New Member- Bought this Weekend

[CWork]

Hello,
New member here from California. Got myself a 1979 XS1100 Special from a garage sale. The guy was the original owner of the bike (yes he owned it from 1979) He never let it sit outside unless it was being ridden. Looks great. Perfect chrome and so many extra parts on the bike. I have bags/suitcases and all the brackets for them with the back rest. It also came with a sidecar. I took off the sidecar and put it on Craigslist at 9pm on Saturday and i woke up Sunday morning at 8am and i had 12 emails about it. I eventually sold it by 12 and got 1000 dollars for it. . the best part about this is i paid only $200 cash for it because he let it sit for a year. I am going through everything. Cleaning all the carbs, taking the oil out. Cleaning the tank and redoing all the full lines. I have a long list of things i want to do with it. I have a Fairing on the bike right now that was from Yamaha but will be selling it if anyone is interested PM me. This is going to be a great project and hope to have it running in the next two weeks. Cant wait to get great information. Also looking for examples of Custom work done to there bikes. Things to do with the exhaust, the seat, headlight, and if anyone has put on floor boards instead of the pegs. Let me know.

[pbjman]

Pics! Pics! Must have pics!
Sounds like a great find.
I have a 79 special, too. Not running yet, but looks good and has full dress gear and nice chrome. Mine has floor boards, have a look!

[crazy steve]

If you have a good, original exhaust system, leave it alone!!! That's the best exhaust for power/economy and they're getting very hard to find in good condition. There's pretty much nothing available new anymore and none of the aftermarket systems will match the OEM exhaust in all-around performance.

Post some pics!

[WMarshy]

If you have a good, original exhaust system, leave it alone!!! That's the best exhaust for power/economy and they're getting very hard to find in good condition. There's pretty much nothing available new anymore and none of the aftermarket systems will match the OEM exhaust in all-around performance.

Post some pics!

Or quality! Dont forget the quality is far better than anything else you'll find.

[MPittma100]

Nice Find

Nice find especially with the side car (profit). Should have no problem moving the fairing. If it sat only for 1 year, may not be too bad to bring around.

Welcome to the XScessives and the wealth of information that you will enjoy from a many year culmination of experience.

MP

[MPittma100]

Rear Brake

Pics! Pics! Must have pics!
Sounds like a great find.
I have a 79 special, too. Not running yet, but looks good and has full dress gear and nice chrome. Mine has floor boards, have a look!

I like those floor boards with the different rear brake arrangement. Haven't seen very many of those. Cool!

MP

[CWork]

This is what the side car looked like that i sold for the 1000




some quick photos i took of the bike. let me know what you think.

let me know if anyone wants to buy the fairing or the luggage rack and bags i have for it.

[fredintoon]

- - - This is what the side car looked like that i sold for the 1000 - - -
.

Hi CWork and welcome,
the sidecar is a California Friendship I.
Ya shoulda kept it. A sidecar is a great chick magnet.

[CWork]

Hi CWork and welcome,
the sidecar is a California Friendship I.
Ya shoulda kept it. A sidecar is a great chick magnet.

wasnt my style.Also my girlfriend said she wouldnt of ridden in it. Sold it to someone that is going to strip it and repaint it and put springs on the frame to give a better ride for his dog haha. Does anyone know links of forums with custom versions of my bike? trying to look for stuff but so many to go through to find photos.

[troubled1]

I think I want some floor boards...where are they available at?

[CWork]

where did you get those floor boards?

[3Phase]

Does anyone know links of forums with custom versions of my bike? trying to look for stuff but so many to go through to find photos.

Howdy, neighbor! You've pretty much found a forum you can work with here at XS11.com, and you can check out XS11.org. There are some Farcebark pages out there too. There are literally years of work that's been done and documented, with pictures, by people all over the planet but it depends what kind of stuff you want to do.

It looks like you've already got a pretty decent bike so, uh, may I ask what kind of customizing you're thinking about after you sell off the rest of the custom parts you already had on the bike when you bought it?

[crazy steve]

You got yourself a very nice, pretty much unmolested Special... and for $200 you stole it!

Now, before you start 'customizing' it, keep in mind that there's pretty much zero available in 'bolt-on' custom parts for these out there, and a lot of stock parts are very hard to find. Even 'back in the day', there wasn't many aftermarket goodies for these beyond luggage racks, sissy bars, and seats. So most 'custom' work will require at least some fabricating skills, some lots... and in most cases for very little gain. So before you alter any OEM parts, make sure that's what you want to do because replacing it if it doesn't work may prove to be very tough. Don't be in a hurry to sell that fairing unless/until you have the bits to reinstall the headlight.

As to the floorboards, there were several manufacturers of these but they're all long out of business. So you'll be searching the used market trying to find a good, complete set. These do turn up for sale here and on eBay occasionally, start lookin'....

[CWork]

You got yourself a very nice, pretty much unmolested Special... and for $200 you stole it!

Now, before you start 'customizing' it, keep in mind that there's pretty much zero available in 'bolt-on' custom parts for these out there, and a lot of stock parts are very hard to find. Even 'back in the day', there wasn't many aftermarket goodies for these beyond luggage racks, sissy bars, and seats. So most 'custom' work will require at least some fabricating skills, some lots... and in most cases for very little gain. So before you alter any OEM parts, make sure that's what you want to do because replacing it if it doesn't work may prove to be very tough. Don't be in a hurry to sell that fairing unless/until you have the bits to reinstall the headlight.

As to the floorboards, there were several manufacturers of these but they're all long out of business. So you'll be searching the used market trying to find a good, complete set. These do turn up for sale here and on eBay occasionally, start lookin'....

I got the original headlight and brackets and extra parts from the previous owner. i know people love the fairings out there im just not one of them. :/ I will keep a eye open for the floor boards. If anyone has any for sale let me know.

[jjz28]

I got the original headlight and brackets and extra parts from the previous owner. i know people love the fairings out there im just not one of them. :/ I will keep a eye open for the floor boards. If anyone has any for sale let me know.

I am a person who despised fairings, now I want one. You ride it without one enough and you want to at least see what a fairing is like. I might still despise one after I try it but I want one.