New driver, first bike owner, and a lot to learn.

[James England]

Hi Justin

Your bearing is on the way, by the way.

Neglected? Your bike looks like a greatstart and I wish we could get them at that price over here!

With only a small amount of work, you'll have a lovely bike there. I'm envious that you can buy them so cheaply over the pond!

You're at the right place for lots of enthusiastic help and expertise. I thought I knew a lot about XS1100's until I came to the site.......

Watch yourself when you take the bike out!

[Dragon Tamer]

I keep it on like this:



And I WAS on the road, or what passed for a road at that time.

The last time I was OFF the road was,,,,,,,,,,,,oh never mind.

[Dragon Tamer]

Justin,

Pay no attention to the man behind the green curtain, or to Greg and I bickering. The point is that you should have an experienced XS rider look at your bike. I know a guy that is a long time rider on other types of bikes, four years ago he got an XS and rode it for two years and was very happy with it. Then he came to one of our rides and we discovered that it was running on THREE cylinders and apparently had been the whole time he had it (NO, it wasn't Greg). But your bike needs to be seen by someone who knows how it is supposed to run. Especially in the case of your bike, I see pod filters there and if the person who made that conversion did not know exactly what he was doing you may be riding something that is WAY off of tune and you might never know it.

[fredintoon]

Hi Justin,
all this flood of good advice and I don't see this thing you need to know.
The XS11 engine runs backwards!
Not like a Scott which would sometimes hiccup at a stop sign and reverse it's engine rotation so you'd rev up and rush off backwards, no.
the XS11 engine is purposely built to turn the opposite way to the wheels.
I had mine for at least 3 months before I found this out.

[Irukandji]

2 things I had to get used to.

With the engine running backwards, a quick acceleration from standstill will make the bike ARCH like a cats back. also drive shaft will lift you up or down in corners if you tweak the throttle. Unnerving if unexspected

[motoman]

Actually there are a lot of things I don't know but I do know where to find the answers.

...............and the beverage of choice........

[cywelchjr]

With the engine running backwards, a quick acceleration from standstill will make the bike ARCH like a cats back. also drive shaft will lift you up or down in corners if you tweak the throttle. Unnerving if unexspected

Actually ALL shaft drive bikes do that arching of the back thing to differing amounts. I remembering seeing my first shaft drive bike in person back in 1980 (no, not and XS11, I'd not actually seen one yet, only heard about them at that point), it was a BMW airhead when I was taking the motorcycle safety course, and when he let out the clutch it would rise up almost 6 inches before it went forward. Part of the reason for the engine spinning backwards was specifically to minimize the effects of the shaft drive. I know there are other things they do now, but it was probably the most high tech answer available for the problem at the time.

[motoman]

Actually ALL shaft drive bikes do that arching of the back thing to differing amounts.

Actually, that's NOT true, another urban myth. Location of shaft drive being on the left side and tourque direction of pinion engaged in to ring gear causes the epinion to try and climb up the ring gear causing the unsprung weight to follow that lifting effect. Honda's being on the right side cause it to pull down, as in the case of my ST. Don't notice or feel it on the ST having a better gas charged/mono-shoch set-up. Engine directional rotation has nothing to do with a countering effect. That was done specificly for another reason, which I had some time ago explained in another thread. That reason came from mother Yammy also.

[cywelchjr]

Actually, that's NOT true, another urban myth. Location of shaft drive being on the left side and tourque direction of pinion engaged in to ring gear causes the epinion to try and climb up the ring gear causing the unsprung weight to follow that lifting effect. Honda's being on the right side cause it to pull down, as in the case of my ST. Don't notice or feel it on the ST having a better gas charged/mono-shoch set-up. Engine directional rotation has nothing to do with a countering effect. That was done specificly for another reason, which I had some time ago explained in another thread. That reason came from mother Yammy also.

Ok, allow me to rephrase, all shaft drive bikes exhibit some sort of behavior (which is talked about on all the touring sites I've visited) that can make cranking the throttle exciting compared to chain drive bikes. I do have to admit I've heard very little input on this from honda riders, but have heard the complaint from BMW and other shaft drive bike riders as the shaft drive being an ADDITIONAL reason to not change throttle setting in a corner/curve.

I don't recall the other thread, but I'll take your word for it. That said, I seem to recall the countering the shaft drive effect being in xs eleven heaven (could be wrong though), but even if my recollection is correct, that wouldn't be the first or even the last instance of conflicting information from Yamaha. Conflicting information from Yamaha isn't even restricted to their motorcycle division, as their music division has been known to put out conflicting information in more than one instance.

[BA80]

Jump in here anytime Pancala. Before your thread is completetly hijacked.

[jetmechmarty]

Proper shocks and springs help a great deal with that shaft business. I waited to fix mine until it threw me off.

[slow mo]

welcome to the site Justin! looks like you have a great starter bike.. this place was most helpful to me as i,m sure it will be to you too..any question,s no matter what will be answered by the more than eager members so ride safe ,,slow mo!

[Pancala]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! I do intend on taking a course. A safety one is offered here that waives taking the DMV driving course that I plan on taking (Yeah, I don't even have my license yet!). I do intend to do everything I can from the maintenance book. I have the Clymer book and some manuals I have found online and I have been happily reading them at work and reading everything I can on in every section of this forum.

I received my fusebox from TC today in the mail along with my new rear brake caliper which I will be using a rebuild kit on. I went and bought some PBlaster(seeing has all I have heard are good things on here), some bearing packing grease, and some Castrol 80/90 gear oil.

I have been very curious and at the same time nervous about doing the fork oil change so I think I will save that for a while. Haha. I went and priced tires at my local Yamaha shop and was somewhat disappointed to find the tire I wanted (Dunlop 3) for the rear priced at 205 bucks when I can get both Shinko brand tires for that price. I think for the first pair of tires I'll go cheap then maybe buy the Dunlop later on as I don't even know if I am going to keep or sell the bike once I finish all this work. Yamaha even said they'd mount them for free if I purchased the tires there. And that brought up a question I forgot to ask - in the Clymer book it was saying something about leaving the brake rotors on when balancing. When I take my wheels to Yamaha to get mounted do I need to take rotors off the wheels or leave them on, or is this just something that changes with where you get them done?

Thanks again for all of the replies as I am sure I will post again later once I start doing some work!

[BA80]

The fork oil change is quite simple, just drain it out the bottom and fill it (with the proper amount) in the top. Replacing the seals is a different story but really not difficult either.

Look HERE for tires and you'll get a lot better deal. No need to remove rotors to change tires, leaving them on does make for a better balance because you balance the rotors also.

[BA80]

BTW....if you do go ahead and get the Shinkos get the 712s. DON"T GET THE TOUR MASTERS.