*New Member* Introduction and my XS1100 (PICS)

[daveyg]

Looks sweet! How's the right side look?

[SFerinTEXAS]

Before you ditch those bars try lowering them back. Mine almost touch the tank in full lock and I love em.Gives me an almost perfectly straight wrist arm alignment .Great find.

[mack]

Welcome aboard

Nice bike, sounds like it's in good hands. Bike coarse is a good idea. I'm an hour and a quarter due east of you. If you want to bring your carbs down here for a day, I have just about everything you'll need. We can spend the day cleaning them thoroughly, inside and out, leak test and bench sync'd and you can be back home for supper. Not sure where in TO your living but be very careful riding there. Seems anyone and everyone who can't speak north american, but can wear a towel on their head has a cab license and bald tires. Don't open that big dude up until your out of the city.

[Vinnie48]

1980 sg ?

Great looking bike!

Looks just like mine!

[Titans]

Woa! Thanks guys for the support; it's really encouraging!

First, not a bad lookin' SH for sure. Great find.

As for rebuilding the carbs, don't worry about the kits with jets and needles. most of the aftermarket stuff is wrong anyway. Just get new gaskets and float valves and you'll be good. Jets and needles don't really wear out. Clean EVERYTHING real good and make sure all the passages are clean and clear.

If it has been sitting as you say take all the brake hydraulics apart and clean them as well. Hydraulic brake parts corrode and gum up worse than the carbs when they sit.

Two common themes here:
1) New jets and needles might not be necessary. I've taken your advice and purchased a float bowl gasket/ float shutoff pin package for 4 barrels. I'll start there and make sure my starter jets are clean and clear (could be the culprit to the lack of power sub 3500RPM)

2) Brake rebuild; lots of comments on this one. Do you guys suggest an MC rebuild kit? What about a Caliper Rebuild Kit? My first thought is to bleed out the old fluid, open up the MC's and see where I stand with seals/springs before ordering anything. Although, the rebuilt kits aren't super expensive

Welcome Titans... check Rallies section for May XSEast in Ohio and June/july XSNorth in Haliburton Ontario.
Watch for SOXS rides too.
Which "end" of Toronto?
Phil

Hi and welcome where are you in the COTU
we have a number of guys around here Me Scarborough, MaximPhil in
Mr&Mrs Sauga and a bunch of others known as the South Ontario X S 11 's
always willing to help out and always willing to go for a wander

Nice bike, sounds like it's in good hands. Bike coarse is a good idea. I'm an hour and a quarter due east of you. If you want to bring your carbs down here for a day, I have just about everything you'll need. We can spend the day cleaning them thoroughly, inside and out, leak test and bench sync'd and you can be back home for supper. Not sure where in TO your living but be very careful riding there. Seems anyone and everyone who can't speak north american, but can wear a towel on their head has a cab license and bald tires. Don't open that big dude up until your out of the city.

Hey guys! I'm in the west end calling Mississauga my home (Bloor/Cawthra area). Really neat to see some locals on the board; I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for the cruises.

And Mack, your offer is super generous and an awesome opportunity. I think I'll be shooting ya a message soon
And no joke about the downtown cabbies. I commuted into UofT for a couple years and if I wasn't driving a little coupe, I'd not have made it un-scathed!

Try and find you a set of XS1100 Standard bars to replace those. Look at the set I have on my special under my signature. They look much better and are more comfortable.
PS Nice find!

I think I would enjoy the standard bars better you're right, a little more sportier feel it seems. I understand the European version was a bit different? I also remember reading that the European food positioning was slightly sportier as well; finding info on that one is a bit tricky :s

[DGXSER]

Do you guys suggest an MC rebuild kit? What about a Caliper Rebuild Kit? My first thought is to bleed out the old fluid, open up the MC's and see where I stand with seals/springs before ordering anything. Although, the rebuilt kits aren't super expensive

A matter of how comfortable you are with the existing parts. Typically, you can simply clean out and reuse the existing seals and such. Even the master cylinder parts can often be reused. it is more a matter of cleaning than anything. If the price tag for the kits does not give you heart burn, or leave you eating Romen Noodles for the next month, you may want to go that route as an added safety measure.

[crazy steve]

I'll pretty much go with what DGXSER says, but add this. I've only run into a couple of masters and calipers that really needed the kits, for most a good cleaning was enough. What I have found are bad caliper pistons though, so you may need to budget money for those. If the pistons are bad, it's more likely you'll need rebuild kits unless the rust is limited to the top part of the sealing area or is relatively minor.

Figure about $25 each for the kits, a few bucks more each for replacement pistons.

