A few ?'s from a new owner

[spdy0001]

Hello,

I am the owner of a ’79 XS1100 Special. After a little research I have come to the conclusion that it’s a special because of the round headlight, super small taillight, and badge that says special on the side cover. The bike is in great condition except for the red paint, which is a little dull and faded.

Why does the bike have two fuel petcocks?

I’m only 5’6 are there any lowering kits available to make the seating position a little better for short people?

Exhaust is dented on the right side are there any preferred replacement mufflers?

Previous owner gave me an aftermarket seat and the factory seat but neither of them is very comfortable, does anyone recommend a more comfortable and preferably lower seat?

I haven’t been able to ride it yet due to a recent injury on my first bike, but my father took it around the neighborhood a few times. He wants me to sell the bike and get something a little newer and less powerful. I will wait till I am able to ride it myself to make that judgment. I’ve been around online automotive forums for years so I know I should have searched for my answers but I really just wanted to say HI.

[randy]

Hello back, spdy001. And welcome.

'a little newer and less powerful' HA! that says it all. They truly don't make them like this anymore, guy. Seriously, you can have a good time with the XS, without going full throttle. And they're much more comfortable than newer offerings.

New Cumberland near Harrisburg? I'm in East Stroudsburg, about 80-90 mi away. Not close, but not too far either, if you're ever headed toward the Poconos, PM me and we'll hook up.

Meanwhile, anything you need to know is here, just do a search.
If it's not here, just ask and we'll do our best to figure it out.

Randy

[strom]

Hi!

There is a tech tip on lowering the eleven in the tech tips section.
IMHO, you can lower the aftermarket seat you have, keep the original as is.
Bout the exhausts... you can use any. Do you have 4in2 system?
Mine sounded great with 4in1 marwing, but they aint avaliable anymore...
Anyhoo.... you can paint it for little $ and it looks great black
The two petcocks... one is for the 1&2 carb, the other for #4 and #4, but primarily I think its because of the gas tank design and the volume of gas that has to be delivered to the carbs.
Anyway, when set up properly the bike pulls arms from their sockets, blurrs the vision and goes WROOOOOOOMMMMMMM. And it scares the sh*t out of everybody you want, including yourself
I rode a 2003 Kawasaki ZRX 1200 and I got bored after less than a mile...
So, you have to be a bit careful with the bike and have loads of fun.
So... a trade for a less powerful bike... maybe a 1976 Moto Guzzi LeMans 850.... (with a 1000 ccm kit and a race clutch, twin spark heads and 17" rims, alu gas tank, some decent upside-down front forks and marzocci rear shocks, lafranconi exhaust,... LOL)
But that's not newer.... but it KICKS A$$!!! A friend has one... burned off everything from a honda blackbird to firestorm,....
OK, so the eleven is the next best thing for fun, and better for touring.
Damn... now you got me wanna ride....

LP

[spdy0001]

Yes im about 5 miles south of harrisburg and 80-90 miles is about a quarter of a sat or sun ride for me, or was before my accident. Probably won't be riding for a few more weeks.

Thanks for the answers so far guys. Yes it has a 4-2 exhaust on it now that the previous owner drilled the baffles out of. It sounds awfull

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Spdy001,

Congrats on a great machine and welcome to the realm of Xsive,

And considering your previous remark about getting over your injury sustained from your earlier bike I can see where your father would be concerned, cause this bike will bite you and spit you out if you aren't respectful of it's power, and it's less than sportbike type handling!!

Like Strom said, use the aftermarket seat, get it custom sculpted, and also use the suspension tips for lowering the rear a bit, or get some good tall heels on your boots!

I'm 6'6", I "RAISED" my bike!!!! Have fun, and be careful, we want you around for a long time, XSives are a rare breed!

[pathfinder]

Keep it

I'm 5'6" and I ride a 78 xs11e with the original seat cut and it's alot taller than a special. You forgot to mention the gas tank on a special is much smaller than a standard.

[nashville_bill]

My '81 Special came with a seat that had been cut to reduce the seat to ground distance. I added some foam back into the seat but it is still a good inch shorter than the original. If you like, I can email you a picture.

[spdy0001]

Thanks,

Email = spdy0001@hotmail.com