side cover alternatives?

[81xsproject]

has anyone used/made/found any alternative covers for the battery? I have been scowering ebay for a right side cover for my 81XS that is in good enough cndition to paint with no luck. Rinning out of patience.

[John]

Have you looked in ebay lately? I just bought a set for an 81 SH for less $50. The covers from an 80 SG will fit. Those from an older model will not.

[81xsproject]

yes, in fact i just looked. I go into parts/motorcycle/asian and search for yamaha xs1100 xs 1100. I haven's seen any in a while, but I haven't been religiously checking either.

[John]

There was a faded red one just three days ago. Expand your search by chosing all ebay catagories. Here is a set that I just found. They are for a Special, but the owner isn't sure what year. If you should happen look at them, and see a question about mounting slots, or holes, that is me asking the question.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MakeTrack=true

[81xsproject]

thanx, i will be watching them for sure. I guess I shouldn't have depended on people to get things into the appropriate catagories, haha. I am still interested, however, to see if anybody has made there own or done any mods or anything creative.

[81xsproject]

that is really weird, they were the right catagory and my search didn't find them earlier today.

[skippy344]

expand searches

Try also to search all of ebay with these search criteria individually:

yamaha xs11
yamaha xs 11
yamaha xs1100
yamaha xs 1100
yamaha xs eleven
yamaha xs (although, this will list a bunch of stuff from the 400s to the 1100s)

While side covers may not work, search also for:

yamaha xj

I found a excellent set of xj1100 footpegs, with the chrome tips that look really cool on my XS11SG.

[81xsproject]

I find it REALLY hard to believe that no one in this bunch has used anything besides factory cover. No one has made there own or done something differnt? Wow.

[Ken Talbot]

Somebody has done it. I know I've seen one myself, but I can't remember where or when, or just how they did it...

[prometheus578]

making side covers

81XSproject I've been toying with this prob for some time (mentally, not materially) and the best that I have come up with so far would be.... first coat a side cover with a releasing agent, and then press into a tray of plaster to the appropriate depth. Plaster hardens, remove sidecover. Give inside of plaster mold several coatings of fiberglass resin.(I like the idea of the mold and resin as should leave a fairly "smooth" outer surface, less prepping before painting.) spread in several layers of resin-soaked fiberglass mat till side cover is the desired thickness. Let harden, pop out. Drill holes for emblems, and trim odd spots with a dremel. Now... how does the time and effort consumed here rate to spending $50 on ebay for something that you don't have to clown with? I can't answer that one. Though I did make a custom set of side covers for a 650 this way

[Pain]

http://www.usa123.bizland.com/merria...tml/begin.html

is the link to Merriam Cycle. They have a mold to make fiberglass side covers, which are supposedly much stronger than the origionals, and ready for paint.

They are also $175 a piece, so they better also wash the bike after I put it in the garage. But to each their own.

http://www.oldkawman.com/xsparts.html

Also often has old parts lying around, but I can't speak to exactly having side covers.

http://www.alfaheaven.com/AHI_Text_Pages/bikeindx.html


is a link to a salvage place here in WI. Got some good stuff from them, and excellent service. they don't surrently ist side covers for an xs1100, but they have had them in the past (as so, in theory, will again)

Pain

[chevy45412001]

cycle empire

Pain you gotta be talkin bout cycle empire up there in miltown?Been there did that...lol They have lots of stuff ,but you have to know what it is your looking for as they pretty much disassemble a bike and through it on shelves. Just like that,no marking or tagging things,just strip and store. But if your near and have time they let you run wild threw the isles.As for side cover alteritives,i've seen people make them outta shetmetal also?

[81xsproject]

Well I live in Nor-Cal, a long way from WI. I was thinking maybe make some out of diamond plating. That might look pretty sweet.

[randy]

There's a guy in Germany making side covers, etc. Here is a link to his webpage:



xs11.co.UK

[D. P. Larmee]

I beat a pair out of copper for my old xs750. They looked a little rough, but that was sort of the look I was going for.