Got a problem

[travisandcathy]

I have a '79 XS11.

The beast will idle fine, but will not even pull its self accros the driveway. Just dies when you try to move.

Any ideas about what could cause this???

[Ken Talbot]

Oh my, where to start!

• a broken pick-up coil wire will have you running on only two cylinders and at low engine speed, there's not much there
• one or more of the brake calipers could be seized so its like you're trying to drive away with full brakes applied
• the carbs cold be so far out of tune that they're just not letting the engine work at all
• your air cleaner element could be so plugged that its only letting enough air through for idle speed
• the mid range fuel passages and orifices could be gummed solid in the carbs so all you effectively have is the low speed circuits
• two or more of the above
• all of the above
• something entirely different from any of the above

Seriously, there's a lot that might be wrong so maybe the best place to start would be with a few more details such as:

• does the bike roll freely in neutral?
• does the engine rev up when you're sitting still?
• has it ever run properly for you, or did this come on all of a sudden?
• have you or anybody else done any work on the carbs?
• have yu looked through some of the tech articles here to see if something there matches your symptoms or situation?

Chances are, somebody here on the list has experienced the same thing as you, but we might need a few more clues to help you nail it down.

[dragxs11]

A bunch of things, actually pick-up coil wires broken comes to mind first. If it starts and idles fine, pull the vac. tube off of the vac. advance and plug it with a screw. This will keep the pickup coil wires from moving. If it runs better, you probably have a broken wire. This is a common problem. Try that an let us know.
Matt

[viper]

Bike not running right

My opinion is that you need to disasemble carberators and clean.
Pilot jets are the main cause for your symptoms.
Viper

[dragxs11]

Pick Me Pick Me

My bike used to sputter and/or die ever time I'd leave a stoplight for over a year. As it gradually got worse I was forced to find the problem. Mine was the same way.... it would idle great and once I got it through the bad spot it would run good. Yours sounds the exact same way, and this happens to (I would say) most xs11's, even ones with low milage. It's a simple test.... I strongly encourage it. But it's true that it could be a bunch of other things.
Matt

[travisandcathy]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ken Talbot
[*]one or more of the brake calipers could be seized so its like you're trying to drive away with full brakes applied

You can push the bike easy. The engine just doesnt have enough power to move the bike. This bike was left to me by a family member, so i know nothing about its mechanical past. It will sit and idle smoth...

[skids]

Re: Pick Me Pick Me

You can test for the bad spot in the pick-ups by eliminating the plate rotation. (78 through 80's). Disconnect the vacuum hose to the pick-ups from the No. 2 carb's nipple. Put a piece of hose on that nipple with a golf tee in the end to act as a plug. Run the bike to see if it gags in the same conditions. If it quits with that set-up, it is an indication that the pick-up wires are shot and are open circuiting when the plate is normally allowed to rotate. Make sense?

Originally posted by dragxs11
My bike used to sputter and/or die ever time I'd leave a stoplight for over a year. As it gradually got worse I was forced to find the problem. Mine was the same way.... it would idle great and once I got it through the bad spot it would run good. Yours sounds the exact same way, and this happens to (I would say) most xs11's, even ones with low milage. It's a simple test.... I strongly encourage it. But it's true that it could be a bunch of other things.
Matt

[prometheus578]

Let it warm at idle for a little, then hit each header pipe with a spray of water. ( I use a spray bottle of 409 or Fantastic cleaner) If they don't all sizzle the same... you have a dead cylinder. I've seen inline 4's idle with three dead cylinders before. Should this be the case, I'd say carbs are dirty.

[bandet01]

i am going to say the carbs are your problem or the clutch is totally smoked in the bike and by the waty were are you located

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Travisncathy,

It would be a good idea to edit your profile to include what year and make...Special or Standard you 79 XS11 is, along with where you're located. Many of us offer our services to closely located fellow XSives to help them with their mechanic work, especially if they are not very mechanically inclined!

Tell us a little about yourself as well, have you ridden bikes before? Do you have mechanic skills and knowledge? If you peruse the main forum page, you'll see lots of tech tips on maintainance, repairs, mods, etc.. In Misc. you'll find a thread on what to look for in a neglected XS11.

The most common problem with performance is the carbs. The second is the pickup coil wires and the electrics in general. Then the tranny....2nd or 1st gear dropping out of engagement, etc.. If the bike has sat for a long time without being driven, the carbs are probably all gummed up, the vacuum slides might even be stuck so that they don't even rise which can keep you from developing any power.

So....tell us a little history about the bike, how you came to receive it, what it's been doing, or not doing and for how long!
WE can then better assist you in the right direction for your trouble shooting.