Ignition problem, never seen before ...

[Mathh]

Well , some of you know the barn find I got for free.



It was a fairly easy fix to get it running again and it cleaned up well.



New tires, more modern brakes, most work was to restore the carbs as there had been water standing in them. But in the end it ran as a dream .. then made a friend of mine happy with it.

After 300kms it suddenly stopped running, so i picked it up and this is what i found.. Don't know if anyone has ever seen this before, I surely haven't. Turned out that that one of the tiny pins in the ignitions' governor holding the retard springs came out (see arrow in pic), ruining the second spring in the process (second pin was on the way out as well) and making the inner base plate on the front turn around. That broke out the pin holding the arm of the vacuum operated pump and finally ruined all pickup coil cables .... Never ever seen or heard of that before but just to be sure we Tig welded the new parts before I put them back in.....

[Eveready1100]

Gee Math,
that's a new one to me too! It's something I've never thought to even look at, though I have lubed that unit a few times in the past.

Good tip on the final fix too!

Oh, and the bike cleaned up VERY well too. It's a credit to you and your XSive skills!

[donebysunday]

Nice work ! Now you have given us all another place to check up on.
Is that an X system exhaust ? If so how do you like it ?
Beautiful bike !

[James England]

I always strip that entire component, clean it and use a small amount of grease on the moving parts. The bob weights need lube since they move, has always been my theory. It's possible to get everything 180 degrees out when reassembling, so be careful. I did this once and it didn't exactly help engine performance.....

[Ken Talbot]

Hmmm, hydraulic clutch. Where have I seen this bike before?

[Mathh]

I always strip that entire component, clean it and use a small amount of grease on the moving parts. The bob weights need lube since they move, has always been my theory. It's possible to get everything 180 degrees out when reassembling, so be careful. I did this once and it didn't exactly help engine performance.....

Yeah James, that is exactly what i did as well. The problem however had nothing to do with lubing as it had been greased and the bronze insert was undamaged.

The exhaust is no X-system. Well it looks like one but it is a homemade 4 into 1 into 2 with modified Kawasaki mufflers. The bike runs well on it but it does not have that distinctive XS1100 sound. Must have something to do with the configuration..

[IanDMacDonald]

The bike runs well on it but it does not have that distinctive XS1100 sound. Must have something to do with the configuration..

Not necessarily the configuration, but the double-walled header pipe and muffler. I have many pipes for my 750's, and took my original pipes next-door to my neighbor whom is the Vice President of Muffler Man and asked him his opinion on duplication. Short story, nobody makes them that way anymore, and if they did, it would be expensive.