The "Free, Filched, or Fabricated" Build Thread

[JaveStack]

Hello all!

I am new to the forum, because I just picked up an '81 Special from a friend. He had it stored at his Mom's place for years. I ran into him the other day and asked him if he got it running, and he said he didn't. Then he asked me if I wanted it, for FREE! I said, "definitely" and picked it up the next day. It was in a few pieces from tinkering, and a few parts were missing because his brother stole them (tachometer and key, sigh). Overall, it is almost fully complete. He had the carbs rebuilt and synced, and they haven't seen fuel since (win). Engine has some oil leaks around cylinder 2/3, but nothing prohibitive to getting her running. I don't have much cash, (my Ducati, Racing Kart, and Subaru bled me dry this spring), so this will be a "begged borrowed or stolen" build, with a few shade tree mechanics tricks and ratrod fabricated odds and ends thrown in for good measure. Definitely not a numbers matching build by any means. I hope to sell some of my unwanted OE parts to people who need them to help fund the project.

Happy to have advice and opinions, looking forward to getting this old girl back on the road!

[JaveStack]

Updated build pictures and info:

Brakes: Rear wont disengage without a hammer, will rebuild. Front is in good condition. All lines and pads will be replaced. Master cylinder looks terrible, will likely replace, it appears to have been leaking something fierce (old plastic). Safety is the place to spend money, and this one will need it...

Electrics: Good condition, except handlebar controls. Will be completely rebuilt and replaced. Ignition switch will be replaced with parts I have lying around that will allow for proximity starting from a chip on my key ring. (Girlfriend is an electrical engineer, plan to get her help if I get snagged on any of the complicated stuff, but it all seems pretty simple compared to the EFI stuff I work on).

Tank: Good condition, paint is drying out and there are a few rock chips. Locked shut, has some fuel in it.

Carbs: Rebuilt two years ago, bowl drains were open in storage. I work at a small engine manufacturer, so I have a few friends in carb design who could help me rework them if I have to.

Tires: No dry rot, and they hold air. Don't plan on trusting them over 30 mph though.

Engine: This is what I know the least about. It has 54k on it according to the odometer, and there is some external seeping oil on cylinders 2/3. It spins when I put the bike in 5th and turn the rear wheel by hand. Battery is too dead to turn it over (charging atm) with the starter.

Transmission: Spins freely in neutral, and shifts unpowered through all the gears. No bad noises at hand turned speeds. Will check and lube shaft drive before she hits the tarmac.

Suspension: Rear is in acceptable condition and is damped properly it seems. Front needs fork seals, I have them on order.



Here's a picture of the tank and seat gone, clubman bars mocked up.



First wash in a long time... two cans of degreaser...



A basic mock up, clubman bars, seat base, pod filters.

[natemoen]

Your oil leak around cylinders 2 and 3 is most likely the cam chain tensioner. They are notorious for leaking and for ruining valves when people blindly pull them off to clean and reseal them.

The master cylinders are usually dirty, but the components inside are often still in good shape and usable. A good cleaning and refilling with fresh fluid is usually adaquate. Upgrading to stainless braided lines is always a good idea too.

[JaveStack]

Your oil leak around cylinders 2 and 3 is most likely the cam chain tensioner. They are notorious for leaking and for ruining valves when people blindly pull them off to clean and reseal them.

The master cylinders are usually dirty, but the components inside are often still in good shape and usable. A good cleaning and refilling with fresh fluid is usually adaquate. Upgrading to stainless braided lines is always a good idea too.

This is the beauty of a forum.

Thanks nate. I will keep an eye on the leak. As long as the engine doesnt run out of oil it shouldn't break anything right? Winter is engine rebuilding time for bikes and karts and summer is for the car. haha.

As far as the master cylinder, I will fill it up and replace the lines, see if it works well before I spend on a new one. I have plenty of fluid.

Thanks for the tips!

[hamjam]

look up the cam chain adjustment and the automatic cam chain adjuster replacement version before messing with it

[jetmechmarty]

I agree, the master cyl may be fine once thoroughly cleaned. Less wooden brake feel can be had with a slightly smaller master piston. The info is on here someplace.

