Hi- new owner of XS1100.

[MaximPhil]

Hi Throttle Jockey,
All the above evidence is pointing to a very nice bike but away from an 81 Venturer. AFAIK In 1981 Yamaha only sold the Venturer model. Can one post the link to Serial Numbers? that will tell for sure.
If it is a Frankenbike it is certainly well done.
Phil

[natemoen]

Hi Throttle Jockey,
All the above evidence is pointing to a very nice bike but away from an 81 Venturer. AFAIK In 1981 Yamaha only sold the Venturer model. Can one post the link to Serial Numbers? that will tell for sure.
If it is a Frankenbike it is certainly well done.
Phil

xs11.com/faqs/153-serial-numbersmodel-designationsfactory-colors.html

And look at the steering neck vin, not the engine vin.

[MaximPhil]

Thanks Nate,
Both VIn would be the same for a factory bike.
Apparently there were Specials too in 81. Pehaps it was that Standards came only as Venturer in Canada. Indigo Blue is consistant across US & Canada as the colour.
Phil

[natemoen]

Thanks Nate,
Both VIn would be the same for a factory bike.
Apparently there were Specials too in 81. Pehaps it was that Standards came only as Venturer in Canada. Indigo Blue is consistant across US & Canada as the colour.
Phil

Yes both would be the same from the factory but the engine could have been changd in the last 30 years. Steering neck vin is going to tell you what your frame is and be more accurate more so than the engine vin. But look at both and compare!

[crazy steve]

...All the above evidence is pointing to a very nice bike but away from an 81 Venturer...

After looking at the pic closer, Phil's right; that's not a '81. That's a '80 standard (unless it was serialed as a '81 but was a left-over '80) and the giveaway is the right-side muffler/footpeg mount. The '78-80 standard frames were pretty much all identical, with only the sidecover mounting tabs being the big difference. The '81H frame was a cross between the standard frame and the Special frame, being basically a Special frame with the addition of the U-shaped hinge bracket for the rear fender. The muffler/footpeg brackets won't interchange between the '78-80 standards and specials as the frame mounts aren't in the same places, so with that type bracket it's a pre-81 standard frame.

[SFerinTEXAS]

And if those are factory exhaust the 81 std had the shorter mufflers sorta like the specials. Correct?

[natemoen]

And if those are factory exhaust the 81 std had the shorter mufflers sorta like the specials. Correct?

It's not oem exhaust.

[crazy steve]

And if those are factory exhaust the 81 std had the shorter mufflers sorta like the specials. Correct?

The '81H used exactly the same exhaust as the Specials, although as Nate said, his doesn't have OEM exhaust...

[bikerphil]

The '81H used exactly the same exhaust as the Specials

Same flanges too, for the shorter studs? IIRC, the Standard motors had longer studs in the head than the Specials.

[ThrottleJunky]

Hey, guys. Yeah, I just looked at the title, and it's a 1980. The guy who sold it to me had it listed as an '81, and I just assumed it was. That makes sense because there would be no need for all the aftermarket stuff if, indeed, all 1981's were Venturers.

[motoman]

Three models stateside in 81.........

[crazy steve]

Same flanges too, for the shorter studs? IIRC, the Standard motors had longer studs in the head than the Specials.

According to the parts fiche (and we all know how correct that can be), the SF, SG, SH, and H all used the same exhaust. But not to say some 'discrepancies' don't creep in; I've got two OEM standard exhaust systems and one has the long flanges while the other is mixed with short outboard and long inboard...

[bikerphil]

Yep, I hear ya Steve. You don't know what you'll find switched on these old girls. I rode my buddy's 97 Shadow bagger for a while with the mint green paint scheme. Man that bike got a lot of looks.

[ThrottleJunky]

Either way, a bunch of money was spent on that bike to make it look like it does. BTW, those muffs are Jardines....no longer available. Hate to see it get whacked up, but to each his own.

I don't feel bad about taking all the stuff off because I'm really interested in returning it to what it was- a naked cruiser. I wasn't looking for a dresser, but this bike came along. It made sense to me because I figured I could get some money back on selling the stuff that I don't want, including the matching trailer.

[cywelchjr]

I don't feel bad about taking all the stuff off because I'm really interested in returning it to what it was- a naked cruiser. I wasn't looking for a dresser, but this bike came along. It made sense to me because I figured I could get some money back on selling the stuff that I don't want, including the matching trailer.

Holy cow! You got a trailer AND hitch? That I just might be interested in, as I have pretty much the same bike without the hitch and trailer.