Well what would someone like to give me for it

[Jeffintampa]

Well all just as I figured I kept messing trying to fix my carbs from leaking out the air box. Well today I broke off the post on Carb 2 and am done so, whats the bike worth to someone or what should I do with it

New tires
New brakes
New clutch springs
New clutch cable
replace intake boots

Make me an offer and come get the &^*^*&^ before I put a match to it

[Poprock]

Lots of ways to deal with a broken post. Some of 'em work. Do a search. Not an unsolvable problem. I wish you well.

[LoHo]

We have all been there...wait a bit and research the various fixes. The threaded replacement looks like a winner to me. Most of the epoxy/JB Weld fixes are short term, AFAIK. Just wait a bit and decide. Two months ago I was about to have an XSive bonfire, but now ride her daily.

That, and you're too far away for me to profit from your frustration.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Jeff,

I wrote this to you in a PM, but wanted to post it here, not so much just for you, but for other newbies that may be reading this and may also find themselves at various points of frustration!

Broke a post off on carb to gonna sell the f&*^ as is I should of know better to work on it my self

IF owning and working on one of these old beasts was easy, everybody would have one. But it's not. There's a learning curve that occurs, some quicker, some slower.

I learned how to work on CARS while in high school, took a basic auto shop class, along with basic electrical, wood shop. I wanted some basic skills to build with. I then had a father of a friend that provided me a foundation on the basics for tuning up a car...circa late 60's V-8, plugs, points, dwell, timing light, etc.. Also got the CHILTON's repair "bible" manual, and read and learned as I continued to own my first car. I knew I would never be able to afford driving/keeping it IF I didn't learn how to work on it myself. Did little things first, replacing alternator, then water pump, later rear axle bearings, front steering joints and front axle pivot joints. I actually did a booboo with one of them.....put in the new axle joint, but forgot to put the cottor pin in it when done, drove it for a few hundred miles...even took a trip from San Diego to Lake Tahoe and back, even got into a little "race" with a Porsche during the rain on the highway at 100mph or so(Stupid Youth), could have killed myself because it wasn't but a couple of days later...was driving it across the base to work...going over a little bridge, when the castle nut finally came loose, and the whole A-frame joint fell apart, wheel/axle just flung out sideways...thankfully was only going a couple of miles an hour! I was able to jack it up, compress the A-frame/spring and put the castle nut on enough to be able to drive it off the bridge back to the barracks where I could finish the repair properly!

When first got my 81SH in '83, I rode it for 9 years, only doing oil/filter changes..let the dealer do the tires, tuneups, etc., but when NEW it didn't really need much service. Then the tranny died, didn't know how to fix it, afraid of needing to split the engine cases...etc., so I parked it expecting to get back to it fairly soon. Well, 10 years, financial problems, lack of garage, took it's toll, and it got badly corroded, rusted, etc. Found XS11 Email list, then Web site, found the Dremmel tranny fix, got a house/garage, and tore into it. I did a complete topend rebuild....pistons/rings, did my own valve job..just replacing valve seals, reconditioning the valves with the lapping procedure, but again due to lack of experience...I didn't realize that the valves would interfere with each other with reference to intake vs. exhaust....I was checking the clearance and put both cams in the head OFF the engine, then proceeded to ROTATE a cam to get access to each valve as each cam came around to the low side. But with the OTHER cam in place...a VALVE was in the OPEN position, and so when I rotated the other cam, it caused a valve to hit the other valve, bending it a litte...didn't see it UNTIL after I had put the engine/ cam chain all together and did a static compression test! 1 cylinder had NO compression! Had to take it apart, fix the bent valve...but didn't realize what I had done to bend it...and did the cam rotation clearance check, and AGAIN bent another valve. I saw it this time due to excessive clearance after rotating the cam around!

Then I worked on the carbs...were all gummed/corroded internally. I, too, broke a float post pin trying to remove the float pin! Back then "we" thought J-B Weld would work, did that, let it setup, then put the carbs together, got the bike running. Then some months later, it started leaking/flooding in one carb. Thought it was just a sticking float valve needle since I had "DONE" the post repair already. Finally took it apart again and found the JB had turned to GUM. Then had to do a more thorough SOLID repair of the post, and it's been working fine since. BTW, it also had a stuck Pilot jet that I had buggered up trying to get out, never did back then, just cleaned as best as I could, but I'm sure it was still a little clogged due to problems with starting, but would idle okay after warmed up! I only recently(past few years ago) went back into the carbs to replace worn float needles, and with the knowledge I gleaned from here, was finally able to REMOVE the old pilot jet, and now works even better!

