After two years of fixing mostly minor issues my bike is finally fun to ride

[JeremyL]

I traded a 99 Honda CBR F4 (600cc) to this XS11 2 years ago this month and have spent the past two years trying to make it a little more decent of a ride. It wasn't a pile of junk or anything when I got it but I was mislead into thinking I was trading my CBR for a mostly restored classic big bike. The XS11 ran but had a huge list of minor problems I just wasn't seeing at them time when I checked it out... I'll blame it on having a new 3 month old baby and lack of sleep. Anyways, one the ride home (met the guy 30 min from my house) I was regretting my trade. My CBR may have been beat up a little but it ran perfectly from idle to redline without a hiccup. The XS11 was missing throughout the entire range and the muffler baffle fell out 2 minutes into my ride home and I never could find it. Anyways, since then I've probably put more money in the bike than it's worth so I definitely got screwed on the deal but I really enjoy the bike now.

I've been riding it for the past two years and I don't have a garage so it's not like I've been doing a complete restoration, I just wanted to get it to where I could jump on and ride. For the past two years it seemed like I was only able to do "test rides" after getting a part fixed but haven't really been able to enjoy it because there was always something else broken that kept the bike from running like it should. There's still some tiny issues I might take care of but it's little things like fixing a ding and chip in the gas tank or getting a new seat. But it runs really great. The bike came with the saddle bags and superbike handlebar so I didn't really spend any time on the look but I like the way it came out. Not really a cafe racer and I don't know how to classify it, almost like a muscle bike mixed with cafe I guess? I REALLY like the look though even and the bar end mirrors I stuck on last week helped with that.

Enough rambling, sorry, but I only have 1-2 friends who even ride and they're the kind that do not work on bikes or they only ride 2-3 days a YEAR, and I can talk about bikes all day.

Anyway, here's a pic from my ride yesterday. First ride in 2 years where the bike completely stopped, started, idled, and ran almost perfect. I've had 7-8 bikes and this bike is by far the funnest. It's like riding a bike with a high revving car engine shoved in there. Sounds so good with the 4-1 and feels like I'm riding a muscle car of motorcycles. There used to be flat spots and clutch slippage and sticky brakes that always ruined my ride but yesterday everything was perfect!! --Except for having to eventually go home.

[mharrington]

Congrats! Bike looks nice! 4 into 1 and stock airbox? How does it run? Id would do a 4 into 1 on my 79F if a reasonably priced system was available (but Id keep the airbox.) These 1100s are outdated and slow compared to anything liquid cooled after 1983 BUT they have enough power from idle to redline to still give a rush!

[JeremyL]

Congrats! Bike looks nice! 4 into 1 and stock airbox? How does it run? Id would do a 4 into 1 on my 79F if a reasonably priced system was available (but Id keep the airbox.) These 1100s are outdated and slow compared to anything liquid cooled after 1983 BUT they have enough power from idle to redline to still give a rush!

Thanks! I think it runs great. Tons of power and comparable in power to my CBR but with less top end scream (but still with some scream ) and more low end torque. Feels real gutsy like riding in an old v8 car and I love that.

The 4-1 came on it and I would like to get it blasted and powercoated because it's just been sprayed and doesn't look so great close up but I don't mind enough to pay hundreds of dollars. I just want to enjoy the bike now. I was afraid it'd be awfully slow after coming off a CBR but I'm definitely not bored. I left the airbox out of laziness and being cheap mostly lol. I thought about doing pods but since the carbs are dialed in pretty decent I don't want to start over with all that mess. When I got my bike I found out that it had a motor from an 80 but still had the 79 carbs, which wasn't a big problem except the idiot PO put jets from an 80 in there so it was running 110 jets instead of the 137.5's and was running SOOOO LEAN it barely ran when you gave it throttle. I went ahead and put everything stock back in when I rebuilt (new float bowl gaskets and stuff too) but put 140 mains in because of the 4-1. I don't know if I just got lucky and this is as good as it can possible run or that I'm missing out and it can be tuned even further but I'm not messing with it. Its got enough power to scare me and it's not bogging down or backfiring or feeling like its being held back so I'm going to leave the airbox for now. I read too many bad stories and it just doesn't seem worth the hassle.

[WMarshy]

Nice bike, who exhaust made by? Cant tell if its a Kerker or something else...