Here's a nicely modded Special for inspiration.


I lied. Not actually a Special, but a European Sport.

[JaveStack]

I agree, the master cyl may be fine once thoroughly cleaned. Less wooden brake feel can be had with a slightly smaller master piston. The info is on here someplace.

Here's a nicely modded Special for inspiration.


I lied. Not actually a Special, but a European Sport.

Marty, that happens to be the exact bike that I have printed out for design cues. Haha. That is a beautiful bike. I won't reach that level of fit and finish on this budget, but maybe I'll have time to do a frame up restoration over the winter in a couple years.

[JaveStack]

look up the cam chain adjustment and the automatic cam chain adjuster replacement version before messing with it

Will do hamjam. I'll memorize the important bits of the shop manual and do a thorough read of the forums before I pull it all apart this winter.

Are rebuild parts like rings, bearings, and gaskets still available for this engine?

[DiverRay]

Most rebuild parts are NLA from the dealer. You CAN buy a big bore kit, and that will get you most of what you need. These engines WILL go well over 100K miles with just a little care, so you should have quite a bit of life in your engine. The auto cam chain adjuster is a MUST if you plan on ridding hard. Yamaha adjusters from the old VMax and Venture V4 engines will bolt right up. Ebay and member andreas are your friends for parts.

[JaveStack]

Most rebuild parts are NLA from the dealer. You CAN buy a big bore kit, and that will get you most of what you need. These engines WILL go well over 100K miles with just a little care, so you should have quite a bit of life in your engine. The auto cam chain adjuster is a MUST if you plan on ridding hard. Yamaha adjusters from the old VMax and Venture V4 engines will bolt right up. Ebay and member andreas are your friends for parts.

Good to know. I had no idea what to expect from the engine in terms of longevity. All my experience with motorcycle engines pertains to Ducati, it's good to hear these 4cylinder beasts last as long as those V-Twins when maintained.

I don't plan on riding hard this year. I'll get my high speed giggles out on the Duc before I take this out for the first time (I sayyyy that...).

[DiverRay]

Once it's running well, the bottom end WILL put a big smile on your face! Ducs are fun,( I've ridden the big one three years ago) but the XS just has the pull from 1K to 9.5K that's hard to beat. for fun, put it in 5th at 30mph, and twist.....

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Jave,

Glad to see you on the site with your bike. The member with the parts is formally AndreasWeiss and that's how you can find him when sending a PM...start typing his name, and a second or so later the site will fill in the rest.

Next, I see that it has/had an OEM airbox. Others will say you may have more trouble tuning Pods....but I think once you review the MODS tech tips, the VELOCITY STACK mod for the PODs, will make your life easier with the tuning with the PODS.

The bike has the RARE OEM exhausts....KEEP THEM, they are double walled at the headers, Tuned and provide the best ALL AROUND performance for the engine, and aftermarket ones are NO LONGER BEING MADE by the economical manufacturers...ie. MAC, or JARDINE, etc.. IF you are wanting/planning on modifying the exhausts....ie, cutting off the mufflers or such...DON'T! SOMEONE on the site will buy/trade you for some other pipes that you can cut on/modify to your hearts content.....might even make some $$ out of them.

As stated, Yamaha isn't supporting the bike/engine anymore so con/main bearings are very rare and $$ when you do find some. As mentioned, a company in JAPAN is making an 1196cc big bore "REFRESH" kit with complete pistons, rings, wristpins, head gasket, for ~$150.00 ! WISECO kit runs $500.00 ++. Granted the JAPANESE ones are CAST vs. the FORGED ones of Wiseco...but the OEMs were CAST as well, and putting them in is really just a refreshing of the engine, not really pumping up the compression or HP much at all...but if your compression is low or cylinders ovaled, then this is the cheapest option out there, as well as about the only option since regular oversize parts are not availible from Yamaha either!

