XS1100 identity verification

[xs1100newb]

Hey Everyone,

Here is an update to a previous post I made.

I became the proud owner of a 1979 XS1100 this past week. I have been working hard getting the gas tank and carburetors into a good working order. My goal is to fire the bike up before new years.

I already have my carburetor rebuild kits and new pod filters coming in the mail. Also, the carbs are about 50% clean and the tank is currently going through electrolysis.

The bike is unfortunately missing both petcocks and the fuel sender unit. So, my question is two-fold.

I need to order these parts, but before I do so I need to know the model of my XS100. Here is the vin:
2h7-023748
I know the bike was manufactured in 1979, and I am pretty sure it is a 1979 XS1100 F. I want someone to double check this for me, in case I misunderstood the instructions for looking up specific models based on the vin number.


My second question, I need to get 2 petcocks and the fuel sender unit. This is going to be a little bit expensive, and I was hoping to cut back on costs. Is it possible to someone not purchase a fuel sender unit? As of know, I have not even seen a compatible fuel sender unit come up on Ebay, so I am not really sure what to do.

Thanks,
Adam

[natemoen]

Yes it sounds like you have an 79 f. Here a vin checklist though just so you can see yourself.
xs11.com/faqs/153-serial-numbersmodel-designationsfactory-colors.html

You could very easily get away without the sender. Just make a plate and a gasket for it and bolt it on in place to cover the hole.

Also do a search for a thread titled carb cleaning 101 by Wildkat. Gives a good breakdown of the carbs in pictures and show allthese places that absolutely need cleaning. Woulda got a link for you but the search function was not working for me atm.

[crazy steve]

Newb, one thing to remember is the VIN doesn't always tell the whole story; if a PO has swapped any parts around (creating the imfamous 'Frankenbike'), that can seriously affect what parts you may need for any given assembly. That's why we like pics so much...

Which tank do you have? The teardrop shaped 'special' tank (a common swap) or the squarish 'standard' tank? The standard tank can also be indentified by it's flush-mount fuel filler. Here's a pic of a '79 standard: http://www.xs11.com/xs11-info/ads-br...-standard.html If your bike looks different, it's been 'POed'. Also pay attention the forks, as there's almost no interchange on these either.

It's important for these parts as the standard/special petcocks won't interchange, so make sure...

[xs1100newb]

Thanks for the verification on the 1979 model.

First, my gas tank is definitely the squarish tank with the knee indents, so I suppose this means it is the standard tank. I think I will go the route of making my own plate+gasket, since I dont want to pay an extra 30 dollars for the fuel sender.

Second, I am a little confused by the nomenclature. If I have a XS100F, is this the standard or special version?

Also, thanks for the tip on the Carb cleaning 101.


Adam

[crazy steve]

Second, I am a little confused by the nomenclature. If I have a XS100F, is this the standard or special version?

The standards are all identified with a single letter (78E, 79F, 80G, 81H), while the specials will have a S in there ('79SF, '80SG, etc).

One thing you have going for you is the '78 and '79 standards are the only two years/models that have 100% parts interchange; not to say 'other' years/model parts won't fit (most will) but you have to start being careful on some bits because they're not all the same...

For petcocks/fuel sending units, any year standard parts will fit.

[xs1100newb]

Thats great to hear.

Thanks guy,
Adam

[DGXSER]

Hey Adam, as Steve mentioned, the letter E through H denotes the year the bike was made. The standards had no other nomenclature. The Special models added an S in front of the year as in XS1100SF (they made the Special from 79-81) and the Midnight Special used an L notation instead of the S as in XS1100LG for an 80 midnight special. MNS was only 80 and 81 model years.

[mxmikie]

i can do the petcocks and the sending unit if you still need them