standard?

[DGXSER]

Missed the editing window. After seeing the pics and looking over things on Fleabay, I'd say at a minimum you need about $600 worth of parts (including an exhaust system) to put that bike back together. So consider that when looking at your proposed price for it. My numbers included side cover, seat, headlight, turn signals, air box and filter, fuse box, and exhaust.

It could be either 78 or 79, I think they both came in Macho Maroon. Definitely a Standard though and not a Special based upon the forks, and the headlight ears along with the seat cowling on the back.

[Electronhammer]

Thanks DGXSER. I will keep that in mind. How hard is it to come up with the parts, especially the exhaust?

[bikerphil]

Check the manufacture date on the left side of the steering stem. If it says '77 or early '78, then it's a '78, otherwise a '79. The 78's have an off position for the headlight switch IIRC, and 79's don't. The color scheme looks like a '78. Oh, and the 78 has the hotter cam setup.

[DGXSER]

Of all the parts on these bikes, the hardest thing to find in good condition is the exhaust. There are more than a couple of MAC 4-1 and 4-2 systems on Ebay, and they can be bought brand new yet. Never owned a MAC but have nto heard alot of good said about them on here. But no one else is still making the exhaust for these bikes. So you just have to watch Fleabay or similar and hope to find a decent system.

I got pretty lucky and found what appears to be and was sold to me as a Kerker 4-2 for about $70 shipped. It is more for a Standard than a Special, but I made some custom brackets out of .125 steel plate and they fit up and sound nice.

[Electronhammer]

I did not need an exhaust for my Honda so I have no experience with the MAC systems, but people on the Honda DOHC forum say that MAC stands for Make Another Choice.

[crazy steve]

Well, some details are hard to make out, but it's definitely '78 graphics on the seat cone/sidecover.

Lots of missing parts; headlight/reflectors, front calipers, turn signals, grab rail, one sidecover, bottom half of the airbox. It looks like the seat has had all the foam removed (???) and the trim rails have gone missing, and I can't tell if the mufflers are original (the end taper doesn't look quite right) but that may be just the pic. You say he has the tank, but some of the non-installed parts can be hard to find if missing. I suspect the front calipers were pulled because the brakes aren't releasing properly and dragging, so some brake work is no doubt needed (like it wouldn't be anyway...). But it doesn't appear to have suffered the 'leave it outside until everything is black, brown or white' syndrome, so that's a fair-sized plus. Still, it's a 'project' and DGXSRs' price quote probably will be close.

If you're not scared off yet, offer the seller $100 and come up to $200 if need be (but drag your feet). If he has all the 'missing' parts, I'd go as high as $250. I doubt if he has buyers lined up...

To see what it's supposed to look like, look here:
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23641
The '79s are identical except for color/graphics.

Good luck!

Oh yeah... the '78s were the quickest/fastest of the breed...

[yamtom]

different years in comparison

Hi,
I am in agreement with pretty much everyone so far, not that that matters. I have had all three years, a 78 Stndrd, and now have a 79 Special and an 80 MNS. The 78 was the snappiest if my thirty year old memory serves me, it could be snapped into a wheelstand with great joy emanating from my thirty year younger bones. I have the 79 now running, and its close to the 78 in the snappy department, some say the 78 cams are better. The 80 MNS, is nice and strong, but it doesnt have that low end leap that the earlier ones had, although, it has HD shorty mufflers on stock headers instead of the stock exhaust system which most seem to agree is the very best for the strongest low end. All of these bikes are otherwise stock except for emgo pods on the bikes I now have.

[Electronhammer]

Again, thanks everyone. I will post more pics of my own if I buy this thing. Thanks.