My first XS11 Project

[Sobitthen]

Forgot, the speedo is bad too, odometer work properly , the speedo won't go over 35 MPH and is the 160 MPH version... any tricks to freeing these up? Don't have any square spares laying around and they want too much for these on eBay, the 80's are priced right the 160s are up there...

[TopCatGr58]

First,

For your steering problem. Did you take apart the steering neck to clean/inspect/regrease the head bearings? They get old/hardened/dirty, and can then sligthly bind or just be TIGHT so that you have to really work to maintain the steering instead of it just straightening itself out as speed increases! Sorry you already spent $$ on getting a new tire, my money is on the steering neck bearings. Sometimes the bearing races can have dimples/notches in them which usually requires them to be replaced, but often it's just old dried grease. The upper bearing can be removed itself, the lower one can be pressed onto the spindle, but can still be cleaned and regreased. Mine sat outside for 9 years after being ridden for 9 years, the races were fine, but the grease was very bad. Cleaned and repacked, and they were as smooth as silk again! And there's a technique for when you are reassembling, not to get the lock nuts too tight, the wheel/bars should just drift to full turn position from a slight nudge by hand with the front wheel/frame jacked up off the ground. IF too tight, it will BIND, and you will experience the same steering difficulty.

Some folks have sprayed some lube, can't recall exactly what now...a search should reveal it, but have to be careful or you could end up with it against the cover lens and blurr everything!?

T.C.

[Sobitthen]

Steering neck pivoted with ease, but could easily check bearings, I regreased them on my 750 and have spare neck and bearing off from another handy too.

My kid helped me with swapping rear tire and he tightened pinch bolt before axle nut and there was tension there like when I took her apart, released tension, but was cold with threat of rain all day so didn't get a chance to test her out.

Any trick on getting an old speedos to turn smooth again?
Mine stops around 35 but odometer functions properly, 35 is just putting around on these bikes...

Any spray lube I would use would be chain lube or lithium, never anything with solvent, that would wash off the grease...

[donebysunday]

Forgot, the speedo is bad too, odometer work properly , the speedo won't go over 35 MPH and is the 160 MPH version... any tricks to freeing these up? Don't have any square spares laying around and they want too much for these on eBay, the 80's are priced right the 160s are up there...

Secret, don't tell anyone about this ! I found out by accident (leaving the bike in the hot sun) if the old grease inside the slow or not working speedo gets hard heating it can get the old juices flowing. As soon as you take it out of the oven (set on warm not too HOT, face and or body could deform) with a square bit in a drill (using reverse) spin the drive and see if it reacts. If it does seem to work OK spin it for a time stopping and going again. YMMV but this worked for me better than 75%.
Spraying lube in there just ruined them, again YMMV

[Sobitthen]

Will have to try your trick on the speedo.

Ordered a rear master cylinder kit from K&L, their 32-4033.
It does not match up with what pulls out of the rear when disassembled.
There is no puck end seal that fits between spring and plunger, and the plunger has a point to it that looks like it fits into the spring...

I looked all over the web for instructions, none to be found, looked at the 2 service manuals I could find on web, they look like what I took apart with exception of the blob between puck and plunger, enlarging didn't show much detail and I have never seen this item in the 5 I have taken apart before between the 750s and this 1100..

[Sobitthen]

1 of the seals has a few grooves cut near end of it and neither look like they would stretch over the end. Wonder which is the end one...

I would guess that one stretches over, large end towards bottom, then slide washer over tip, the other seal with large end opposite the fist one, that metal cap into the lip and then the spring?

Hate to tear open then I can't return if needed...

[TopCatGr58]

Tech tip showing how to fit the plunger rubbers onto the MC piston:

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46

T.C.

[Sobitthen]

I put it together with the softer one at end like it came apart...
I had worked on a different master that week and this one was on bench still together, kit matches parts that were in the 1/2 style unit in the bike...

I couldn't get it to bleed properly or hold pressure unless I assembled it vertically full of fluid and adding fluid between seals with brake line attached.
It was being difficult, was going to take it for test drive to see if it applied pressure properly, it stopped on stand with 1" of travel on pedal.