SO...."WE" have all been there, made mistakes, broke parts, but repaired/replaced and "LEARNED" and went on and got it done, and "we" are riding our bikes with the satisfaction of knowing that we did it ourselves.

T.C.

[crazy steve]

Ran into this for aluminum repair..... like a broken post...

http://www.aluminumrepair.com/video-of-actual-repairs/

[Jeffintampa]

tired of working on it

I guess I should not even have a bike as I suck working on it. Seems like one step forward and two back, I am so sick of doing everything I can and have the problem still just as bad or worse.

cant afford a mechanic
cant do it my self
I guess I just need to sell it for what I can get for it and move on. I am sure you all wont miss me a bit when I don't have a 11 to bitch about

[Schming]

Come on guys, isn't there someone, in this community, that will stop by and give Jeff a hand.

[jwhughes3]

Ran into this for aluminum repair..... like a broken post...

http://www.aluminumrepair.com/video-of-actual-repairs/

Jeff I have some of this stuff. PM me an address if you decide to try fixing it and I will mail some to you. It's prohibitively expensive to buy a pound to fix a carb post.

John

[stgober]

Don't give in dude, dig in. I know the frustrations man I feel it all the time. Just damn I love this friggin bike so much and will not be letting go of it anytime soon. I am constantly finding my self one stupid tool short or finding that I need to stop and go read my Clymer or hit the forums to see why I can't get it right.

[Jeffintampa]

Don't give in dude, dig in. I know the frustrations man I feel it all the time. Just damn I love this friggin bike so much and will not be letting go of it anytime soon. I am constantly finding my self one stupid tool short or finding that I need to stop and go read my Clymer or hit the forums to see why I can't get it right.

I am walking by my bike and flipping it off. This stuff is way out of my league, I am a horticulturist I pull weeds lol.

[haywardguy929]

Hang in there Jeff, there's some one that can give you a hand. I'm no expert either, if I can't fix something I get some body to do it. check a bike junk yard, see if someone here will cut you a deal. Your almost there and you gained some valuble knowledge. I've been where you are a lot of time on different things. Walk away for a while and then go back to it.

[rdmcguy]

hard lessons

Hey Jeff hang in there man ...
I have fliiped off more than one of my machines..more than once.
I had a dirtbike that I would kick and kick and kick (12.1 compression)and get so fed up I would toss it to the ground ..carb would overflow ..bike would start right up ...moody little whore !!
Imagine how f@@kin GREAT you will feel when you finally get it going !!
Then you can teach it a lesson or two about who's the boss ...

[MPittma100]

Problems

Just think how bad off you really would be if you did not have this forum of XSive Gurus to turn to!

I have worked my way, with much needed info and help from the guys here at XS11.com, completely through FIVE XS11's so far. Only 8 to go and I will be finished?

You can do it. So, GET CRACKING!

[crazy steve]

I'll be the contrarian and point out that not everyone is 'mechanical' and sometimes working on these is simply outside their skill set and patience level. If this describes Jeff, he may be better off selling the bike. I've known more than a few people that no matter how much help/instruction is given, they just don't have the 'feel' or aptitude for this sort of work. The carbs in particular require patience and more than a bit of 'finesse', for most of us this is sometime acquired with some difficulty. Not everyone is good at everything...

[IanDMacDonald]

I'll be the contrarian and point out that not everyone is 'mechanical' and sometimes working on these is simply outside their skill set and patience level. If this describes Jeff, he may be better off selling the bike. I've known more than a few people that no matter how much help/instruction is given, they just don't have the 'feel' or aptitude for this sort of work. The carbs in particular require patience and more than a bit of 'finesse', for most of us this is sometime acquired with some difficulty. Not everyone is good at everything...

Lmfaoooo. We've kindly "let-go" a few guys like that who may have told some "white lies" on their applications for our shop. First clue may have been running-over a 480v cord for our welder with our forklift. Forgiven. Final straw was wiring a machine's input power outlet line wire to ground.