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My first motorcycle, the venerable XS1100
I got my first motorcycle at the end of
September '08 for $500, and it hadn't been run in over a year. The
previous owner had received it when she purchased her mobile home,
but it was too big for her to feel comfortable riding. It's a 1981 Yamaha
XS1100LH Midnight Special. It's black with gold accents. It has a
few dents in the tank, and I cleaned out at least 4 mud dauber
wasp nests and several spider nests, since it had been living in a
storage shed for quite a while. I managed to get the carbs
cleaned out, and with the help of the members at
XS11.com, I am learning what
needs to be done to turn this beast back into the beauty it once
was. I now ride whenever possible, as long a it's not raining, and
there's no ice on the roads (lowest temp I have ridden in was around
22ºF). I've become rather addicted to this bike, and I look forward
to many more years on the road with it.
August '09 update:
I have really learned a lot about this bike since
last Fall! I have opened up the transmission and completed the
fabled "2nd gear fix" on 1st, 2nd & 3rd gear, replaced the front tire,
spark plugs, and all the brake pads, found more jets in the carbs
than I ever knew existed. I also replaced the rear
Master cylinder with a used one from an '82 XJ1100 Maxim. I replaced
the original fuse block with more modern spade-style fuses in hopes
that the electrical gremlins will have less of a chance to make a
home in my bike. I obtained a set of faux-leather saddlebags from
e-bay, and a full fairing from a fellow XSive over in Illinois. It
even had a Cyclesounds (radio) setup on it and a cheapo rain suit
packed in the locked compartment! That has already come in handy
once. The fairing makes a HUGE difference in riding comfort,
especially at higher speeds. I can relax and not worry about being
blown off the bike by the wind! I bought a luggage rack with an
adjustable backrest from another XSive a few weeks ago. It's been
powder-coated gloss black, so it goes perfectly with my Midnight
Special! I also got a Vetter trunk from Craigslist (visible in the
picture at right), and made my own wiring pigtail for it. I made my
own mounting bracket, and bought the rubber
"Bunkees" from Craig Vetter so it would be mounted properly. It
has already proved it's worth, as I hauled my tool bag in it to
Kansas City where I met up with a few other XSives for an unofficial
rally.
Suzy actually volunteered to take a ride on the
bike! We've been on a few jaunts around the neighborhood over the
last few weeks, and she's actually considering the idea of getting a
bike of her own sometime! I'll need to locate a new helmet for her,
since my spare is too small for her, and it's really uncomfortable
for me too.
I finally got a full set of Vetter
hard saddlebags! I bought the mounting bracket from a
fellow XSive via eBay, and found a matching set of bags/trunk on
Craigslist in Kansas City. The picture at the top right was taken next
to the
Eads Bridge in Downtown St. Louis. I love the history behind
the bridge, so I thought it would be a nice photo-op. For a
progressive photo gallery of my bike,
click here.
September '09 Update:
I finally replaced the old rear tire on my
bike. It had an old Cheng Shin, but after over 3000 miles of riding
in the last year, it had lost almost all of it's tread, and was
starting to show some weather-checking on the sidewalls. So, after
comparing the opinions of tires used by other XSives, I decided to
try the Dunlop Elite III. It was $110 plus installation, from
Motorcycle Superstore. One
of the comments made by another rider was that this tire eliminated
the problem caused by road grooves. Always before, as I rode down
the freeway, the rain grooves would cause the bike to swerve,
following the pattern of the grooves. Now, with this new tire, the
largest grooves, and even the full seams between the road concrete
can't make the bike swerve! It's as though they aren't even there! I
love this new tire, and will definitely use it again on this bike.
Now that the weather is starting to cool off, I
became more concerned about comfort in the cold. I managed to find a
matching set of Vetter lowers for my fairing. I had to modify them a
little bit, since they were not the ones originally designed for the
XS11, but they will be fine. I now truly have a "full bagger" bike!
That's what it looks like now, on the lower right of the screen.
