my first xs eleven

[emayte1]

I just recently talked one of my uncles out of a motorcycle he had in the back fourty tarped over for about 900 years. I loaded it up on a trailer and got it to the house. after a little research i found out it was [ i believe ] to be a 79 xs eleven. the bike has seen its better days, but i believe it is still partly alive somewhere down inside all that assembly of metal ect. the origional color seems to be a silver gray and darker grey. Both tires are flat and dry rotted. it seems that there is a bottom portion of the air filter missing, and the selector switch on the right handle bar is damaged. the good news is that the engine turns over and it fires, [i found the latter out the hard way]. it also either has had some customizing done or possibly came from the factory with all this stuff, i dont know. but it has the fairing, saddle case, and luggage box on the rear. it looked really sharp at one time. what im wondering if this bike is really worth trying to restore or will it break the bank, and if not will it be worth it in the end? i've never tried this before. if i decide to i'll send in some before pics. i would like to hear any of your ideas on this matter. i would also appreciate any help if i decide its worth it. thanks, Matt.

[skids]

Matt, if I can fix them up, you can learn to do it too! No. 1, I hope you rinsed the old gas out of the tank and put in some new. In-line filters are a good idea to keep rust out of the carbs. I would invest in new oil and filter and try to get it running to shake out the cobwebs. Then, I would test the compression. If it looks good to that point, you could have something you could work on that will be a real joy to ride! Tires are ballpark 120.00 each.

[jetmechmarty]

It sounds like your investment at this point is zero, so you are ahead of the game. How handy are you and how much spare time do you have? A project like this can get costly. If you are doing this as a lobor of love, it can be rewarding. If you think you can fix it to sell, you'll lose time and money for sure. This comes from a guy with more projects than I can ever hope to get to.

[scalded dog]

Matt if you think it is to big of a project, we may work out a deal, I live in lower Ga. Later 'Dog

[kkrazyt85]

What to do???

After all is said and done..you will have a restored OLD motorcycle...much labor and some money will go into it and it will still be a OLD motorcycle...however being it is old it is VINTAGE and ANTIQUE...you can't get your money out of it after restoration but you will have a Classic Vintage Metric Muscle bike...my bike was kept in a shed in Michigan for 5 years with old gas etc....I have spent $1000 bucks and many hours of labor...but I love this bike and it is worth it if you want something like this...it is old school technology and doesn't handle like new bikes and doesn't get the fuel milage like new bikes but if I wanted a new bike I would buy one...These bikes were the baddest ones out in their time (hence part of history)and still will outrun most new non turbo street bikes...Its all in what you want the bike for...I get alot of compliments about mine at rally's etc...because it is old and people remember back to those days...and remember being blown off the road by the
Mighty XS1100's....it's a LOVE thang

[strom]

OK... where to start off.... get a case of beer and some friends to contemplate ideas. Take your time, don't be in a hurry and don't strip any threads.

Well... you're looking at some ebay fishing for lower part of the airbox. Looks best stock, but K&N cones work too.

If the exhaust system is still there, it's likely that its not in good shape. If the headers are OK, youre safe, else... some work or ebay time. Not cheap, but worth it.

Tires... check if theyre tubeless or tube type. Get new ones.
But first a MUST: Change the oil and oil filter... pour some oil (a teaspoon max) in each pot and turn the engine over a few times. It it fired up... hope it didnt scratch too much. But then there's always wiseco big bore kit.

Another MUST before first ride... change middle drive and final drive oil. Wash with some diesel if nothing comes out or it is too sludgy. Nobody wants their rear wheel lock up on them at a ton on the speedo.
After you put in new middle drive oil, check in a couple hours if the oil ring seals it. Pull off the rubber boot and grease the U-joint.

2nd gear. Can be fixed, just dont bend the fork or scape the cogs.

Change the brake fluid and clean the calipers and brake cyls. (spooge holes)

Replace brake lines with stainless steel ones. They cost a bit but it's worth it.. I think. Didnt get there yet.

Adjust the camchain, follow the tech tip on this page.

Check the fuse box and replace it if its still original. There should be a pic of it on one of the microfiches... there are links to microfiches on this site.

Replace fork oil and seals if necessary. Replace the seals after initial 100-200 miles, since they tend to leak if left alone for a while.

Clean the bike... you will like it more.

Read the tech tips section... almost everything is there.

Check for rotten wire insulation and replace if necessary.

---------

Theres lots of work to be done, you won't be able to race it... ok, dragracing maybe... but it has a nice howl with a good exhaust, you don't need to shift, lots of torque and a great cruising bike. Fun to ride. Its big, feels big when riding, but when you roll... not heavy. But it helps if you have a second bike to ride while working on the XS. And get a fork brace and don't get killed! Most of all, have fun.

LP

[scalded dog]

Strom forgot one thing, wd-40. LOL. Later 'Dog

[skids]

A liberal amount of WD40 on the headlight lens will definately make the bike go faster at night!

Originally posted by scalded dog
Strom forgot one thing, wd-40. LOL. Later 'Dog

[sixtysix]

Read this thread on restoring an XS.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=&threadid=792

Bottom line is that to do it right you are looking at around $1000 and a 100 hours or so work. (This is for me, a lot of guys don't do nearly the stuff I do) that is about what the bike is worth in 'tarped for 900 years condition' but running and driving perfect. It is up to you to decide if it is worth fixing up or not.

If it is 2 tone gray then it is a 1980, like mine was:



The two colors are diamond silver and anniversary silver.

Good Luck with your new bike.