80 XS11 Midnight Special chop/rebuild log

[BA80]

Jeez guys, thanks for the warm (sarcastic) welcome . One would think that I just stranggled 3 panda bears, shot 7 polar bears with a shoulder fired rocket launcher, while eating a rack of ribs in front of Ethiopian vegitarians......

Ok, I just have to respond to some of this....

To all the "Haters" that seem to think I have done a foolish thing....I almost give a big fat deep fried corn cob (since I am from Iowa of course).

I guess I should of clarified on my "all comments/suggestions welcomed" statement....so I will now:

Heres a novel idea, if you have a comment or suggestion about what I (key word) HAVE done, or could do with my CURRENT build, than fire away. I am looking for ideas and comments to help me build what I am building now. Not what I should've done before I cut it up....

If you would rather cry over spilled milk, and tell me about how much it was worth or could've been worth than you are barking up the wrong tree! Cause I honestly don't give a s#!@ what it could've brought.

I gave a whole $400 for the complete, imo, butt ugly running bike about a year ago. At the time it was not my idea of "cool" bike at all. But, it is amazing what you can accomplish with a sawzall, welder and a little work! Now I am loving it to death and having a ball!

Value is in the eye of the beholder....my bike, built with creativity, sweat, blood and tears is worth far more to me than the "Stock" dollars it may have brought.

XS1100 OEM4ME said it best with a PM to me.....He basically said, "welcome to the forum, and have fun with your build."

Contribute something usefull, as I cannot build the bike on worthless comments.

Thanks,
Craig

How about those Patriots?

[CraigMel13]

I have not responded to this thread before as I have had nothing to add. I am a member of another forum which loves this kind of thing though. Try checking out www.Chopperhack.com , There are more than a few members with great ideas and they will have input on the chopping part. As long as you do not chop off parts that are needed for running the bike, the guys here are much more knowledgable about the XS11 and what goes wrong with them.

Thanks for the lead Rasputin! Will check them out...but will probably still keep posting here just to keep peoples blood pressure WAAAAAAAAY up!
Craig

[Rasputin]

I certainly did not mean to move your posting exclusively to that site. You do have an XS11 after all. I merely suggest that they will be far more receptive to what you want to do there while these guys will help what needs fixin better. Once you are done choppin things up it will be much harder to help with the things like electrical because who knows what all you will have tossed out. It is your bike so have fun, just do not expect everyone to approve of your strangling 3 panda bears, shooting 7 polar bears with a shoulder fired rocket launcher, and eating a rack of ribs in front of Ethiopian vegitarians......

[crazy steve]

Craig, don't let 'em get to you....

First, all the crying over the MNS issue... Unless it was a near-perfect example you started with (and at $400, I doubt it was ), it wasn't worth any more than any other neglected, abused XS, maybe less. With all the 'special' finishes Yamaha used on those bikes, if that stuff isn't in damn good shape, you'd go broke trying to refinish it or finding good replacements. Mack won't admit to what it cost him to have the steel gold trim on his MNS restore re-done... and I probably wouldn't either...

And this ain't much of a chopper crowd anyway; you should have been here for the heat I took when I first posted pics of my chopped/lowered/raked Sportster
The only thing Fred couldn't chew my a** for was I didn't hardtail it..., but I took some 'Harley' guff. With that said, I'm not a hardtail fan either and don't really think these bikes chop well, but that's personal taste. Maybe you'll surprise us, who knows...

As to practical matters, I will ask one question; what arrangement have you made to remove the final drive if needed? They have been known to fail (admittedly rarely), but it looks like you'd have to cut the frame to change it out. You're going to have the same problem servicing the driveshaft splines and u-joint. I've seen that mistake multiple times, heard of a few that got junked because of it....

[joceiphus]

You've made one of the better looking hardtails I've seen so far, but you gotta make the bottom part, and ditch the swingarm. Looks great, though! Keep posting pics!

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Keep posting!

Hey, please keep posting! I stopped posting all togather a couple of weeks ago due to "SOME" tellling me I wasen,t welcome anymore ( many true friends PMed me and called me on the phone with support, thanks to all). From my stand point, you are "WELCOME" here. I love to see your ideas and hope to see it all done and just like you like it I bet it will turn heads every where you ride it Folks will ask, what is it? and WOW And the power will still hit the rear tire when you want it too RIDE, POST and join the XS brotherhood

Thanks for the lead Rasputin! Will check them out...but will probably still keep posting here just to keep peoples blood pressure WAAAAAAAAY up!
Craig

[James England]

Hey, please keep posting! I stopped posting all togather a couple of weeks ago due to "SOME" tellling me I wasen,t welcome anymore

That's not quite true, is it? After posting obscene video clips and photos and falling out with everyone for the Nth time, you were sent a PM by the moderator for the forum, asking you to take care with what you post. For some reason, you went public with it and made a huge fuss and palaver again. Last I read from you, you said for the 2nd time "this is my last post". I see you have decided to return and I'm pleased about that because everyone should have a chance at redemption. Please, though, just remember that there are lots of female members on the forum and many other members (such as me) do not find obscenity amusing. Then, I'm sure we won't have history repeating itself again, eh? Welcome back.....

