Trans issues

[Mondo Endo]

First off..... Hi all, Im a newbie here but not to bikes or XS11s. I bought a 78 new and rode it for years before moving on to a slew of other bikes over the years. Im looking for one to restore, rebuild, and or hotrod. I have seen lots of used ones where the owner says second or third gear is gone and am wondering is there anyway I can determine if there is a gearbox problem with a nonrunner and how prevalant it is. I rode my 78 for years and had done all the typical hot rod stuff back then to mine... Weisco 1200cc kit, pod filters and yosh(I think) pipe. I rode the hell out of it (young and dumb) and never had a bit of trouble in the 30k miles I put on it.

[natemoen]

The second gear problem is really pretty common. There is a fix that has been found for it and overall it seems as though its relatively easy as long as you are mechanically inclined. There are tons and tons of threads about it that talk about it. Here is a link to the tech thread about it but there have been different variation created on it.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5090

Don't think you can tell if its a problem though without riding it.

[crazy steve]

...I have seen lots of used ones where the owner says second or third gear is gone and am wondering is there anyway I can determine if there is a gearbox problem with a nonrunner and how prevalant it is..

Welcome back to the XS, and welcome to this site.

The only way to check the tranny gears on a non-runner to my knowledge is to pull the oil pan and try to look up at the gears. This is a 'common' problem, but not every bike suffers from it either. And the gears may not be 'gone' either, just in need of repair. For a pretty thorough view of the problem and the repair, look here: http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...4198#post34198

Even if the gears are beyond repair (and sometimes they are), used gear sets aren't hard to find or expensive and if you have the $$, new ones (without the design flaw that caused the original problem) are still available.

[Jamie]

Welcome back to the XS, and welcome to this site.

The only way to check the tranny gears on a non-runner to my knowledge is to pull the oil pan and try to look up at the gears. This is a 'common' problem, but not every bike suffers from it either. And the gears may not be 'gone' either, just in need of repair. For a pretty thorough view of the problem and the repair, look here: http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...4198#post34198

Even if the gears are beyond repair (and sometimes they are), used gear sets aren't hard to find or expensive and if you have the $$, new ones (without the design flaw that caused the original problem) are still available.

Do you have a source that you prefer that sells the "newer" version of gears that are already back cut? Thanks

[natemoen]

Do you have a source that you prefer that sells the "newer" version of gears that are already back cut? Thanks

Bike bandit lists that it has 1, 2, 4, 5. They range from about 170 to 200 a piece though.

[bikerphil]

Do you have a source that you prefer that sells the "newer" version of gears that are already back cut? Thanks

Here, probably the cheapest place...

http://www.yamahaaccy.com/parts.aspx

[natemoen]

Do they not make third? That place doesn't have it either.

[James England]

As I've mentioned before on this forum.... I've had four XS1100's and done about 120,000 miles on them (put together). One was brand new, the other three had between 30 and 40 thousand miles on the clock. One of the used ones, I ran with nitrous oxide on for a year.

I've never had any of my XS11's ever jump out of gear.

As I've wondered before... what percentage of bikes suffers from this problem? I mean... how many XS1100 bikes were actually manufactured? How many have suffered the gear problem? etc.

Undoubtedly, from reading the forum, if you have the transmission problem, you definitely have it and know you have it. But how many XS11's are out there without this problem?

I just stripped an engine which had allegedly done 30 thousand miles. The first and second gears were in extremely good condition with only minor wear on the 1st gear bits. All the other gears looked like new. I mentioned in one of my postings that I found putting back the countershaft very tricky, with the engine out and upside down it was still tricky to get back in. I think it's probably the best way to examine the gears properly though.

Having said all that.... I've had 4 XS11's with no problems. I'm going to look at my gearbox but that's only because the bike is stripped for painting, exhaust building and frame painting. If it were not for that, I'd just ride it until the gearbox showed symptoms of transmission problems. From what I've read here, they just jump out of gear... I've not read about gearbox explosions, blowing apart etc... just jumping out of gear. Although... personally... I've yet to encounter that....

[DGXSER]

A hidden gremlin.....

