Punctured Ignition Timing Plate

[Mendizale]

Hi all,

I'm generally pretty optimistic about people, but today I hate most everyone (except for you folks, but I don't really know any of you).

I park my bike at school as usual, in a well-peopled spot of flat pavement, right at the edge of the parking zone so cars would only be trying to park on one side. Center stand. Secure. U-luck through the front discs. I go to school and have a pretty terrible day. Toward the end, my mood improves as I look forward to the ride home.

Then I walk to my bike, only it's not where I left it. It's on its left side, a yard or so out into the street. No bumps or scrapes to the right side. Left side of headlamp mount severely bent, left turn signal bent, wind shield shattered and unusable, chrome damaged, choke lever broken off, and two holes in the outside bottom of the ignition timing plate (I think that's what it's called).

I don't know if a car bumped into it (strange that it would have moved forward and not have scratches on the right side), or if somebody tried to push it out to steal it, but the u-lock caught and sent the villain lowside, or if it was just an act of frat boy meanness, or what.

On the bright side, I was considering removing the windshield...but it would have been nice to have the option of putting it back on. Alright, sorry for the rant. I guess this part could have been posted to a different forum section.

The point is that I hate people right now, except you guys, because you can commiserate. Also, you can tell me:

1) How I can get another plate (where to look, if you have an extra, whether new gaskets are available, etc).

2) Whether it's ok to ride with the punctured plate. I removed it and filled the holes with silicone, and I'm waiting for it to dry.

Thanks in advance for your help. I just got this bike, and it's my first one.

Best,

Mendi

[brcree]

bad day

Man that sucks to no end man!!!!!!!!! People can be such sh-ts.....I hate that it happened to ya . As for finding the plate: several on ebay...and most of the stuff you said was mussed up can be found there as well.......good luck....are there any security cams in the parking lot? Check with security.

[James England]

That's happened to me too. With my brand-new XS1100 but it didn't suffer as much as yours. Terrible what people will do, driving off like that. Someone probably reversed into it side on and then drove off.

I think you mean the timing cover, right? The engine casing with 'Yamaha' on it that covers the ignition pickups etc. If so, I have one here you can have for the cost of postage, small packet airmail (shouldn't cost much).

Yes, I'm sure the silicone will be fine.

I always remind myself that 'what goes round, comes round'. Whoever did that won't actually gain by it. Also, I personally believe in fate......it's probably not much comfort but your bike being knocked over means you weren't somewhere else, riding it and maybe being knocked off or killed. See what I mean? You'll never know what might have happened if your bike hadn't been knocked over. All you know, is that it HAS and that's obviously very traumatic. I know of someone who missed a plane and was so fed up to find themselves stranded overnight... big disaster, eh? Except the plane crashed, killing everyone on board. Then, his 'disaster' became a very welcome event.

If you think about it, at least you're OK and it's a machine that's been damaged and it can be fixed. If you look at the In Memoriam section of the forum, or read previous threads by people no longer with us (eg "What tires do you ride?") , I think it might put it into perspective and settle your mind a bit.

[lancelot455]

That really sucks. I know how you feel. A couple of weeks ago someone came into my yard(have a corner lot with no fence) and pushed my bike over(i keep it parked by my front steps) scratched my new windshield,dented my newly painted tank and leaked a full tank of gas out on the grass. I'd love to catch the lil Bas**** that did it.

[CatatonicBug]

That sucks! It's one thing to crash your own bike and have to repair it, but to have someone else do it and not take responsibility is just horrible. Did you contact the cops? I assume there are no security cameras around there?

[Mendizale]

I'd being lying if I said that my post were mostly about getting a new ignition cover, although that is important to me. It was mostly about venting frustration. I never hoped my frustration would be shared--I'm sorry to hear that brand new XS11s aren't safe from being rear-ended, or that parked XSs aren't safe up by a porch. Really unfortunate what people will do. Riding is risky enough, parking shouldn't have to be.

Anyway, thanks all, and sorry for your own troubles over the years. Also, thanks for the new perspectives and things to mull over.

James, I sent you a PM with my address--I'd love to have that cover, if you're willing.

[Mendizale]

James, are the covers the same between fancy pants European models and my run-of-the-mill American one? Also, do you recommend I find a new gasket? The one on there is torn in one place, but I could mend it (with a dab of silicone, maybe?). I think the cover is just to protect the ignition timer from water and debris (and from the folks responsible for this fiasco), but the seal is probably still important.

Also, fiasco might be the wrong word--it might imply that something went horribly wrong despite good intentions. Good intentions were never part of this event.

[fredintoon]

Hi all, - - - The point is that I hate people right now, except you guys, because you can commiserate. - - -
I just got this bike, and it's my first one.

Hi Mendi,
sh1t happens, get over it.
BTW, if the XS11 is your first bike, what about the Triumph 250 in your signature line?
I have it's badge-engineered brother, a '70 BSA B25.

[natemoen]

RTV silicone or something of the like works great for nearly all the gaskets on the bike except a couple (float bowl, exhaust head, valve seals, and head), so you do not need that gasket.

[Mendizale]

RTV silicone or something of the like works great for nearly all the gaskets on the bike except a couple (float bowl, exhaust head, valve seals, and head), so you do not need that gasket.

Thanks Nathan--that's what I'll use, then.

[Mendizale]

Hi Mendi,
sh1t happens, get over it.
BTW, if the XS11 is your first bike, what about the Triumph 250 in your signature line?
I have it's badge-engineered brother, a '70 BSA B25.

Astute observation; **** does happen. Ok, so the Triumph I've had for longer--it's actually been in the family since it was "born". However, it's been waiting for me to clean it up, since it's been sitting (covered) for over 25 years since it was last ridden. So, my XS is the first bike I've owned and ridden.

The Triumph is actually in another state now, but I had planned to pick it up this summer to beginning the cleaning process. Looking at pictures of the B25, we might even be talking about the same bike--I haven't looked at it for a while, and so I'm going from memory. Not necessarily a Trophy, may well be a 1970 or 1971...

[cywelchjr]

Yup, I used RTV silicone on mine. And mine has a crack in it and a bit of a hole at the bottom (has as long as I've had it) and I fixed it with some JBWeld, been just fine for over a year that way. I figure I'll fix it at some point, but being it's at the bottom of the thing and hard to see (I didn't even notice it when I bought the bike, I found it the first time I removed the cover to adjust the timing chain adjuster), I figure it's not a big priority. My spare engine has a really nice one, but it's powdercoated a really nice black, so it wouldn't fit with the rest of the engine.

It's just to keep the road out of the moving parts, and the moving parts out of your leg, as well as water out of those moving parts.

[James England]

James, are the covers the same between fancy pants European models

The cover I have is not the 'fancy-pants, shiny cool black finish'... it's alloy like all the US ones. It just needs a good polish up and shine.....

Yes, re the gasket... you can use silicone. I believe the UK XS1100 forum has printable gaskets so you can print one off and use it to make one from gasket paper if you want.........

[cywelchjr]

Yes, the UK site does have those nifty templates for the gaskets, and that one is one I have considered printing out and making. A little copper gasket material on one side and pam on the other and it would probably last for years (the copper keeps it stuck to the one side and the pam keeps it from sticking to the other).

[Mendizale]

Huh---very cool idea about the print-out gaskets, copper, and pam. Many thanks for the feedback.