My '79 XS1100 SF Project

[donebysunday]

You have flogged an XS11 before, right ? First, please take it slow, it's been sitting. Second please don't WOT it for some time, maybe to the next oil change. When you get your SWMBO on remember the added rear weight will make it want to wheelie. This was a big mistake for me back in 79 when I got my new SF, girl on the back hugging me pulled me back on the seat so I could not release the throttle. 85 mph. later on 1 wheel I was able to get it down to safety passing 3 green stop lights in a 35 mph. zone, thank you.

Ordered some extra UNI pods for myself !

[sail4free]

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Yup -- me and this ol' girl have been together since '83. That said, it *has* been a while (since '02!) and I even warned Annie that I would need some time to get my groove back -- riding *alone* FIRST -- before we can ride together. But a wheelie? On an XS? Surely you jest! I've never been bold enough to pop the clutch, but I did light her up one time (riding single) after making a right turn through a puddle. The back tire was spinning on the asphalt and when she hooked up, the front wheel came up a bit and gently settled down a few blocks later.
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I remember reading that the XS engine rotation combined with the shaft drive makes the beast rather adverse to pulling wheelies? When you get on it, the seat rises UP and she wants to squirt to the right given half a chance . . . sound about right? We used to back down this steep boat ramp into the water and light 'em up -- probably standing on the pegs and leaning forward, but still. After a crowd started to gather, we figured we should just leave. ) OTOH, I had a new Triumph 750 Bonneville back in the day (kick start only) and she hated the car wash -- wouldn't run for s**t until every molecule of water was gone. I had my GF at the time on the back, was dinking with the throttle -- trying to get that POS to run (because major PIA when she stalled) and then (with no notice!) she did run! Front wheel way too high, our weight sliding to the rear (no nice padded sissy bar like my '79 XS has) -- full tilt panic! I had to do a quick jab on the rear brake to save us . . . not at all graceful but front wheel DOWN once again. SWMBO -- LOL -- got lucky on that front this time around -- got myself a genuine GLW -- rare as a lizard with two tails.
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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[sail4free]

XS -- No Oil Cooler?

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My mechanic says it's interesting that my '79 XS has no engine oil cooler but his '80 XS850 does . . . was this a learning curve thing? Is adding a cooler to an XS1100 recommended? Do the coolers have internal valving which doesn't run the oil through the cooler until/unless it is needed?
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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[IanDMacDonald]

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My mechanic says it's interesting that my '79 XS has no engine oil cooler but his '80 XS850 does . . . was this a learning curve thing? Is adding a cooler to an XS1100 recommended? Do the coolers have internal valving which doesn't run the oil through the cooler until/unless it is needed?
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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No, not a learning curve. I feel more like an experiment in 1980. I have a couple XS850's, and a few 750's. The difference in temperature is small in my opinion.

No, the oil is constantly piped through the cooler via the oil pump.

[sail4free]

Interesting!

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So the oil cooler was a 1980 thing? And then not used on later models? If there is no valve to modulate flow, seems like riding in cold weather (below freezing) might cool the oil too much? At this point, sounds like more trouble than it's worth to me -- perhaps one of those things where the guys who have 'em swear by 'em and the rest of us? Not so much!
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[motoman]

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So the oil cooler was a 1980 thing? And then not used on later models? If there is no valve to modulate flow, seems like riding in cold weather (below freezing) might cool the oil too much? At this point, sounds like more trouble than it's worth to me -- perhaps one of those things where the guys who have 'em swear by 'em and the rest of us? Not so much!
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Not an '80 thing'. Here stateside, the 81Venturer was the ONLY year and model of XS1100 that oil cooler was factory installed.
Decades ago, when still bullet-proof, having the oil cooler and riding in -28F had no ill effect.......least not on motor.

[IanDMacDonald]

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So the oil cooler was a 1980 thing? And then not used on later models? If there is no valve to modulate flow, seems like riding in cold weather (below freezing) might cool the oil too much? At this point, sounds like more trouble than it's worth to me -- perhaps one of those things where the guys who have 'em swear by 'em and the rest of us? Not so much!
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I said 1980, as the 750 was phased-out by the 850 in 1980. The 850 was made in 80-81.

[sail4free]

Difference Between F and SF?

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Can someone help me understand the difference(s) between the F and the SF? I always thought my '79 XS1100 Special was an 'S' but I see the owner's manual identifies it as 'SF' . . . is there even an 'S' designation?
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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[DiverRay]

The "E" is 1978, "F" 1979, "G" 1980, etc.
1979 F is a Standard, SF is the Special.
1980 is a G, SG, OR LG for the Midnight Special.
Again, the year in front of the model is sort of redundant, as the letter tells you what year it is.

[Prisoner6]

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Can someone help me understand the difference(s) between the F and the SF? I always thought my '79 XS1100 Special was an 'S' but I see the owner's manual identifies it as 'SF' . . . is there even an 'S' designation?
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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Yep, Ray explained it ...

Just to be crystal clear (speaking of redundant ):

The 'S' in the SF model designation means your bike is a Special.

The 'F' in SF means your bike is a 1979 model.

So, as was stated, the model designation with the lone letter 'F' is a 1979 Standard.

[sail4free]

Thanks! More questions?

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That explains it perfectly -- thank you both. Usually if I hear it three times, I can at least remember it for the rest of today . . . once I sleep on it? No guarantees
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Now that I've learned to trust my mechanic a little more (the jury is still out until I hear it run!), I have some more decisions to make. Do I pay him (only $25/hr) to go through my brakes and master cyclinders or do I do that my ownself? (And prolly upgrade those original flex lines while I'm at it.) And to get the new tires put on, just take the whole bike to the shop? Or pull the wheels myself and take 'em in? (Would be a good time to clean/regrease wheel bearings . . . can I trust a shop to do that?) With my car or truck, it doesn't seem to be such an issue but with my bike(!), how can I know for sure it's done as right as rain unless I do the work myself?
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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[DiverRay]

And to get the new tires put on, just take the whole bike to the shop? Or pull the wheels myself and take 'em in? (Would be a good time to clean/regrease wheel bearings . . . can I trust a shop to do that?)