Honestly, I had read up on this forum about the XS1100 before I went to look at my first one. Being an "enginerd" gear head, I wanted to know all I could of what to look for and watch out for before I bought. So I knew about the second gear issue, and yet, it did not show up when I test rode the bike. But I did not go out and hammer on it since I did not own it. Then, I got it home and got more comfortable with it, and took it out for a good hard run. THEN, I found the hammering of the second gear issue. So a month or so after buying it, I had the tranny out for the repair. First time I ever went into a motorcycle that deep. And now, I have done it about four times or so.

[crazy steve]

I'm with James, I've never had any issues with my gearbox. I did learn very early-on though that if you didn't shift deliberately and firmly, it would pop out of gear. If an owner failed to heed that 'lesson', I can see how gearbox problems could develop. Frequent sloppy speed-shifting and (even worse) shifting without the clutch is probably another reason for this.

Anyway, that's my opinion...

[Crusty Snippets]

Gearbox

My 79 XS11 Special shifts like a Mac truck most of the time. Even has loud clunks to match. Yet sometimes it shifts like a normal bike should. It is on my to do list in warmer weather.
It has jumped out of second once, but I may have been a bit lazy on the upshift.
Crusty

[James England]

Blimey! I can't imagine anyone being so abusive to a machine by changing gear without using the clutch. My nitrous kit had a nitrous powered gearchange option (ie it just used gas pressure to bang through the gears without the clutch) but there's no way I was going to do that. No doubt that same mentality has caused gear problems in bikes other than XS11's? But we tend to home in our own bike only? Perhaps?

I also find gearchanges unpredictably clunky or not clunky. It's been the same on all four of my bikes and I think it's to do with outside temperature and oil viscosity. Sometimes, first gear engages without a clunk; other times with a hefty clunk. I tend to start my bike in first gear with the clutch in (I suspect this is not an option with the US wired bikes??), to avoid that possible crunchy clunk on putting the cold engine into first gear. Once warmed up, the clunk rarely happens. I do vividly remember getting on my brand new one in 1979 and engaging first gear. I seriously thought I'd broken something before getting 10 yards from the showroom.

IMO, removing the engine and checking a working gearbox in case there might be a problem is a bit like going to the hospital and asking for them to open you up in case you have a stomach ulcer or whatever. Then, when asked what the symptoms are, you answer "I don't have any....."

I'm still debating whether to get my already nice frame sprayed. If, when I get the bike back from the exhaust man, I think it looks OK, then I will definitely not be removing my engine or turning the bike upside down to look at the gearbox! However.... if it starts jumping out of gear...... then I definitely would. Until then, I won't meet trouble half way, as they say....

[cywelchjr]

I would agree. Unless your having trouble, or have things opened up and broken down because of something else that has you at the point of being able to easily check the gears, I wouldn't bother. My original engine with either 70k or 170k on it (and more and more evidence is saying 170, but I could be wrong) has the start of the 1st gear problem. My $99 junkyard replacement engine has not shown a lick of trouble with that, and I have it on good authority that the engine sitting in my garage has good gears as well, so I don't know how often it rears it's head, and it may have to do with how the PO rode it.

[trdriver71]

Mine also has the clunk when I shift gears but it also slips out of gear and have yet to fix it(one I hope to do in the new year) and mine only has 15000 km on it i suspect the PO was shifting without the clutch.

[CatatonicBug]

I tend to start my bike in first gear with the clutch in (I suspect this is not an option with the US wired bikes??),

None of the XS1100's had a starter-interrupt that required it to be in neutral. There is a sensor on the LH (not sure of other models) that requires EITHER the neutral light to be on, OR the clutch to be pulled though. The XJ's have a kickstand switch that will kill the engine if the bike is put into gear (neutral light NOT on) and the kickstand is NOT up. I always start my bike BEFORE I get on it though. That allows it to warm up a bit while I'm donning my gear.

IMO, removing the engine and checking a working gearbox

No need to remove the engine to take the tranny apart. Just drop the oil pan while it's still in the bike. OFC, if you want to take ALL the gears out, you do have to remove the engine and split the cases.