These are fun bikes and have enough good traits to keep most interested with them when they are in proper order. Im approaching 20K miles on mine and have been trouble free. I think most of the stuff you described is typical work for a 30+ year old bike. Once it out of the way it should have many more years of life. I wouldnt hesitate jumping on mine and driving cross country Im confident in its reliability but that kind of confidence takes some time to build with a 30+ year old machine.

Besides, the looks on peoples faces are priceless when you tell them how old it is.

[jetmechmarty]

Jeremy,

XS Southeast is going to happen just 100 miles from you! Last weekend in Sept.
Be there!

http://xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38313

[JeremyL]

Nice bike, who exhaust made by? Cant tell if its a Kerker or something else...

These are fun bikes and have enough good traits to keep most interested with them when they are in proper order. Im approaching 20K miles on mine and have been trouble free. I think most of the stuff you described is typical work for a 30+ year old bike. Once it out of the way it should have many more years of life. I wouldnt hesitate jumping on mine and driving cross country Im confident in its reliability but that kind of confidence takes some time to build with a 30+ year old machine.

Besides, the looks on peoples faces are priceless when you tell them how old it is.

I've searched and searched and never could say for sure who made the exhaust. The one its closest to is Kerker but after looking at Kerkers I believe the bracket looks weird and it doesn't have the name plate with the Kerker name on it. So I don't know if it's a bastardized custom exhaust from another bike or something oddball. When the baffle was lost on the highway I ordered a Mac baffle and then got a $6 pack of generic muffler packing at a bike shop and put it back together. The Mac baffle fit 95% perfect. It was a little tight but a whack or two from a mallet got it sealed good and I put a bolt in the end to make sure I didn't lose it again but I don't think it's a Mac exhaust. Whatever it is sounds pretty good and I'm happy with it the sound. The PO had painted it black but didn't use hi temp paint so it was all coming off so I sanded it and painted again and found that it was chromed originally. My hi temp paint looks a little better but still didn't come out great and didn't last especially on the header pipes but I'm not worried about it now.

And yes I love telling people it's a 79 and their eyes get really big. They also think its some old slow cruiser/Harley (the ones who don't know the vtwin/4cyl difference) and when I jump on and fire it up the are ALWAYS surprised lol People that weren't really even paying attention to the bike at all suddenly turn like WTF?? And it's not because it's loud because it's not obnoxiously loud, just sounds like a low rumbly sport bike exhaust.... or, as I see a lot of dune buggies around here, a nicely tuned/hopped up VW dune buggy with a lot more rev potential.

I'm gaining more and more confidence every time I ride it now but the furthest I've gone from home is about 2 hours but she's always got me home. It's just a little unnerving to be hours away from home on a machine that's older than me (I'm 31, bike is 34) and I'm still getting used to really leaning the bike over because it's like I don't trust it totally yet but I'm getting there.

[JeremyL]

Jeremy,

XS Southeast is going to happen just 100 miles from you! Last weekend in Sept.
Be there!

http://xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38313

That's awesome, I really appreciate you posting that. I was browsing the SE forum the other day thinking "Boy I'd love to meet some fellow XS'ers in person because no one around here 'gets it'". But before I found anything I gave up and thought everyone was too far away from me. I guess I quit looking too soon because I didn't see that there was a MAJOR even just like a few hours from me! That's awesome, I hope I can attend. My only problem would be that my wife won't ride with me (or by herself) so it's kind of hard to just leave my husbandly/fatherly duties and take a 'motorcycle vacation' for a few days lol Maybe I can still make it work though, I am checking it out and and have Liked the Facebook page. Maybe even if I don't get to spend the entire weekend I could ride up for a day and hang out. As I've said before this forum is full of some of the nicest people I've met and am so thankful it's here because I would've gave up on fixing the bike 2 years ago. I have already donated and will keep donating as I get money to help the site.

