Discovered another XS!

[Steve Linderman]

Bens' addiction

Hmmm,

Ain't that pickin your peaches a might before they's fuzzed up good?
One time Me-n-Mo found this kid who had gotten a bike from his Dad.
Dad bought it NEW in Colorado...had the dealer add the "Sampsonite Tour Package" a "Vetter Windjammer" fork brace, Am/FM radio and a CB!
Dad got old...and slid it off the side of an off ramp
Busted one bag lid, back peg,and put small 'scuffs' on the lever and side of the fairing.
Mom (we think) said "enough of that!" and that's how Junior got his first 'REAL' motorcycle.
Kool, HUH?
Yea, 'cept for one (little) thing, Junior don't know how to ride a "real motorcycle"
Then he meets and falls in love with his (current) wife...and that BIG 'Ol (and very heavy I might add) motorcycle gets pushed into the back of the garage...where it stays for the next 5 or so years.
Then one day... ...Yea, I know...

Anyway...fast forward to the driveway...here's the scene...

Me-n-Mo ride up on the Missile...and here's a TWENTYSOMETHING (employee of some computer firm, no kidding) and his BIG and very lovely wife, who's holding a baby in her arms standing by a FULLY DRESSED XS 1100 (looked like a stupid luggage cart).
Heck...it even had a CB antenna sticking 4 feet up in the air

So he tells me the story...then tells me that he-n-the-wife once tried to go 'camping' on it...and they ended up in a Motel...because it was "to BIG & HEAVY " to ride on dirt/gravel roads.
Asked me if I knew that it weighed "over a thousand pounds" And I said (out loud) OH yea...with you, her and all that "Stuff" on it, I can certainly believe that.
He said "my Dad says it is worth $1,500"
I said "sell it to him, then"
His wife was growing tired and the baby waz a fussin'
He then re-listed ALL the features AND additions...
And I said...look man, your dad nearly killed himself on it, you can't ride it, it needs a fork brace just to be 'rideable', it weighs a ton, and it's 22 years old, and has over 30K on it!! (he-he)
And if you want, you can take ALL that stuff off...'cause THIS is how I like em'...and pointed to the Missile...and besides...I ONLY paid $900.00 FOR THAT ONE (true)
It's $900.00 or you-n-the wife can push 'er back in the garage...
he said "let me talk it over with my wife"
Me-n-Mo started for the Missile...and I said to her "watch this"

I can't swear to this next part...but you married guys can certainly help me out...
I don't know X-actly what was said in those 10 seconds...but it probably went like this..."If you don't...(fill in blank) then you'd better not...(fill in blank)
It became our third bike...the '81 Special we call it the "New Kid"
Ain't LOVE Grand...

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh"
(LED ZEPPLIN cir-1973)

[Shuriken]

Hahaha!

Well, I doubt he'd part with it for $100 bucks. But I'm hoping the cash I waive in front of him will do the trick. Plus I'll pull up on my XS and tell him all about it and what I got it for....

Anyhow, I really would like to save this bike. All you XSives should pray for its soul. If I can't get it off this guy's hands it may suffer a really grisly death.

Ben

[Shuriken]

The Scoop:

I showed up at his house on my XS11. We talked about things for awhile. He definitely liked the looks of my bike.

I then told him my plan - either buy a big bore kit for $400 or his bike for a max of $400. He said, "let me go talk to my wife."

Good wifee .... and I mean good wifee.... asked him if he wanted to give up his dream for $400 bucks. So she convinced him to think about it. We talked some more and I gave him all my info.

I have two problems here: 1) he has a smart wife. 2) he rode his bike when it was in good shape and knows how they pull

I have some things going for me: 1) he is going to call me back by Friday after thinking about it. 2) he is going to move ASAP - probably to Alaska as he said. 3) they need money.

Does money talk?

Perhaps now is his time to decide - bike or family first. I hope none of us have to make those decisions.

I hope/think he will not want to ship that beast. If he shipped it to his new location he still wouldn't have the money to fix it and would swap it to someone out there for a song and a dance.

I hope he makes the right decision.

Ben

[Underdog]

Shipping will cost him plenty too. I was looking at a bike in Dallas & it was going to be a minimum of 400 bucks to the forward air terminal here in Pittsburgh. Of course that included crateing it. His will probably be more seeing as it weights 1000lbs!

[Shuriken]

And I'm not a really confrontational personality. I still haven't told him the truth about the weight of his bike.

I think he'll call me back, though. The cost of shipping his bike (unrestored) to a new location is more than the bike is worth, and a restore would still be required....

