'80 Special taillight mount

[crazy steve]

Ok, I've looked at the parts fiche and in the FSM, and I'll be dipped if I can figure out how the taillight is supposed to mount, or to what. There looks like there should be some sort of intermediate bracket between the taillight and ???, but I can't find a pic anywhere.

I'm trying to resurrect the SG I originally bought for parts, and the original grab rail is gone if that's what it attached to. The PO had the light 'farmer-installed' to the luggage rack/trunk mount (and that wasn't for this bike either). So, can anybody help me out with a pic of what it's supposed to look like?

If I at least knew that, I could come up with something...

[petejw]

is the 80 model where the tail lite
mounts behind the seat or on the guard?

[crazy steve]

Pete, the taillight is mounted 'inside' the grab rail and semi-tucked under the seat as near as I can tell. The plate mounts separately at the tip of the fender and has it's own light.

[petejw]

no worries steve,
i dont have that model, if it was attached
to the guard i couldve taken a pic for u.

i do remember seeing a pic that had some sort
of plate attached to the seat that the tail light mounted too,
i know not much help hey.

[petejw]

lol
wrong again,
it attaches to the grab rail,
heres a pic i found

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ight=1980+seat

does that help?

[MrOzz]

Here is the pic of the tail light mount.

Hope it helps.




Ozz

[DGXSER]

Yep Ozz has you there, the tail light itself mounts to a plastic bracket. The bracket mounts to the stock grab rail.

[crazy steve]

Thanks Ozz... that's what I was looking for. Of course, I don't have any of those parts (other than the tallight), but that at least gives me an idea.

Looks like I'll need some sort of 'finish' panel to cover the gaps...

[trdriver71]

you could just buy a light of ebay like this one that appears to the that panel.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/1980-XS1100-TAIL-...#ht_1056wt_905

or you could just buy the bracket...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/80-YAMAHA-XS1100-...#ht_1495wt_905

[DGXSER]

That first one is not a bad price. I've bought off that seller before as a good experience.

That bracket alone though is VERY high price!!

If Steve does not buy the grab bar, that bracket is not going to be very helpful.

[crazy steve]

Yeah, I've pretty much ruled out getting a grab bar as I know how hard those are to find ($$). This project bike is the 'don't spend money I don't absolutely have to' type, so if I can make something, that's what I'll do.

I've also got a '81H seat (no cutaway for the light), so I might just use a standard taillight assembly instead.

[XS1100 Newbie]

If this bike is going to have a rear fender on it, why not use the mount off of like a 1980 standard that mounts to the fender?

[crazy steve]

If this bike is going to have a rear fender on it, why not use the mount off of like a 1980 standard that mounts to the fender?

Like so many things on these bikes, 'it's not quite the same...'

I am looking at that; but the fenders mount differently, and if I drill holes for the light there's no reinforcement in the special fender (plus I end up with leftover holes). I'll figure something out....

[tom clisham]

Steve: I've got al luggage rack & trunk on my 80 SG. I had to leave the original bracket off to fit on the luggage rack. I attached the tail lite to the sissy bar with a couple of pipe clamps from home depot.
Good Luck

[fredintoon]

- - - I'm trying to resurrect the SG I originally bought for parts, and the original grab rail is gone if that's what it attached to. - - -

Hi Steve,
like they said, the SG's tombstone tail light bolts to a plastic adapter which bolts to the cast aluminum grabrail.
petejw' link to furious4's ad in the parts for sale forum says (in part) "Grab bar with working tailight assembly. painted black with basecoat-clearcoat system ( no rattle can) $40.00"
That ad is dated 09-16-2010 but if he's still got it, for $40 you are golden.