Aside from the ACCT, there's another option, and since you're a mechanic, you might agree with the argument once you read the info in this thread.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...nute+cam+chain

Even though the front calipers may be free and seem to be working, it's best to disassemble and clean....the square O-ring(Can be reused if not worn) groove gets corroded behind/in it and can cause too much pressure against the piston to prevent it from releasing....Also read the SPOOGE HOLE tech tip for the Master Cylinder... and would also suggest disassembling, cleaning it as well, inspect the parts and bore for corrosion, pits in the MC piston cups, etc.. The front is a 16mm bore to provide the fluid for the dual calipers. Speaking of Calipers...remove the inspect the mounting bolt for trueness...can get bent, and then can cause/contribute to pulsing. There's also a nice drill pattern in the Mods,brakes, tips for the rotors if you feel froggy...despite that they are already slotted. I'm sure you know about the BORN ON Dates on tires, and so good to hear youi're not going to be putting much speed on them....if ~5 or more years old...definitely replace ASAP.
Also, you may not have noticed, but the MC for the special was designed for the angled buckhorn bars, so it will sit a bit slanted when mounted onto the clubman's, but will still work..you'll just need to turn the bars to level the reservoir to properly fill it and seal it.

The fuseblock is a known weak spot for these bikes....suggest replacing with solid atco style fuses and holder...see this link if you want vs. obtaining on your own. http://www.xs11.com/forum/showpost.p...5&postcount=10 The Charging system is also very weak....cleaning ALL of the harness connectors is paramount in preventing electrical gremlins, especially the ones behind the fusepanel from the ALT. The Engine to frame ground strap, starter housing mount bolts, reg/rect wires at the mounting bolts, it grounds via the casing. The MAIN FUSE is in a separate holder on the LEFT SIDE above the battery..also glass!

The ignition box is the later 4RO series....programmed cent. adv. curve built into it, but still uses mechanical vac. adv. at the timing plate.

Inspect the rear wheel LEFT SIDE BEARING....it also is no longer available from YAMAHA....but can be gotten from eBay.... NA5904 model/search, you'll find a seller selling SYI brand at reasonable price.

The rear shocks may feel okay, but what you may NOT know is that they only provide compression dampening, not expansion or rebound dampening. The XS11 driveshaft action will cause the rear to rise up under strong throttle input in the lower gears due to the lack of shock dampening, so would suggest getting newer style shocks which will also help to improve your handling as well as comfort. Suggest pulling the steering neck apart, inspect for notches in the bearing races..but hopefully you'll be able to just clean/repack....the old grease is probably all dried up and can cause steering instability as well.

T.C.

[JaveStack]

Holy information batman!

TopCat,

That is a lot of great stuff, and I am pretty sure I followed it all. Some of it I had already noticed, and some I had not. I'll be sure to put together a chronological checklist of checks and changes that I plan to go through before doing anything more than a lap around the block. Probably post it here for you guys to edit.

Also, what is a good source for rear suspension bits? Is there a certain bike of another year and model that had a good twin shock setup that I could try to find at a junkyard?

One of the carburetor engineers at work races bikes, so with some advice from you guys and some physical help from him, the carbs are the least of my worries. Having access to ultrasonic cleaners is also a plus.

I may look into rewiring the entire bike...There is so much of it in there. I saw a post in another forum from a guy building a chopper trike with an XS1100 engine. He had a schematic that looked wonderfully simple. I may try to find and repost that for opinions. I like simple. (Another benefit of working at a small engine manufacturer: you find wire harnesses to cannibalize for parts in the trash daily.)

Also, what does the clutch lever switch do if you have an operational bike?

[BowlingSS]

Good luck with the build. This site is great for all the info about the XS11. It sure has helped me.

Bill

[JaveStack]

Its been a while

The XS project was put on the back burner, I had to finish the kart racing season and completely rebuild the engine on my Subaru.

I'm starting to get back into it, just bought a new battery. I have a few questions:

1. Rubber: I am looking at the Bridgestone S11 Spitfire, Shinko 712, and Kenda RetroActive tires. They all seem pretty good, and the Shinko's and Kendas are pretty cheap. Any preferences amongst these three? Experiences?

2. Master Cylinder: I really dislike the one I have (long handle), and salvage MC's look to cost around $30 from good name brand bikes. Any experience with what make model would work well on Clubman bars?