I would pull the wheels and take them in to get the tires mounted. Usually save $50 on the pair, or more. Spin the wheels on the axles AFTER you have them off the bike, holding the axle in your hands, and you can feel if there is ANY rough bearings. There is a picture in another thread about pulling the left rear to grease the bearing. The other three bearings can get some grease via the needle fitting for a grease gun, so you don't need to worry about the seals too much.

Do I pay him (only $25/hr) to go through my brakes and master cyclinders or do I do that my ownself? (And prolly upgrade those original flex lines while I'm at it.)

I tend to do things myself, but if the mech seems to be good, you can give him a chance IF you don't have the time. I would NOT worry about kits for the calipers unless this has been sitting outside for years. I would put in kits for both masters, and the SS lines so you just bleed it once.

[IanDMacDonald]

When it comes to using a mechanic, it should always come down to trust! No way would I ever drop a bike off to a mechanic unless I have full faith in his skills on my bike, let alone wrenching in-general. I knew my mechanic was good when I saw him riding a 750 like mine to work. His shop had three XS1100's, and an XJ1100 being worked-on all at the same time. There is only one other mechanic down in Waterford that I can attest to be as good, and he goes by "Dr. Honda". Like Ray says, it all comes down to time and money. This is not the first time I've used my mechanic. I had eachbof my XS's down to the frame snd back, all running nicely. Bent some valves, broke this, that, etc., and I never gave-up. Knowing every nook & crannie of your bike is a HUGE relief if you ever break down. Sitting on the side of the road dumb-founded does not get you rolling. Granted, if you're running on two cylindeers, best to get a tow truck anyways just in-case you ventilate a piston. But, I've pulled half my bike apart in parking lots to fix things. People stare, amazed that people are able to do that. Had one guy in a BP parking lot watch me beginning to end replace a throttle cable. Honked, laughed, and gave a thumbs-up and left. I knew he was watching, lol.

It's upto you. Do you want to work on your bike? Or, would you rather pay someone to do it? Fruit of the labor is riding, fruit of somebody else's labor is riding (if they're good), plus large amounts of money blown.

I tried taking mine in, but he was busy. So, I tuned her up tonight. Re-bled the brakes, and she's almost ready to ride full-time.

[sail4free]

I would pull the wheels and take them in to get the tires mounted. Usually save $50 on the pair, or more. Spin the wheels on the axles AFTER you have them off the bike, holding the axle in your hands, and you can feel if there is ANY rough bearings. There is a picture in another thread about pulling the left rear to grease the bearing. The other three bearings can get some grease via the needle fitting for a grease gun, so you don't need to worry about the seals too much.

I tend to do things myself, but if the mech seems to be good, you can give him a chance IF you don't have the time. I would NOT worry about kits for the calipers unless this has been sitting outside for years. I would put in kits for both masters, and the SS lines so you just bleed it once.

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Thanks for the solid advice -- that's what Tyler said too, "Pull the wheels and take 'em in." Any good leads on some reasonable price tires for this beast? It's a '79 XS1100 Special -- stock wheels. At one time, I had the widest rear tire which would fit with the driveshaft = not much wider than stock as I recall. What is a good source for those SS brake lines? And the MC rebuild kits? I have a $50 store credit at that one bike shop so I'll probably get at least one of my tires there -- agree on a price and *then* remind 'em of my credit, eh?
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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[sail4free]

Trust!

When it comes to using a mechanic, it should always come down to trust! No way would I ever drop a bike off to a mechanic unless I have full faith in his skills on my bike, let alone wrenching in-general. I knew my mechanic was good when I saw him riding a 750 like mine to work. His shop had three XS1100's, and an XJ1100 being worked-on all at the same time. There is only one other mechanic down in Waterford that I can attest to be as good, and he goes by "Dr. Honda". Like Ray says, it all comes down to time and money. This is not the first time I've used my mechanic. I had eachbof my XS's down to the frame snd back, all running nicely. Bent some valves, broke this, that, etc., and I never gave-up. Knowing every nook & crannie of your bike is a HUGE relief if you ever break down. Sitting on the side of the road dumb-founded does not get you rolling. Granted, if you're running on two cylindeers, best to get a tow truck anyways just in-case you ventilate a piston. But, I've pulled half my bike apart in parking lots to fix things. People stare, amazed that people are able to do that. Had one guy in a BP parking lot watch me beginning to end replace a throttle cable. Honked, laughed, and gave a thumbs-up and left. I knew he was watching, lol.

It's upto you. Do you want to work on your bike? Or, would you rather pay someone to do it? Fruit of the labor is riding, fruit of somebody else's labor is riding (if they're good), plus large amounts of money blown.

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I'd rather do the work myself but this ol' girl collected dust in my storage unit for 12 years! At least with him doing the work, something is getting done *and* the expense has been spread out over many months so it's never a big HIT all at one time. I haven't kept a running total and, as long as she runs when we're done, maybe I won't even care or want to know how much it cost?
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He currently has five bikes he's working on so if it doesn't work when we're done, I guess I won't be the lone stranger. He has an XS850 he's building up for himself so at least he has some appreciation for vintage steel. Once I'm retired (end of Oct), I'll -- for sure -- be doing my own work *and* feeling good about it . . . even framing up for a 4' wide opening in one side of my new 12x16 shed I'm building so I can get her IN there.
JIM P. ~ BOISE, ID
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