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Lots of info on this site. Use the threads and look around. Catonic Bug has downloadable manuals. Our bikes are a little different from some of the other models. Study and learn. Under the tech tips there's some excellent stuff to check and clean before you get into too much stuff. If the fuse box is the old glass tube, consider replacing. They look okay, but looks are deceiving. The multi meter tells all. The copper clips get brittle and the readings change with the temperature. Can be lots of gremlins that come to visit. Be patient and persistent.
Congrats on the new bike! Even has the stock exhaust yet! Consider yourself VERY luck for that!
Nathan
KD9ARL
μολὼν λαβέ
1978 XS1100E K&N Filter
#45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
OEM Exhaust
ATK Fork Brace LED Dash lights
Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters Green Monster Coils SS Brake Lines
Vision 550 Auto Tensioner
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
To be honest, an old coworker gave it to me for free. He was the only owner and only person to ever drive it. He has every receipt, all the paperwork with the fairing, owners manual(not even a grease stain) in perfect condition. Bike has 12000 miles on it. There are still new highway bars in the box from Yamaha, never used. Brand new radio/cassette never used still in the package. Just unbelievable.
1980 1100 Midnight Special
1982 KZ 750 Spectre
2010 FLHX
Just finished carbs and cleaning it up.
Anyone have any recommendations for repainting cylinder heads?
It's really the only thing on the bike that looks bad, besides a bit of pitting on the inside of the pipes.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
1980 1100 Midnight Special
1982 KZ 750 Spectre
2010 FLHX
2-79 XS1100 SF 2-78 XS1100 E Best bike Ever 80 XS 1100 SG Big bore kit but not fully running yet.
Couple of more parts bikes of which 2 more will live!
DupliColor Semi-Gloss Black Engine Paint
They also have gloss black.
Polished the fins first.
Cleaned with a bucket of hot water and a stiff nylon scrub brush, then pressure washed it off.
Rinsed with carb cleaner then starting fluid.
I had the carbs, air box, horns, seat, tank and exhaust off.
I used grocery plastic bags to fill the in-take and exhaust. One bag is just the right size. Masked off everything else not to be painted except I put a little Vaseline on the fin edges….
1978 XS1100E K&N Filter
#45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
OEM Exhaust
ATK Fork Brace LED Dash lights
Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters Green Monster Coils SS Brake Lines
Vision 550 Auto Tensioner
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
To be honest, an old coworker gave it to me for free. He was the only owner and only person to ever drive it. He has every receipt, all the paperwork with the fairing, owners manual(not even a grease stain) in perfect condition. Bike has 12000 miles on it. There are still new highway bars in the box from Yamaha, never used. Brand new radio/cassette never used still in the package. Just unbelievable.
Wait... NOW I am.
Awesome deal! Congratulations!
Welcome aboard
81 SH SomethingSpecial 81 frame, 80 tank and side covers, 79 tail light and carbs, 78 engine, 750 final drive mod, Geezer rec/reg, 140 mains, LH wheels
☺
79 SF MEAUQABEAUXS 81SHNor'eastah (Old Red) 80 LGBlack Magic 78 EStandard Practice
James 3:17
If I can make at least one person smile, or pee their pants a little, or maybe spit out their drink; then my day is not wasted.
Wow.... Just WOW!! One nice thing is that you have the LG, which is basically identical to the other Specials. The LH ('81 MNS) has a bunch of one-off parts that it does not share with the other bikes. It looks like the PO put the factory headlight bucket in the Windjammer fairing?? I've never seen that done before. Also, is that GOLD trim around the fairing?? If you have contact with the PO, PLEASE find out how he managed to get that! I have a Windjammer on mine, and the silver just doesn't match the color scheme on a MNS.
Baby that exhaust!! Assuming they truly are as good as they look in the pictures, the pipes alone are worth more than the bike itself! As mentioned, replace the fuse block if that has not already been done. Go through the entire electrical system and clean ALL the contacts - especially the grounds. Be sure to get new tires if they are more than a 4-5 years old (good tread does NOT mean it's a good tire). Flush the brake system and disassemble every last piece of the brake calipers and master cylinders. Crud builds up under the rubber seals and causes binding.
Oh, and don't get rid of that fairing just yet. You may find that it's MUCH more comfortable riding behind a fairing than trying to hang onto that monster when it's naked!
1980 XS850SG - Sold
1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).
Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
-H. Ford
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