Dirt and corrosion are your enemy in the carbs, brakes, and electrical system, so the more time you spend getting all that stuff spotlessly clean, the less trouble you'll have with the 'finished' bike...

[Cuda 69]

welcome to the mad house,nice find,this place is a wealth of information. you seem like your well on your way to getting this puppy in running order.Mine sat for a long time and I just pulled the calipers apart and cleaned the small amount of rust in them,and put them back together.bled all the old brake fluid out,and my brakes work great.Oh,and very good idea in taking the bike safety course. When you get the carbs right,these things are scarry when you twist the throttle. There's only one flat o- ring on the brake piston and unless you have 100,000 miles on your bike,it's probably still good.

[Titans]

Hey guys!!

I've started my carb dis-assembly and have created a satellite post. [LINk]

Unfortunately, it hasn't gone super smooth; I touch on this in the linked post.

Either way, I'm going to upload some pictures here for this is my running record keeper

Please check out the link!

[mack]

If you get

in over your head my offer still stands. I won't do all the work for you but I'll show what to do on one, then you do the other three. As for cleaning, I have a 5.5 gal ultra sonic cleaner that works on everything.

[Titans]

in over your head my offer still stands. I won't do all the work for you but I'll show what to do on one, then you do the other three. As for cleaning, I have a 5.5 gal ultra sonic cleaner that works on everything.

I thought of you a few times during my dis-assembly thus far, I might just take take you up on it. Thinking though, I don't suppose you have any spare carb parts I could purchase from you (pilot jets or float needle o-rings and such)? I've determined that the float needle o-rings aren't sealing at all.

Any input on this carb kit? http://www.georgefixs.com/servlet/th...S1100LG/Detail

-Adam

[mack]

I have everything

BUT the float valves, viton tipped needles and gaskets. Georgefix also carries a "po boy" kit. Much cheaper. I can supply the pilots, mains etc. no charge.

[Titans]

Lots of progress today!

Earlier this week I had fresh Lasertek's mounted, so today I put them in. While I was at it, I rebuilt my front master cylinder (kit from georgefix) and replaced the front pads. Even after fresh clear fluids and a good bleed the brakes are still a bit spongy which I attribute to the rubber hoses; I can feel them bulge when I apply the brakes.

Something strange when mounting the rear wheel, after torqueing the axle nut I noticed a weird 'gap' between the brake torque bracket and the swingarm:
(Warning, the following pictures are greasy!! I've got to give her a good wash when she's road-worthy)


I'm ran to the forum here and did search which had me scared; I started to think that I've lost the second spacer (which my manuals specifically mentions not to loose). However, I also found some information that 81 SH's only have the single spacer which attaches to the rim; I hope this is indeed the truth.

So what I did was tighten the swingarm to the axle (near the end of the shoulder) and then tighten the axle nut. The result was having the swingarm shut off against the brake bracket which looks better:


Another thing which worries me is the connection method of the brake bracket to the frame. The front-most connection is a key and slot with loose metal to metal contact (Pivots around the axle). I've noticed that whenever the rear brake is applied it clangs against the frame. Perhaps I'm missing some rubber grommet?

[crazy steve]

....So what I did was tighten the swingarm to the axle (near the end of the shoulder) and then tighten the axle nut. The result was having the swingarm shut off against the brake bracket which looks better...

Another thing which worries me is the connection method of the brake bracket to the frame. The front-most connection is a key and slot with loose metal to metal contact (Pivots around the axle). I've noticed that whenever the rear brake is applied it clangs against the frame. Perhaps I'm missing some rubber grommet?..

The first pic is what you'll typically see for a gap, and that's the way it should be. 'Pulling' the swingarm over like you did actually warps it, and will cause the axle to get a curve in it. Tighten the axle nut first, then the clamp on the swingarm.

Your second problem may be partially caused by the above. Yes, there's supposed to be a rubber grommet there, but it's missing on more than a few bikes and nobody has reported the problem you're having. Redo the axle, and make sure the torque plate is 'rotated' forward before tightening the axle nut.

[Titans]

The first pic is what you'll typically see for a gap, and that's the way it should be. 'Pulling' the swingarm over like you did actually warps it, and will cause the axle to get a curve in it. Tighten the axle nut first, then the clamp on the swingarm.

Your second problem may be partially caused by the above. Yes, there's supposed to be a rubber grommet there, but it's missing on more than a few bikes and nobody has reported the problem you're having. Redo the axle, and make sure the torque plate is 'rotated' forward before tightening the axle nut.

Thanks Crazy_Steve! I'll fix her up after work today ; that makes me feel better!