New to XJ's - Any advice?

[XJ1100]

Hello all!

New to the board and new to Yamaha XJ's. Just wanted to stop by, read a little bit about them, check out the tech articles, and get some advice from other XJ owners.

I just picked up a 1982 XJ1100 in near mint condition. Everything works, paint looks fantastic, engine/tranny seem good.

If anyone has some advice on things to look out for, links to good sites for reasonable aftermarket and replacement parts, or other technical advice, I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance.

Dave

[JWSanders]

Welcome to the site!

There is a wealth of information here. The tech tips area (link to the left) is chock full of great info. The repair, maintenence, and mod forums have many different topics covered in them.

A search of the general forums will just about answer any question you can possibly imagine. Believe me, it's rare to see a question that hasn't been asked before. But as always, there are many here to help, so if you feel stumped, ask away!

Sounds like you got a great deal on the XJ. It alway good to hear of another one of these bikes on the road.

[turbopete]

Get rid of the fuse box it will cause you problems. I fitted a zx7-r one that I got for free but it wasn't a direct or easy swap. I also removed the reserve lighting unit on mine, and the tipover sensor too.

[XJ1100]

Thanks guys, this is exactly the type of advice I was seeking! Keep it coming!

Thanks again!

[Jerry]

The XJ is a great bike. I put 430 miles on mine yesterday going to Moab, Utah and taking the Lasalle Mountain loop. (Ride report is in the works.)

Couple weak points unique to the XJ: Sidestand switch ususally fails, which keeps bike from starting, stock battery has a fluid level sensor, can be an issue if you wish to swap to a non-stock battery. There are Tech Tips that address both of these issues; both circuits can be bypassed quite easily.

The bike does have some typical Japanese bike weak points; the stock fuse block is one. Other things you shuld generally look for are brake hoses (now 24 years old) which ned to be replaced, and master brake cyinders; rebuilds are quite often necessary. Carb cleaning is an often-discussed topic, but if you do a search on carb cleaning you will get a lot of information!

The XJ is different in a number of areas from the XS line. If you post question to the forum, or do searches on past posts, make sure you put XJ in as a search criteria or comment.

Welcome to the group! Glad to hear of another XJ on the road.

[XJ1100]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice. I love these forums! Nothing like hanging out with people that love the same thing you do. And, there's always a few that have tons of experience that can be shared.

I've had a chance to look around a bit. I have to say, great site!

Here's a picture of the new bike. What do you think?

[Czekus21]

Good looking bike....

[trbig]

Man!! The new guy figured out the picture posting already! Congrats on your find, and welcome to the club! Just wondering how many miles you had on it and what kind of financing it put you back. There's been a few questions lately to "What these bikes are worth". If you don't want to answer, that's fine.... just bein nosey!
I keep seeing these sweet looking bikes... I'm going to have to keep a full face shield and sunglasses on at all times to hide my shame when I ride with you guys! It looks like that bike was somebody's baby... treat it like yours now!

Tod

[Jerry]

Nice looking "New Ruby Red" XJ. Two comments. One, looks like the carbs have been switched from the OEM air intake and filter to individual filters, a fairly common modification. The XJ is jetted leaner than other XS models for smog compliance standards in effect in '82. Keep an eye on your spark plug color. It is likely the previous owner jetted richer for the individual filters, if not, you may be running to lean.

Side covers, stock, had an additional emblem in them that says "Maxim". This has been removed on the side cover shown. If you look closely and notice two small holes, they were used to mount this additional emblem.

Often overlooked on the XJ is the ability to adjust the stock bars. The handgrip arms are adjustable up and down, the legs from the tripple-t can be swung out or in, making the spread adjustable. Try a couple different settings if the stock settings don't feel quite right. A change here can make the bike much more comfortable to ride over long distances.

I wish my XJ looked that clean!

[XJ1100]

Thanks for the comments and the noticed modifications. Are the individual filters a good thing?

I found the bike with the original owner, 27K on the clock, and in VERY clean condition. He really babied this thing. Only drove it on nice, dry, sunny days and never hit it hard. Just a cruiser. I could tell by the other items in his house and garage that he takes really good care of things.

$700 for the bike, windshield, and helmet. Is that decent?

The only thing missing is the center stand. How hard are they to find? Will one from a 650 or 750 work on this one?

[XJ1100]

A few more pictures...

http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j282/dhawk01/

[JWSanders]

$700 is a bargain for a bike that looks that nice!

Great find!

[81XS1100-2006]

A couple of things...

Hey there, I picked up my 81 XS1100 a couple of months ago for a steal too, there are still deals to be found in MN (I'm down in Minneapolis...)

I would suggest this website for OEM parts http://bikebandit.com/

They don't have everything, but their prices are pretty good and they are easy to work with.

Feel free to let me know any good riding between Duluth and MPLS

Cheers!

[XJ1100]

I searched the site, but it looks like the center stand was a discontinued item. Not surprising due to the age of the bike. Are there any aftermarket stands available? Anyone know of used bike yards that might have one?

Will a center stand from a XJ650 or XJ750 work on this bike?

Thanks!

[81XS1100-2006]

personally I can't say that the centerstands are interchangeable, I've been pretty lucky on E-bay these days also. Just do a search for XS1100 and XS 1100 (with a space between)