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**mason79** · 04-15-2006, 08:05 PM

i just go one myself have fun!

**JWSanders** · 04-15-2006, 09:02 PM

Wow, it's got all the bells and whistles. Looks nice. Great find!! Congrats!

That "Back Off" mudflap will be all people see soon.

**DiverRay** · 04-15-2006, 09:56 PM

Unless tyhe fork seals are leaking, just chaing the oil. Get a manual or read the "Tech Tips" on the left, and adjust the cam chain. Pull the valve cover, check the valves.
Look at the wires behind the left crank cover, and check for "bad" wires. It is usually the "front" pickup coil that has the problem. The fix is in the tech tips, and is fairly easy to do.
Once done, just ride and smile.

Enjoy the bike, as you should be able to get 150K miles out of a good engine.
Ray

**pathfinder** · 04-15-2006, 10:32 PM

Knewsom, welcome to the world of XScess. I have a couple of comments & questions about your new ride. The seat is from a 80 or newer model, I don't see the bottom of the airbox you need to have a filter on it anytime you run it or you take the chance of sucking up something besides air. Not having it on will also increase the idle speed. The color is correct for a 78E, do the engine and frame # match? They should start with 2H7 for a 78.

You can change the way the shifter feels by moving it one tooth either way. Do you have the right side lid for the the hard bag? If not you better start looking it will be hard to find. I would change all vacume & fuel lines and add filters to the fuel lines. God only knows what that tank looks like down by the petcocks. I would remove the petcocks and fuel sender for a good cleaning job. While you have those removed make some plates to cover the holes, I used a piece of an old rubber glove and aluminium plate to seal them off. Now get about two feet of dog chain (make sure it fits thru the petcock hole) and drop it in the tank with about a half gallon of gas. Now shake the dog snot out of it, pour out that gas. Now put in more and do it till I get tired. Now remove the chain then rinse with fresh gas. I don't know why but when I have done this the chain will never come out the filler hole. I use a one of those claw things thru one of the petcock holes to retrieve the chain.

Also unscrew the spark plug wire ends and cut about a 1/4" off. This should remove any dought that you are getting good spark at the plugs.

I think you may have taken on to much of a project, but don't be sad, I could take it off your hands for what you have in it. Do you deliver ot Texas.

Congrats on a great find.

**xs650mike** · 04-15-2006, 10:55 PM

Congrats on your purchase. Shows you have good taste! Don't worry too much about the shifter, these things have pretty clunky gearboxes. Takes a little getting used to is all.

**knewsom** · 04-16-2006, 01:51 AM

Thanks everyone, for all the well wishes and good thoughts - I'm very happy with it, rather, and will be ECESTATIC once I get it up and running alright. Now, if only that dang clymer manual would come in the mail, I'd actually have pictures of what I'm lookin' at.

I realized that I'm missing the airbox JUST after I bought it. Anybody know where I can find one?

I knew the right luggage top was missing, wish the dude had it, but that one's long gone, again, if anyone has a line on one of those, I'd be pleased as punch.

According to the VIN number (and engine number, which is the same - *stoked*), it's a 78, I guess the seat just came off a newer one at one point - doesn't bother me though, looks more comfy than the older version.

Now, if I CANT track down an airbox, any ideas on how to rig a filter? Should I just try to put one on each intake manifold?

Also, I'm assuming that when I pull the valve cover, I'll have to replace the gasket, yes? (it was this way in my old VW Bus)

**randy** · 04-16-2006, 08:22 AM

Kris,

I have an air box bottom for you. PM me your address and I'll put it in the mail. I won't be home for about a week, though, so i can't mail it 'till then, if that's OK.

**trbig** · 04-16-2006, 10:27 AM

Kris.

Just a word of warning about your "New" back tire. Is it actually new or just has good tread? It seems this bike had a bit of sit-itis to it. Put the bike up on the center stand, put it in neutral, and slowly spin the tire around..looking at the sidewalls of the tire. There should be a 4 number stamp melted into the rubber... first 2 are month.. second 2 are the year. If it's more than a couple years old... CHANGE IT.... Don't ask me how I know.. lol. My "NEW" tire was a 1989 model!

Tod

**prometheus578** · 04-16-2006, 10:59 AM

"Easter: Don't put all your eggs into one gasket"

I don't think that I've ever replaced a valve cover gasket! They usually don't leak and can be reused over and over, unless you honk it up removing it, then a little silicone usually takes care o' that. It's a "splash" area in there... not under pressure, and not holding back quarts of oil like an engine side cover.

and noticed that the priming line (at least, I THINK that's what it was) from the right side petcock was off the nozzle.

These are vacuum petcocks. You have one fuel line goin' to the carbies, and a smaller line comin' from one of the carb holders to the petcock. This line supplys vacuum to make the petcock work. If that line was off, then you had an open vacuum at that cylinder, which would make it run poorly.
Not sure if you're familiar with the system, so shall give a quick Easter rundown. Engine needs to be running for the petcock to work. Engine vacuum actuates a diaphram with a plunger. When there's vacuum, the diaphram/plunger pulls back allowing fuel to flow out of the petcock. The ON position will give you about 4 gallons of fuel till she starts sputtering, when you turn to RESERVE, and get just a little over a gallon more. When you start sputtering on RESERVE, you then start marching in the Easter Parade to the nearest gas station.
The 'PRI' position doesn't work offa vacuum...(Don't need the engine running) it just free flows to fill the carb bowls. This is used to prime the carbs when they're empty, like after you do carb work, or when you return from your Sunday stroll carrying a gas can.