Spring of 2010:
My list of things to to to the bike has just
shrunk a bit. I located a left side cover to replace the one that
jumped off on the freeway last year. Unfortunately, it also had a
broken latch. I learned from a fellow XSive and a guitar repair
website that you can use superglue, dusted with baking soda to build
up broken ABS plastic! I know it sounds strange, but it actually
worked! One drop of glue at a time, each one dusted with baking
soda, built up a nice, hard lump. The next day, after curing, I was
able to grind and sand it to shape, and it is strong enough to
actually lock the side cover to the bike now!
I finally located a centerstand and and replaced
the dented fenders, and located a set of 3-point engine guards (not pictured), so now my
bike is officially complete! From now on, the rest is
cosmetic/details. I re-wired the trunk
and replaced all the tail/brake lights with LED bulbs to lower the
electrical needs of the bike. I'm debating doing the same with the
turn signals, but that will force the elimination of the stock
self-cancel feature. I'm not sure I want to loose that.
I just finished a 1400-mile round trip adventure!
I rode to the annual Meeting Of The Minds XS1100 rally in Texas, and
met several other XS11 owners. The trip there was uneventful, but it
rained while I was there, and discovered that one of my coils was
cracked, and didn't like the rain. A bit of JB Weld sealed the
crack, and I rode half of the trip home in solid rain, with no
issues. While I was there, I learned several things about the
differences between the years/models of XS's that I had not known
before. The long ride definitely stressed my 30-year-old seat, and I
will be needing to fix that soon.
Summer 2010
I managed to get my seat fixed, and opted for the
less-expensive vinyl replica cover. It even has the same grain and
double top-stitching like the original MNS seat cover did! I left
the foam innards the same, as they were in relatively good shape.
Some day, I may splurge for a custom foam job, but not for a while.
I just got my own colortune plug, so I can properly tune my carbs.
It really makes a difference when all the carb settings are dialed
in! I am expecting a dynojet kit in the mail soon, so I'm hoping
that will increase my fuel mileage and performance. I just found a
leak in both mufflers, and I now have a bolt broken off in two of
the heat shield mounting holes. I'll get the pipes welded, then I
may hit them with some VHT paint to eliminate the growing rust.
Things I hope to do to my bike, as I can save the
money to do so:
- Get a Bluetooth unit for my helmet for music and
phone sound
- Locate/replace the original brake lines with Stainless Steel
(black colored) ones
- Replace the radio/speakers in the fairing
- Re-finish the Vetter luggage panels/doors, so
they are all shiny black like the fairing
- Refinish the fuel tank & fenders, to remove the few
small dents/scratches and re-paint them
- Gold powder-coat the chrome accents on the Vetter pieces to
match the Midnight Special trim
- Assemble a full toolkit for travelling. I have the tools I
need for most garage work, but I need to keep a set on the bike
for when I am on the road
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Resources for other riders:
So, you have an XS11, but you're not sure
what model it is?
Click the
following links to download:
1981 (Std/Special)
Yamaha XS1100 Owner's Manual
Yamaha XJ1100 Owner's Manual
Yamaha
XS1100 OEM Service Manual (1978-1981)
After-market
Yamaha XS1100 Service Manual (1978-1981)
Yamaha XJ1100 Service Manual (1982)
Shaft Drive Service Manual (applies to
XS's and XJ's)
'81 USA Yamaha Sales Brochure
Installation/wiring instructions for the original Pacifico Fairing
10 printable, disposable, double-ended
dipsticks for middle and final drive oil levels
Yes,
you/we are INVISIBLE! By T.C. Gresham (PDF)
Link to Vetter's supply of mounting instructions for all his
fairings and luggage
If you have a document or resource that you think
would benefit other readers of this page, or you have comments or
questions about the documents listed here, please
E-MAIL ME, and let me know.
Interested in
helmet safety? I did some research.
CLICK HERE to read
what I found!
I wish to thank everyone who supported my
participation in the B.A.D. (Bikers Against Diabetes) ride
here in St. Louis on September 27th, 2009 by donating to the American
Diabetes Association. I was able to raise a grand total of $648 to
help Diabetes research, education and awareness.
Thank you all!
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