Got the bike running (video)...

[XXV]

I got my bike running and took it for a little spin over the weekend. What fun!

I cleaned, re-jetted, added pod filters to, and bench-synced the carbs to my XS11. I started it up and , as to be expected, it's running a little rough. Here is a video, unfortunately I didn't blip the throttle at all in the video, but you can hear the idle.
My XS1100 @ idle

I am looking to get the carbs vacuum-synced and I'd like to find a place to do it here in Chicago. How much would you expect someone to charge for that service?

[clashpistol]

Don't waste your money having someone else sync your carbs.

Hi,

Welcome to XS11 too. I started here last year after purchasing a 1979 1100SF. I also got a parts bike that was a standard so I took the fairing and hard bags on my bike.
I would go on and on but I just got back from taking my 2nd vehicle today to the scrapyard. The bike will be my daily driver until I get the $ up to finish paying for a friends outback.
I had other bikes but this is my 1st 4. It all seems scary at first and then you will get the 3 mile stare. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a vacuum manifold and sync the carbs yourself. My Motion Pro was like $80 on ebay and probably much less than one sync without the inconvience (-10 spelling) or travel. With pods you are going to have to jet and rejet until you get it right.
I am waiting for new main jets now. Bench sync them first after they are clean and or rebuilt, Take care when setting floats(It is a pain in the ass)Make sure floats are not twisted. If brass, and look questionable boil them to leak check. When I was bench syncing at the manifold/engine throat of carb. Flip it over and look on top of butterfly. There are 3 pin sized holes. Set the butterflies in the order you are supposed to at halfway of first hole. The other trick here with the twist tie is another method but I prefer this. When the carbs are put back on the bike they will be pretty close to synched at that point. Then follow procedure for syncing on the vacuum manifold.
I have to go. I have been up since 3:30 am again. And yes, I was working on the bike!
Check out the tech tips scrolling down in the forums. Most of my questions are right there. TopCat has been my go to guy and always responds to my messages but check the tips 1st unless you like to feel silly too.
Get ahold of me if you need anything.

All the best,

Jeff

[James England]

Nice one. Why not buy a set of four vacuum gauges? They are cheap enough on eBay and it's easy enough to sync your own carbs. Probably cheaper too....

[motoman]

I got my bike running and took it for a little spin over the weekend. What fun!

I cleaned, re-jetted, added pod filters to, and bench-synced the carbs to my XS11. I started it up and , as to be expected, it's running a little rough. Here is a video, unfortunately I didn't blip the throttle at all in the video, but you can hear the idle.
My XS1100 @ idle

I am looking to get the carbs vacuum-synced and I'd like to find a place to do it here in Chicago. How much would you expect someone to charge for that service?

Your best bet is to order yourself the MorganCarbTune manometer. Your gonna have the carbs off and on in the future. The MotionPro manometer with the blue liquid IS crap, period, for any accuracy. I previously had the set of MotionPro with the mercury, as a mercury manometer is what everthing else is and has been based on for 50+ decades for vacuum draw accuracy, diesels, etc. The Morgan manometer compares dead-on accurate compared to my mercury manometer, before donating it to a favorite independant shop of mine who had extra mercury 'stashed'.
Purchasing, and one use of it will MORE than pay for one carb sync from any shop, and will most likely be done MORE correctly by U(following procedure here) than any shop could do anyways.
The downside, in your case for all-around good running in ALL rpm ranges, is the use of seperate pods instead of stock airbox. No gains from pods, and expect losses in certain rpm ranges.

[clashpistol]

Nice Bike!!

Hi,

Your bike looks SWEET!! I wish I would have started with a better example. I got my 1979 SF with a parts bike for a grand. It was running but lacked performance and had a leaky air box. I wish I had pictures and I do not know why the hell I don't. It was Ruby Red and had Moses holding the 10 commandments on the tank and Jesus on the cross on one bag and him holding a lamb respectively on the hard bags. I do some airbrushing and it was the most horrible depiction you could imagine.
It does not look like you have too much to do with it from the picture. Good luck and have fun.

Jeff

[clashpistol]

Motion Pro

Your best bet is to order yourself the MorganCarbTune manometer. Your gonna have the carbs off and on in the future. The MotionPro manometer with the blue liquid IS crap, period, for any accuracy. I previously had the set of MotionPro with the mercury, as a mercury manometer is what everthing else is and has been based on for 50+ decades for vacuum draw accuracy, diesels, etc. The Morgan manometer compares dead-on accurate compared to my mercury manometer, before donating it to a favorite independant shop of mine who had extra mercury 'stashed'.
Purchasing, and one use of it will MORE than pay for one carb sync from any shop, and will most likely be done MORE correctly by U(following procedure here) than any shop could do anyways.
The downside, in your case for all-around good running in ALL rpm ranges, is the use of seperate pods instead of stock airbox. No gains from pods, and expect losses in certain rpm ranges.

Thanks for the information here. I will look into the Morgan in the future and will not be banging the drum for the motion pro stuff as I am just a victim here at this point.

Thanks,

Jeff

[clashpistol]

As for "Stashed Mercury"

When we were kids I had a baby food sized jar full of mercury I heisted from school. We used to pour the mercury into a metal sledding disc and play with it and slap it and it would form into little bubbles and come back together like in the Terminator. Thank god my kids are healthy. No wonder I am so F@#%$# up

[XXV]

When we were kids I had a baby food sized jar full of mercury I heisted from school. We used to pour the mercury into a metal sledding disc and play with it and slap it and it would form into little bubbles and come back together like in the Terminator. Thank god my kids are healthy. No wonder I am so F@#%$# up

Yikes! Well, the coolest things in life are dangerous.

[donebysunday]

You can build your own manometer to sync the carbs. Look it up on the net.

I got my bike running and took it for a little spin over the weekend. What fun!

I cleaned, re-jetted, added pod filters to, and bench-synced the carbs to my XS11. I started it up and , as to be expected, it's running a little rough. Here is a video, unfortunately I didn't blip the throttle at all in the video, but you can hear the idle.
My XS1100 @ idle

I am looking to get the carbs vacuum-synced and I'd like to find a place to do it here in Chicago. How much would you expect someone to charge for that service?

[motoman]

You can build your own manometer to sync the carbs. Look it up on the net.

True, cheap enough and use ATF. Doesn't hurt if gets sucked in either.
Better than not syncing carbs, eliminating that for any final 'running' issues.