What part would you like to see made the most at a reasonable cost for the XS?

[andreashweiss]

1979 Yamaha xs1100 f model ......I would buy it again.

[81xsproject]

Way out in left field, larger gas tanks came up, and in another thread FI kits were mentioned. How about an FI ready, over sized gas tank that could mount a stock GXSR fuel pump, or partsnmore's unversal petcocks? Just a crazy idea.

[81xsproject]

oh yeah, what about dip sticks?

[xs650mike]

Awhile back I said I'd post a pic of my homemade vinyl sidecover when I got around to taking one. Well I grabbed my sister's disposable camera and took a couple and she just got the pics back so here you go.

First the before:


Now the after:

Looks a lot better doesn't it? You can see why the bike's called Rustbucket though. Relocated the turn sigs so I could hang my saddlebags. Throw-over bags go onto whichever bike I'm riding that day and fit Yamaha Specials of whichever size perfectly, cost was $80. Toolbag hides the triple tree cover which is the rustiest part on the bike. PO had a leather toolbag on it which had kind of melted into the rust, had to be scraped off...hard to tell where the leather left off and the metal started! Yuccchhhh! Talk about neglect! Bike just turned 48,000 on a recent trip to Frisco...runs like a champ! Oil consumption is negligible.

[skids]

Impressive work on the sidecover, although the photo is not too clear.

[xs650mike]

Hey Skids,

Oops! Just destroyed the link to the photos! Once again...

Before:


After:


Cropped:


Sorry about the poor quality photos, disposable camera. I'm gonna have to break down and buy a nice digital model. The bad light doesn't help either.

The sidecover is cut from heavy black gloss vinyl stock bought at a plastic store and cut with a pair of scissors. I got a piece of scrap for $5 which I made many guitar pick-guards out of and this sidecover. I've still got enough left for several side covers. I cut the slots to fit over the stock hangers, bent and creased the vinyl just below the hangers. I punched a couple of holes with a paper punch and secured the bottom to the frame tube with a black twist tie. I got the image for the badge from the patch illustration on this website and printed it on sticker stock. I've since made new stickers in a smaller size, looks better. If someone would post a clear photo of a '79 Special sidecover showing the badge I could capture the image and print it to correct size on vinyl sticker stock and it'll look very nearly like the stock badge. I'd be glad to supply sticker badges to others for my cost plus a couple of bucks for my time.

[xs650mike]

Here's a clearer image of the home made sidecover. Looks decent considering it took 5 minutes from start to mounted on the bike. It's held in place by a twist tie visible at the lower right of the cover. I still haven't obtained the vinyl sticker material for the badges, the badge is paper.



Here's one from a front angle which shows how it looks from a few feet away.

[GNEPIG]

.. hey mikey, i like it
it looks good
i have a standard with no covers, i think i'll do the same thing too

[eroellig]

Definitely choke levers. The PO had taken off the lower farings and I can see that it will be more difficult to choke if I put the lowers back on.

As I haven't started to tear mine down yet, I'm not sure what else I'll be wanting. However, SS brake lines sounds really good. I'm also disapointed that the specials have the smallest gas tanks

My exhaust pipes look like they will start giving problems in the near future so original style SS there would be really cool as well.

Eric

[xs650mike]

Pipes would be nice, my muffs are OK but the head pipes are really corroded.

[bandet01]

new side covers, smoked tailight lense, new pegs drag type tires in the stock sizes

[xs650mike]

Footpeg rubbers are available from Mikes XS.