XS1100… Need helping IDing specific model/year

[DEEBS11]

Rear bar.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/38632705707...Bk9SR7SYzJeiYw

[DEEBS11]

Airbox.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13476692220...Bk9SR7qYzJeiYw

[DEEBS11]

Seat.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13476689098...Bk9SR7qYzJeiYw

[DEEBS11]

Brake pedal.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/35366440501...Bk9SR86YzJeiYw

[Mathh]

Slap a front end on the bike and put some miles on it. Here is a Special front end to bring the bike back to stock. Cheap. To bring that Midnight back to original stock would be economically unfeasible based on what is missing from your bike. However, you could find a piece here and there over the next ten years to make it a show winner if you choose. In the mean time - Slap a front end on it and ride it. You will lose interest if you do not fall in love by riding the motorcycle. I can attest to that. P.S.-Many, many front end parts cheap for that bike (non Midnight/stock Special) on eBay. It looks like you will need a rear fender & tail light as well.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/40472513817...Bk9SR8iJnJKiYw

Aren't those Virago forks?

[cajun31]

Antwan, Looking at the pictures again It looks like the rear of the frame was already cut off to support the rear fender that is now on the bike. The carbs, I think are from an XJ Maxim. I still have no answer for the forks. I would never ride that bike as it sits now. As far as I can see from the pictures you have no front brakes. That in itself is too dangerous for me. If you indeed only have a rear caliper then if you have to brake hard and hit loose impediment you are going to slide with the rear end coming out from under you. The forks that deebs posted might work but I don't believe they are xs1100. There is a lot of that on Ebay these days. People don't know what they have when they disassemble and just post with guesses.

What is your experience on working on bikes? The reason I ask is that with this particular project you can get overwhelmed with all that will need to be done to make it road worthy. Not saying it can't be done. I would definitely get rid of those forks and replace them with something that can at least give you back your front braking. Like Deebs pointed out and to me has always been the problem with getting rid of the original airbox is how to support the carburetors without it. Have to say those wires are something I have never seen but look like it works. Did you remove the pods that were on the carbs on the intake side or were they never there? That will need to be addressed as well. Running without some kind of air filter (pods) allows too much crap into the engine.

You really need to decide what you want to do and what your budget allows and work from there.

[Mathh]

I absolutely agree with all warnings Antwan. It's great to see you enthousiastic but please get your priorities straight first. Brake and/or suspension problems can harm you badly. These wires holding the carbs will give you problems that will be a bitch to discover. Your carbs will only function when hung in rubber to stay away from interfering vibration. That engine vibration reaching your carbs wil upset your floats which will eventually start oscilating and keep the float needles from sealing shut when neccessary: your carbs will start leaking. I think that there are no brake calipers up front because they won't fit that combo of the unknown fork on that stock XS1100 wheel wih discs.
Don't be thrown off or feel insulted, lots of people here that want to help you doing the job in the correct order.

[DEEBS11]

Mathh, I think you are correct about that front end. It's listed as XS1100 Special but the fork looks odd. It has air pressure inputs at the top.

[dpotter58]

Where are you located?

[DEEBS11]

OK, here is a better front end.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25610415169...Bk9SR8ieveqiYw

[Ranger_xs1100]

OR you could go with my original midnight special forks:

1980 Yamaha XS1100 Midnight Special Front Forks XS1100LG *Straight* | eBay

[cajun31]

Those along with these will get you back to original on the front end. 1980 Yamaha XS1100 Midnight Special Y716-3) triple tree steering stem clamp yoke | eBay

[antwan26]

Where are you located?

Iowa!



Thanks for all the responses everyone. I don’t have much into this bike, I just think it would be fun to rebuild. I have more experience working on quads, then I do bikes. But some experience non the less - I have restored a few mini bikes and have built a two person go cart. I feel somewhat confident in my ability to rebuild it, but we shall see. If I loose interest, does anyone have any advise on what there next steps would be? Just junk it?

cheers all

[cajun31]

Iowa!



Thanks for all the responses everyone. I don’t have much into this bike, I just think it would be fun to rebuild. I have more experience working on quads, then I do bikes. But some experience non the less - I have restored a few mini bikes and have built a two person go cart. I feel somewhat confident in my ability to rebuild it, but we shall see. If I loose interest, does anyone have any advise on what there next steps would be? Just junk it?

cheers all

Brother, just proceed as your skill level and budget allows. Your vision of the bike is what it will become, and parts are available for most things you want to do if you budget allows. As you can probably already see we are here to help. Boards like these can sometimes be over whelming with a lot of the advice that is given. If some one throws an idea at you that you just don't understand don't be afraid to come back for clarification questions. With you tube out there you can watch videos to follow up on suggestions here. My thing with you tube is I always try to find both a video of how to do it and at least one or two on how not to do something. Those are always fun for the humor.

By the way, the bike you bought may not be everybody's cup of tea but does not mean it is junk. I would do as was previously suggested. I always pour a bit of marvel mystery oil in each cylinder and let it work it's way down and around all the rings to break them loose and then I try to get the bike running. Then a check compression levels and decide from there if the bike is worth proceeding with. Of course I am picky on what bikes I buy. One thing about these bikes they were way over engineered by Yamaha and the fact that this board exists today still talking about them is a testament to the fact that unless severely abused they are bullet proof. I say that because I do believe your bike would still provide many years of riding if it is done properly. You just have some decisions to make on what you want it to be. Just make sure that whatever that vison is that it first includes making the bike safe to ride.

[antwan26]

Brother, just proceed as your skill level and budget allows. Your vision of the bike is what it will become, and parts are available for most things you want to do if you budget allows. As you can probably already see we are here to help. Boards like these can sometimes be over whelming with a lot of the advice that is given. If some one throws an idea at you that you just don't understand don't be afraid to come back for clarification questions. With you tube out there you can watch videos to follow up on suggestions here. My thing with you tube is I always try to find both a video of how to do it and at least one or two on how not to do something. Those are always fun for the humor.

By the way, the bike you bought may not be everybody's cup of tea but does not mean it is junk. I would do as was previously suggested. I always pour a bit of marvel mystery oil in each cylinder and let it work it's way down and around all the rings to break them loose and then I try to get the bike running. Then a check compression levels and decide from there if the bike is worth proceeding with. Of course I am picky on what bikes I buy. One thing about these bikes they were way over engineered by Yamaha and the fact that this board exists today still talking about them is a testament to the fact that unless severely abused they are bullet proof. I say that because I do believe your bike would still provide many years of riding if it is done properly. You just have some decisions to make on what you want it to be. Just make sure that whatever that vison is that it first includes making the bike safe to ride.

thanks for the reply!!! Very thankful for everyone on here - I think I have a good plan so far.

With me being in iowa, the motorcycle is currently in my barn and it’s - temps outside. I’ll probably wait a few weeks for outside to warm up!

In the meantime, I know for a fact the ignition isn’t hooked up, when I bought the bike I looked under it (behind forks) and found slot to put key in - I grabbed ahold of the ignition to start looking at it and it came apart, the two wires basically pulled itself from it. I don’t think I’ll be able to turn it over without it hooked up. Or can I (hot wire?) any recommendations on new ignition/key?

does anyone have starting sequence for these bikes? Gas on, key in ignition.. then?


thanks everyone, again!