[joceiphus]

Good Lord! Let it go!

[cywelchjr]

Thanks for the lead Rasputin! Will check them out...but will probably still keep posting here just to keep peoples blood pressure WAAAAAAAAY up!
Craig

Look, I gave my opinion about WHAT you are doing (since you did ask) from here on though it will be about technical advice to do what you are doing as well and as safely as possible. Oh and to help you make sure to comply with motor vehicle law so to not get your bike ticketed or impounded.

[crazy steve]

OEM brought it up..... but let's let this die please.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Thanks to all my friends

Hey, got to say thanks to all my friends who PMed and called or talked to me in person to remind me this is a XS fourm where everyone is welcome to their own opinion, that is what makes this country great, we dont all have to agree on what is acceptable, and no one has to read a post from someone that they dont want too Love you guys (and gals) mean it

That's not quite true, is it? After posting obscene video clips and photos and falling out with everyone for the Nth time, you were sent a PM by the moderator for the forum, asking you to take care with what you post. For some reason, you went public with it and made a huge fuss and palaver again. Last I read from you, you said for the 2nd time "this is my last post". I see you have decided to return and I'm pleased about that because everyone should have a chance at redemption. Please, though, just remember that there are lots of female members on the forum and many other members (such as me) do not find obscenity amusing. Then, I'm sure we won't have history repeating itself again, eh? Welcome back.....

[cywelchjr]

OEM brought it up..... but let's let this die please.

+ 1 I think OEM brought it up to say don't get discouraged, nothing more.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Thanks CY

Thanks CY, this is a new poster, just trying to share some of what he is doing, cant we just say "WELCOME" even if some dont share his vision for his own bike?

+ 1 I think OEM brought it up to say don't get discouraged, nothing more.

[latexeses]

I am confused.

This site is admittedly a site for XS11 "enthusiasts".

Someone comes to the site and writes "All comments/suggestions are encouraged and welcomed!"

Then he gets comments and doesn't like the comments.

"I gave a whole $400 for the complete, imo, butt ugly running bike about a year ago. At the time it was not my idea of "cool" bike at all."

What the bikes are "worth" is obviously not the reason the people here have joined this forum. They can be had pretty cheap. They have a love for the bike because of what it is and was. And I am going to guess that it doesn't really all that much about what it is "worth" when they have them back in safe, running condition. Could be wrong. I'm not concerned. I want my bike to look as much like a XS1100 as I can with my 10 little thumbs.

Maybe a cool bike would have cost more?

"I honestly don't give a s#!@ what it could've brought."

Sounds like the remarks of an enthusiast to me

I was always told to be careful about asking someone what they think of your work. They just might tell you..............

Rodger

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Oem

Hey, I am an OEM lover, but still replaced the fuse box and will do the S/S brake lines when I can To me those mods are a good thing, still love the bike for what it was and still is Many want to turn theirs into three wheelers or choppers, not my style, but it is their bike, so live and let live is all I am saying. It is better to have an owner that wants to keep / get one running and back on the road, then an owner that uses it as a flower pot

I am confused.

This site is admittedly a site for XS11 "enthusiasts".

Someone comes to the site and writes "All comments/suggestions are encouraged and welcomed!"

Then he gets comments and doesn't like the comments.

"I gave a whole $400 for the complete, imo, butt ugly running bike about a year ago. At the time it was not my idea of "cool" bike at all."

What the bikes are "worth" is obviously not the reason the people here have joined this forum. They can be had pretty cheap. They have a love for the bike because of what it is and was. And I am going to guess that it doesn't really all that much about what it is "worth" when they have them back in safe, running condition. Could be wrong. I'm not concerned. I want my bike to look as much like a XS1100 as I can with my 10 little thumbs.

Maybe a cool bike would have cost more?

"I honestly don't give a s#!@ what it could've brought."

Sounds like the remarks of an enthusiast to me

I was always told to be careful about asking someone what they think of your work. They just might tell you..............

Rodger