Ben

[fusionking]

'course if he was smart he would by that 4wd truck he will need down here and save money then he could haul it up there in it and he would have something to do at night during those long winters fixin' it up.......but you prolly aren't that honest to tell him that!!!!!

[pathfinder]

Oh No

Hope you didn't talk him into keeping and restoring by showing him yours and talking good about it. Or worse than that parting it out like so many others have. Or even worse, with the price of scrap steel and it being a 1000 lbs. I'll try not to even imagine that.

[Shuriken]

I'm worried I may have. Hopefully I'll hear from him today. Answering machine went AWOL so I may have to call him anyway. My bike is running really tired and slow. I need a solid motor. If I can't get his bike I'll just do a rebuild on my own. I'd just rather start with a tighter motor...

Ben

[John]

It's more fun to build your own motor. That way you know what you have. In a used engine, you don't know what you're getting. It can be a little expensive, though. I have spent almost $900 on the Big Bore Project on my bike, and I could have spent more if I didn't have budget restraints (mortgage, kids, and this pesky habit of having to eat every day), and some common sense.

[Shuriken]

True. This is actually why I wanted to get his bike - because I know the average cost of the bigbore install. I think I would enjoy doing the big bore but it's just a money thing right now...

Ben

[Shuriken]

I got the bike (79 special) from the fellow with a title. It's pretty hammered but I'm going to go through the checks and see what I find. I'll keep you all posted.

Ben

[Shuriken]

Compression cold, no oil, throttle open was 110, 110, 100, 115 (5700ft elevation). That's higher than my other XS. I'll do an oil test later.

Right now I'm changing the oil and filter, brake fluid, charging the battery (maybe no good), going to go through the carbs, etc.

The carbs still have the plastic caps on the air screws. The inside of the gas tank will need to be flushed but may not need to be Caswell coated.

Most of the rubber hoses need replacing. I see with the Special there is an ugly new mess of vacuum/fuel hoses - octopus? Yuk.

Pretty hammered. I don't know if I want to make it a runner yet because it needs the following:
seat kit
side panels
paint - lots of weathering, underside rust
front and probably rear tire
probably a battery - levels low, maybe won't hold a charge
exhaust - been cut behind the collector - slip in mufflers

I bought it on a gamble for the motor - 22k vs 46k on my standard. The compression readings are semi encouraging compared to my other bike. Not sure about valve clearances yet or how the cams look.

I have spare motors/parts for all of my bikes. I should get rid of them. If anybody is interested in:
78 standard frame, motor, wheels, etc parts bike
74 honda xl350 parts motor
73 suzuki tc125 parts motor

I have them in So Utah.

Ben

[Bill__Woods]

Hey Ben,
If you use the engine (motors are Electric) for your bike, I am intestested in buying the speedometer off the 79 special. Email me at billl_woods@earthlink.net if you want to deal on the speedometer.

[Steve Linderman]

Another XS !!

Ben,
Congrats!! on the "New Addition"
Squirt some 'Marvel Mystery oil' in them 'ol Cylinders, before you go to crankin' to long on her...and it helps to 'restore' dry seals-n-such in the motor...

Pour some in the gas too! it also helps with 'upper cylinder lubricant'...and the product "B-12 Chemtool" (Wal-Mart) will do wonders for the inside of old stuffed up carbs (add to gas) I've had it make carbs idle, when they wouldn't before !!

I swear by these 'additives' and use them FREQUENTLY...

Oh, and by the way...these motors were designed to run LEADED fuel...(I know the seats are 'hard" in Aluminum heads) but adding some "Lead substitute" or "in-sted-o-lead" (Wal-Mart) certainly can't hurt!

Good luck with it...and keep postin'

[Shuriken]

Update

Today I swapped carbs and gas tank from my 80g to the 79sf. I had to jumpstart the bike but it fired right up, easily. It has flat tires and a bad rear master cylinder so I can't ride it.

On the center stand I let it warm up and circulate the fresh oil. It is smoking while running out of the right side exhaust pipe. Maybe #3 or 4 needs some work. Recall cold compression was 110, 110, 100, 115 (5700ft elevation).

I revved it up and it sounds pretty good. With it on the center stand and the rear wheel free I went up and down the gears a few times. Tranny feels ok, seems to shift a bit more solidly than my 80g. Not sure if that is good or bad.

I need to decide if I want to fix it up or swap the engine or rob parts from my 80g. I can't have 2 bikes and only want the strongest one. I won't really know until I can ride this 79 and see how it pulls.

Consequently, I may have a running 80g engine 45k and I have a non-running 78e 45k engine, frames, wheels, etc.

Anyone needing an engine may want to check back with me.
Ben