New (to me) 1980 XS1100 Special!

[Supersport396]

I just got this pretty original bike with less than 7k miles on it. Only problem is the neutral light is intermittent and from what I read somewhere there's a safety that won't let the starter engage if it isn't in neutral or the clutch isn't pulled in. Starter engages in any condition. Maybe that's an indication of what's wrong?

Also bike is fully serviced except forks so plan to do that, check valve clearance, pull rear wheel & lube the driveshaft spline. Other than that all it will need is clear stripped & aluminum polished.

Thanks,
Brian

[cajun31]

I just got this pretty original bike with less than 7k miles on it. Only problem is the neutral light is intermittent and from what I read somewhere there's a safety that won't let the starter engage if it isn't in neutral or the clutch isn't pulled in. Starter engages in any condition. Maybe that's an indication of what's wrong?

Also bike is fully serviced except forks so plan to do that, check valve clearance, pull rear wheel & lube the driveshaft spline. Other than that all it will need is clear stripped & aluminum polished.

Thanks,
Brian

Brian, welcome. I took the liberty of editing your post title. You had xs1000, I changed it to xs1100.

You state you have a 1980 Special. It will crank if you have it in neutral or not. Of course being in neutral is what you want. You stated maybe that's an indication of what's wrong. Is there something wrong? We are here to help with any questions you might have. The neutral switch is still available if it turns out to be a problem. Intermittent could indicate a loose electrical connection. The neutral switch is located on the left side of the bike on the bottom side of the shift lever. you will see the electrical wire going to it. The neutral switch assembly is item 29 Yamaha Motorcycle 1980 OEM Parts Diagram for Electrical - 2 | Partzilla.com. You will also be able to find new fork seals from this site. In order to adjust the valve clearances you will need a supply of valve shims. The kits are available from Mike's Xs or on Ebay. You are looking for the 29mm size. 1980 Yamaha XS1100 Motorcycle Parts
When you pull the rear wheel be sure to check the condition of the bearings. There is one in there that is a needle bearing with a sleeve in it. It was thought that the bearing was no longer available but that has proved to be false. They are available if you need one. I don't have the part number but I have it bookmarked somewhere. There is a grease nipple located on the rear drive shaft spline. Some think is useless. I am not one of those. Fill that area with grease. Not knowing the history or maintenance of the bike I would also change the hypoid gear oil in the middle and final drive gears. Word of caution. The drain bolts are generally easy to get loose to drain the oil. The fill plugs can sometimes be a different story. Make sure you can get those out before draining. They tend to seize over the years because the case is aluminum and the bolts are steel. If you do get the out make sure you use anti seize on them when reinstalling.

[DEEBS11]

[DEEBS11]

[Supersport396]

Thank you both very much! I thought I recalled these bike had a safety for the starter but I guess not...the only thing wrong was the neutral light would only work intermittently. I'll check the switch/wiring.

I bought an 81 XS1100 new and really missed it after selling it in 85. The power on this bike is a riot to experience!

[XSSIVEUS]

After some years the neutral switch goes intermittent. It's not hard to change. Just make sure it threads correctly and is snug. I revised the switch wire routing on all my standard and Midnight 1100s to prevent them from touching anything hot. Something worth looking at. As mentioned, a poor connection could also be your issue. Since the connector is under the bike, it picks up a fair amount of street crud depending on where you're doing your riding. Make sure you get a switch that is the same length as the one in there. I bought one once and they sent me one that was too short. Have fun fixing the issue.

[Supersport396]

Neutral light was simply a loose connection at the switch. I wish everything was that easy!

[DEEBS11]