My new 1100 Midnight Special project bike!

[nickdude911]

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

Got the bike on December 3rd and this is exactly what it looked like after taking it off the trailer.

[FANNING507]

Sweet looking '80. Hope it runs as good as it looks. Good luck!!!

[nickdude911]

Thanks, got enough parts ordered to get it running, then I'll see how far I want to go from there.

[FANNING507]

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.

[natemoen]

Congrats on the new bike! Even has the stock exhaust yet! Consider yourself VERY luck for that!

[jeffro1954]

Looks amazing, how much did it set you back?

[nickdude911]

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.

[nickdude911]

After first week.

[IMG][/IMG]

[nickdude911]

Bike mocked up for pic.

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]

[Rasputin]

I am soooo Jealous!

[mro]

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….

mro

[natemoen]

Wow! That is a smokin deal! Lucky lucky man!

[Wildkat]

NICE! and I'm not a bit jealous...

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

[CatatonicBug]

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!

[XS1100 Newbie]

Welcome. That is one nice bike. I also have an 80 LG, but yours is in better condition. Mine was nicer 12000 miles ago.