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Hey friends! I just picked up my first XS1100 a couple weeks ago after wanting one since I started riding. It's a 1980 Special with some good (and some very questionable) mods. As you can see in the picture it has cone filters, a MAC (I think) 4-into-1 exhaust, flat bars, a Sergeant saddle, and that orange/black paint job. It hadn't run in five or more years but was stored all that time in a climate-controlled building under a cover. Now, this is my first 1100 but not my first XS. I've owned an '80 850SG for 20 years (it was my first bike) and I just completed a very comprehensive rebuild on a '79 650SF that was abandoned and hadn't run since 1987. Anyway, about this 1100.
Once I got it off the trailer and into the shop, I gave it a thorough inspection. It's shockingly clean. The old guy who owned it (he's a story all on his own) had a fleet of bikes and was clearly good with a wrench. Not a pro, as you'll see, but decent enough. He also took very good care of his things. The orange and black paint job is well done, as are the period-correct mods. The one thing I don't like is that short, flat handlebar. Aside from the ugly grips, the PO half-assed the installation. Instead of getting new cables and brake lines, he just zip-tied them into loops and stuffed them all behind the headlight bucket. Like, the brake line that went from the master cylinder to the distro block was scrunched, bent into a nasty-looking shape, and just stuffed beside the headlight where it stuck out the right side. He also ran a screw into the steering head stop to decrease the turn radius since the bars are so short but neglected to remove or account for the hazard assembly on the left control box. There are two solid gouges in the pain where the hazard box smashed into the tank. For all that, though, it's still a solid bike that doesn't need much.
So, what have I done so far? Well, first off I changed the oil and put in new plugs. I also dropped a new glass mat battery in. Then I pulled the carbs, gave them a thorough cleaning, and replaced the float bowl gasket and all the tiny washers and o-rings in the mixture screws (some were missing, natch). The carbs were a bit grosser than I expected. There was this black film that I've never seen before (almost like soft pieces of old audio cassette tape) clogging the float needle screens and little flakes of orange paint everywhere. There was also what I think was sand in the float bowls. It looks like whoever painted the tank sandblasted it first then didn't properly clean/prep it for painting. The fact that the fuel sender plug on the tank side is painted the same orange as the tank leads me to believe that the paint job is also half-assed. I put the carbs back together, gave them a quick bench sync (and guessed at the mixture screw settings), then put everything back together. It fired right up. The video shows it idling right after reinstalling the carbs. It's a touch lean off throttle, up until about 2500 or so. I may need to fiddle with the mixture screws.
Now I have a running bike but not a riding bike. The front brakes are hashed and I need to do a complete rebuild. There's also wax or armor all on the tires. Like, the whole tire, tread and everything. Nothing some brake cleaner and vigorous scrubbing can't take care of, though. I picked up a new, lower-profile master cylinder (because it was cheaper and easier than rebuilding the stock one. Plus, the special assembly isn't gonna work for the bars I'm using), and I'm replacing the brake lines with braided steel. I'm also going to rebuild both front calipers while I'm in there.
That should be all this thing needs. I'm going to Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio for work next week, so I probably won't have this thing finished until late July or early August. So, yeah, watch this space. Oh, and a quick question - I'm replacing these trash straight bars with a handlebar from a '78 Standard. When ordering the new braided lines, should I order lines for a standard or just live with the extra length on the special versions?
PS: Aside from what's in the FAQs, and what I've gleaned from the internet, are there any little tips or tricks I should know about the XS11?
And here's Yamaha's big bike lineup for 1980!
Once I got it off the trailer and into the shop, I gave it a thorough inspection. It's shockingly clean. The old guy who owned it (he's a story all on his own) had a fleet of bikes and was clearly good with a wrench. Not a pro, as you'll see, but decent enough. He also took very good care of his things. The orange and black paint job is well done, as are the period-correct mods. The one thing I don't like is that short, flat handlebar. Aside from the ugly grips, the PO half-assed the installation. Instead of getting new cables and brake lines, he just zip-tied them into loops and stuffed them all behind the headlight bucket. Like, the brake line that went from the master cylinder to the distro block was scrunched, bent into a nasty-looking shape, and just stuffed beside the headlight where it stuck out the right side. He also ran a screw into the steering head stop to decrease the turn radius since the bars are so short but neglected to remove or account for the hazard assembly on the left control box. There are two solid gouges in the pain where the hazard box smashed into the tank. For all that, though, it's still a solid bike that doesn't need much.
So, what have I done so far? Well, first off I changed the oil and put in new plugs. I also dropped a new glass mat battery in. Then I pulled the carbs, gave them a thorough cleaning, and replaced the float bowl gasket and all the tiny washers and o-rings in the mixture screws (some were missing, natch). The carbs were a bit grosser than I expected. There was this black film that I've never seen before (almost like soft pieces of old audio cassette tape) clogging the float needle screens and little flakes of orange paint everywhere. There was also what I think was sand in the float bowls. It looks like whoever painted the tank sandblasted it first then didn't properly clean/prep it for painting. The fact that the fuel sender plug on the tank side is painted the same orange as the tank leads me to believe that the paint job is also half-assed. I put the carbs back together, gave them a quick bench sync (and guessed at the mixture screw settings), then put everything back together. It fired right up. The video shows it idling right after reinstalling the carbs. It's a touch lean off throttle, up until about 2500 or so. I may need to fiddle with the mixture screws.
Now I have a running bike but not a riding bike. The front brakes are hashed and I need to do a complete rebuild. There's also wax or armor all on the tires. Like, the whole tire, tread and everything. Nothing some brake cleaner and vigorous scrubbing can't take care of, though. I picked up a new, lower-profile master cylinder (because it was cheaper and easier than rebuilding the stock one. Plus, the special assembly isn't gonna work for the bars I'm using), and I'm replacing the brake lines with braided steel. I'm also going to rebuild both front calipers while I'm in there.
That should be all this thing needs. I'm going to Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio for work next week, so I probably won't have this thing finished until late July or early August. So, yeah, watch this space. Oh, and a quick question - I'm replacing these trash straight bars with a handlebar from a '78 Standard. When ordering the new braided lines, should I order lines for a standard or just live with the extra length on the special versions?
PS: Aside from what's in the FAQs, and what I've gleaned from the internet, are there any little tips or tricks I should know about the XS11?
And here's Yamaha's big bike lineup for 1980!
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