Recently Acquired Midnight Special

[Barlow]

Congrats on the garage find.
I just picked up my 1979 XS1100 garage find Special Monday.
It's been sitting a bit longer than yours, 12 years according to the license plate.
Probably needs a LOT of TLC.

Before I pulled the carbs for a cleaning I would try the "Shotgun" method with some Sea Foam or Techron. I would use Techron. It's a bit stronger.
Start the bike and let it warm up.
Put a rich mixture of Techron in the tank, about 1/2 a bottle.
Throttle the bike up to about 2500/3000 RPMs and let loose the throttle so it snaps shut. Doing this lets the bikes compression pull more of the Techron mixture thru the low speed/idle jets where the crud is.
Do this three or four times then let the bike set over night to let the Techron do its work.
Do the same thing for two or three days and you will be surprised how well the bike runs.

Happy trails,
Barlow

[fredintoon]

OK, so here's a potentially very stupid question - should there be an air filter in here? There wasn't one above it by the air boot (I think that's what it's called - the rectangular tube that sucks the air in). Am I way off, or has my bike been running with no air filter?

Yeah,
big oval pleated thing.

[GLoweVA]

If you copy and paste the IMG code, then your pic will show up in the thread:



Here's a pic of the Stock air filter, K&N also make a nice one too.
[IMG][/IMG]

Looks like the PO (Previous Owner) drilled out some 'breather' holes in the bottom of that housing.
A filter won't do you much good in that.

[GLoweVA]

Here's what the lower piece should look like without the holes:

[jjz28]

I would probably at least duck tape the holes.

[natemoen]

Only the ones outside the center of the filter would need to be covered.

[jjz28]

yeah, the 4 in the middle.

[natemoen]

yeah, the 4 in the middle.

No, the 4 on the outside. The air enter the center of the filter and then flows out of the filter.

[jjz28]

oh, I thought you had to cover the 4 in the middle of the filter. Would that not just be sucking unfiltered air? I guess I don't know the "route" the air takes.

[GLoweVA]

Sorry Jeff, Nate is correct, the air comes in thru the rubber neck into the center of the filter and then out.
Here's a pic to help.

[natemoen]

oh, I thought you had to cover the 4 in the middle of the filter. Would that not just be sucking unfiltered air? I guess I don't know the "route" the air takes.

The holes with red circles around them need to be covered, they are in the area where the air has already went through the filter.

The hole circled in green should have a metal cube in it that is a filter. If that hole is completely open then it also needs to be covered.

The other 4 holes are in the pre filter air space. This area is all the air enters the airbox. The snorkel that the airbox breaths through feeds into this are.

[jjz28]

I see, I don't know why I didn't get that to begin with. I was thinking kinda opposite. Will those holes in the middle of the filter help it? Is that the drilled airbox mod? And would jets have to be changed with those holes?

[natemoen]

I see, I don't know why I didn't get that to begin with. I was thinking kinda opposite. Will those holes in the middle of the filter help it? Is that the drilled airbox mod? And would jets have to be changed with those holes?

I don't think it really makes any difference. The holes in mine are all covered up right now even.

[Tomaha]

Alright, so just to be sure - do I need to duct tape the outside holes circled in red, and put an air filter in? Or, should I just not worry about it? I'm just a little confused. If it's not a do or die situation, I don't mind leaving it the way it is. But if it's going to hurt the bike, I'd rather cover up the holes and put a filter in.

[natemoen]

Yes you absolutly need to cover the holes circled in red, and if there isn't something in the hole circled in green then that one needs to be covered too. You also need to get an air filter.

These are must do things, if you constantly run without an air filter you are just sucking dirt and crap into your engine and risking ruining your engine.