[jetmechmarty]

The trip down will take you two hours. Many wives and girlfriends come to these events. If you wait until the last minute you'll be camping, so bring your tent. (your wife can carry it in the car for you)

[mharrington]

This exhaust was ceramic coated by a shop 16 miles from me. Total cost was $150. Outside only. Very reasonable and much better than any spray can paint. Find a shop online near you and shoot em an email. Thats what I did

[JeremyL]

The trip down will take you two hours. Many wives and girlfriends come to these events. If you wait until the last minute you'll be camping, so bring your tent. (your wife can carry it in the car for you)

Thanks for the info. I talked to my wife about it and she's supportive and is encouraging me to go but I still have a few things to think about (like $$) and to make sure my bike can handle it. I've been riding it more the past few months including a few 100 mile trips but this is a lot more than a 100 mile round trip. Surely by September I'd have my confidence in the bike built up though. Also, my wife really doesn't care about coming along, she'll have our daughter and doesn't think a two year old would enjoy it so they'd stay home and she's fine with that. But anyways it sounds like a really fun time and I'm going to see if I can work it out. After thinking about it I don't think I'd be able to just come for a single day so it'd be all or nothing. Google Maps says it's about 2.5-3 hours from my house so riding that far then riding with you guys and then riding home in a day, no way.

[JeremyL]

[QUOTE=mharrington;410725]This exhaust was ceramic coated by a shop 16 miles from me. Total cost was $150. Outside only. Very reasonable and much better than any spray can paint. Find a shop online near you and shoot em an email. Thats what I did


Man that is slick. I really like the looks of your pipes. But after thinking about it my pipes themselves aren't in the best condition. I remember that the bottomside is pretty scuffed up from scrapes over speed bumps or whatever the PO hit. And one piece was apparently damaged enough to weld a replacement piece in. Right now you dont' notice it but if my pipes were coated as nicely as you're it'd be like putting a new paint job on a car that's been in a major hail storm.

But wow if mine were in the shape of yours I'd definitely pay $150... that's not bad at all as I figured it'd be double that or more easily. Guess I'll keep my ugly pipes ugly. Almost thought about wrapping them but bleh I read about the smell and the cost of the wrap isn't really that cheap either.

[jetmechmarty]

This is all you're going to get for new, and you're unlikely to find it cheaper.

Mac exhaust

They no longer make anything for the XS1100, so once the current stock is gone, that's all folks!

[JeremyL]

Mac is the only one I've found new and figured that was my only option. I like the shiny new chrome and everything but my two issues are 1) money, of course and 2) I'm not sure if I'll like the sound. I mean hey it may sound better than my bastard no-name system that has a Mac universal baffle in it and generic packing material but I'd hate to pay $300+ for the new Mac and hate the sound or have it make my bike run funny. I mean if it was cheap I'd take the risk but meh. Maybe if I get a big tax return next year or something. But with dents in my tank and a nasty looking motor (close up) a shiny new perfect exhaust isn't top priority. If the rest of my bike was more show worthy I'd probably spring for it because I think it'd look great on the bike.

My bike looks good in the pic I posted but when you get up close you notice little stuff like surface rust on some parts and rusted nuts/bolts on the motor. Little stuff like that. I love the look of the 4-1 headers on bike, especially the XS11 because it makes it look sportier instead of the "cruiser" look. But anyways, unless I come into a hunk of cash I guess I'll stick with my old system. Maybe I'll just spray paint it chrome. JK i know how "chrome" spray paint is lol.

[jetmechmarty]

I don't seem to have any right side pictures stored, but these head pipes have rattle can high heat paint on them. As long as you're willing to redo them from time to time, it does the job just fine.

Here's one with salvaged Mac headpipes and Super Trapp mufflers designed for a car.

[JeremyL]

I don't seem to have any right side pictures stored, but these head pipes have rattle can high heat paint on them. As long as you're willing to redo them from time to time, it does the job just fine.

Here's one with salvaged Mac headpipes and Super Trapp mufflers designed for a car.

That looks nice, I really like the mac/Super Trapp combo on that style XS.

I think my paint wasn't as much of a problem as my prep. I painted them last when I first got the bike (back in Summer 2011) and I thought I could just barely rough them up with sandpaper and blast them and be done. Well I got so anxious to ride the bike that I sanded for an hour before I gave up and sprayed a few coats only waiting about 10-15 min inbetween each and then only let it dry for a couple of hours before putting it on the bike. I forget what kind of paint I used but I DID research andmake sure it was supposed to be header paint and not just $2 cheap stuff.

But anyways, my pipes had so much surface rust and rough spots, but no holes, that It would take a lot of work to make them nice looking and smooth before painting. I don't have a garage to work out of and what little time I have I like to ride so I don't see myself doing it anytime soon but it needs to be done eventually. It seemed like I just kept sanding and sanding on the head pipes and they just never really got smooth and I'm not sure if I was just taking metal off or not using the right grit sandpaper or what.