**knewsom** · 04-16-2006, 07:39 PM

Originally posted by trbig
Kris.

Just a word of warning about your "New" back tire. Is it actually new or just has good tread? It seems this bike had a bit of sit-itis to it. Put the bike up on the center stand, put it in neutral, and slowly spin the tire around..looking at the sidewalls of the tire. There should be a 4 number stamp melted into the rubber... first 2 are month.. second 2 are the year. If it's more than a couple years old... CHANGE IT.... Don't ask me how I know.. lol. My "NEW" tire was a 1989 model!

Tod

thanks for the word of advice - I do understand the importance of having good solid tires on a bike - anything less is essentially suicide. Oddly enough, I checked for a number, but couldn't find anything. The tire still has its nubs on it though, which I take as a good sign, especially since they don't break off in my hands (the rubber isn't brittle or anything yet), and the tire is a Metzler, made in Germany. Maybe they have a special serial number date tracking sorta thingie setup...?

**knewsom** · 04-16-2006, 07:41 PM

Re: "Easter: Don't put all your eggs into one gasket"

Originally posted by prometheus578
I don't think that I've ever replaced a valve cover gasket! They usually don't leak and can be reused over and over, unless you honk it up removing it, then a little silicone usually takes care o' that. It's a "splash" area in there... not under pressure, and not holding back quarts of oil like an engine side cover. These are vacuum petcocks. You have one fuel line goin' to the carbies, and a smaller line comin' from one of the carb holders to the petcock. This line supplys vacuum to make the petcock work. If that line was off, then you had an open vacuum at that cylinder, which would make it run poorly.
Not sure if you're familiar with the system, so shall give a quick Easter rundown. Engine needs to be running for the petcock to work. Engine vacuum actuates a diaphram with a plunger. When there's vacuum, the diaphram/plunger pulls back allowing fuel to flow out of the petcock. The ON position will give you about 4 gallons of fuel till she starts sputtering, when you turn to RESERVE, and get just a little over a gallon more. When you start sputtering on RESERVE, you then start marching in the Easter Parade to the nearest gas station.
The 'PRI' position doesn't work offa vacuum...(Don't need the engine running) it just free flows to fill the carb bowls. This is used to prime the carbs when they're empty, like after you do carb work, or when you return from your Sunday stroll carrying a gas can.

Prometheus, your reputation here is fully warranted! thanks for the great info - now I actually UNDERSTAND my petcocks! Brilliant.

...now if I only understood carburators - the more I read about them, the more I scratch my head.

taking mine apart, synchronizing and tuning them is REALLY going to be an adventure!

Cheers,
Kris

**e.z.nightrider** · 04-16-2006, 08:16 PM

Kris,

Just stick with it and don't give up. This is the best place for info and how-to for these bikes. The members here are in the know and willing to help. Yes, by all means get a manual but don't be afraid to ask questions. Check out the tech tip on repair and mantainance. While I've done a lot of work on cars and bikes I always stayed away from carbs. With the help of this site I've been able to repair and adjust the carbs on my XJ 650 (very similar to the XS1100 carbs). So just dig in and don't feel alone, there's plenty of help.

Ed Z.

P.S. Great find

**prometheus578** · 04-17-2006, 01:29 AM

"What a fuel I've been"

now I actually UNDERSTAND my petcocks!

Yeah, would have been nice if someone could have explained them to me. Would have saved me from having to push this thing a mile down the highway when I first got it.
Thought something was loopy with the thing when it started sputtering on the highway. "I can't have run out of gas... I can see it sloshin' in the tank." Of course, by the time I thought to turn it to reserve, I had no fuel left in the float bowl. After I turned it to reserve, the engine was cranking too slowly to get me the vacuum I needed to activate the petcock. Would have been nice at the time to know that... had I flipped to prime, the fuel would have free flowed into the carbs and off I would've rode. Live and learn... die and forget.

Prometheus, your reputation here is fully warranted!

Yeah... thanks to my reputation, I have many warrants... just ask the sheriff!
Carbs are simplicity, themselves. Cleaning them is even easier. First rule to remember is... making sure that all the passages are clear. This is done by spraying carb cleaner into an orifice, and watching it shoot out somewhere else and straight into your eyes. The stinging sensation is how you know when it's clean.
Get a good manual. There's usually several diagrams showing the various circuits involved. (Spray cleaner in this hole, you should see it come out here and here..., etc)

**knewsom** · 04-17-2006, 10:58 AM

Thanks, guys!

Ed,

Cheers man, I will definitely hang in there! I'm setting up a workbench next to my computer JUST FOR THE CARBS, so I can start tinkering with them right away. I've got a Clymer on the way, too.

Prometheus,

Hilarious post - I'm happy to say that while I didn't get stuck on the highway, I did stall the bike several times just trying to get it into my backyard.

"that stinging sensation is how you know when it's clean". ...brilliant.

-K

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Well, I bought the bike! (pics, etc.)

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