An XS Odyssey and props to MadMike!

[Silent]

You got it wrong, that's why you're not getting any credit! It wasn't a flutzlehouser, it was a flatulence housing.

 

[RadioHowie]

More moto pr0n for those that are interested
Photo Shoot pics that were sent in for the calender.

Sweet...to my somewhat practiced eye, they picked the right pic for the calendar. Best composition, lighting and contrast of the bunch....only thing I woulda done diff is use a polarizing filter to make the sky, clouds and background vista POP!

She's a beaut!

This woulda been my 2nd choice:

BTW, is that dinky-assed sidestand as design-flawed as the Feejer's? :blum:

 

[wheatonFJR]

I bet there's still alot of muscle in that old beast. B)

 

[exskibum]

Dayum!!! Sweet bike! This has been a fun project to follow, and it's obviously turned out great. This pic brings me right back to when I bought my first brand new bike (and I was still in my 20s). For that event, I shopped and compared the '79 Yamaha XS11, Honda CBX 1000, Kawasaki KZ 1000, and Suzuki GS 1000EC models. Eventually decided on the Suzuki with the Yamaha a very close second, and then found a '78 GS 1000EC new in a crate in Reno, NV and bought it for about a 10% savings (I liked the '78 better than the barely different '79 anyway).

Seeing what you did with Mike's bike (that I had seen sitting forlornly and unattended amid a pile of parts in his garage) sure makes me wish I had my old GS 1000 back and restored . . . OR . . . that restored version of Mike's old bike. :dribble:

 

[Brodie]

Nice Job Ray!

It's hard to believe that it's over 30 years old. I remember when they were new, and I'm not that old, [SIZE=8pt]am I?[/SIZE]

It goes to show that good equipment will stand the test of time. If I'm not mistaken, that differential looks like the one used for the First Gen. Venture - 1984, 1985.

I bet it handles sweet. :good:

Brodie

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Ray,

I have no idea how I ignored this thread entirely. I have no words to express how much I enjoyed the past 2+ hours reading every word, seeing each picture and reading/looking at every link. I am flabbergasted at the skills displayed, dedication, and gorgeous result of all your hard work.

I knew talking to you in the NAFO parking lot that you knew your way around a motorcycle, but this build was incredible!

A note to MM2: What a good man and good thing for you to do! I gave a 1982 Suzuki 1100GL to a buddy a few years ago because he didn't have a ride. I know the pleasure of doing such a thing, and also the twinge when you hand the keys over. Good on ya.

Thanks for the ride Ray.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

Simply awesome work! :good:

 

[Silent]

If I'm not mistaken, that differential looks like the one used for the First Gen. Venture - 1984, 1985.

It is similar to the final drive I had on my '84 Venture Royal, in fact I had the same dip stick to check the oil with. I don't think the gearing is the same tho, the Venture use to haul, and it weighed quite a bit more than the XS. I have considered changing it out to one from an XS650 to change the gearing a bit.

I bet it handles sweet. :good:

It handles great for a '79 I don't push it to far since I'm running old rubber. The miser in me won't let me replace the old tires until they wear more, or show signs of needing to be replaced.

 

[FJRay]

You got it wrong, that's why you're not getting any credit! It wasn't a flutzlehouser, it was a flatulence housing.

So you are saying he is an A@# hole.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Very nice photo...do you have a "before" picture...to place next to this one?

 

[Silent]

You got it wrong, that's why you're not getting any credit! It wasn't a flutzlehouser, it was a flatulence housing.

So you are saying he is an A@# hole.

I wouldn't call my good friend Hans that :blink:

You might tho

Very nice photo...do you have a "before" picture...to place next to this one?

Thanks, I'm not the best photographer, but I try. I didn't take to many pictures of the 'before' variety. This is the pic Mike sent to me over a year ago, probably a 6 year old pic, or older, Mike could tell you for sure.

 

[madmike2]

:clapping: Great job, Ray! :clapping:

Obviously the folks on the XS website agree....

As I told you the first time we discussed the bike, "I'm looking the the right person for this project bike."

Evidently I found him in you.

You've done very well!

_______________________________

Wheaton, that photo was taken before my Concours, before the '04 FJR (Delivered to me in August '03) , so I'm guessing 2000 or 2001.

 

[FarWestFastEddie]

Excellent Job Ray!!

The pictures tell the various forms the motorcycle has

gone thru, its evolution. I have a XS 11e, its in clean

shape for being a '78, maybe I should consider a

rebuild. It is obvious time consumming task.

MadMike, lets hoist one at WFO! I am going to ride my XS 11

there! Nostalgia!

FWFE

 

[dcarver]

Silent, very very nice! Cool to see old machines brought back to life! I hope you're feeling better and to ride again soon with you.

 

[Silent]

Funny thing about motorcycle engines. As it turns out they do not like it when there's over a gallon of fuel mixed in with the oil, from sitting with the petcock on prime for a couple days, or for other mysterious reasons. Now the old 2 strokes liked having oil in the fuel. that's how they were lubricated, but modern four stokes don't care to much for fuel in the oil. They try and spit the offending solution out of engine thru the bypass tube, right into the airbox, causing the offending solution to leak all over said four stroke and the ground beneath. This tends to make for a very messy, and dangerous situation. Ok, I admit it, I left the petcock on prime the last time I rode it. What can I say? I forgot by doing so, I opened a whole can of worms. Maybe I'll be more apt to remember next time.

Now that thats out in the open, the oil's been drained, and the carbs are back in and ready to go. Just waiting for the fuel to evaporate out of the engine caseing a bit before putting in new Synthetic oil.

On a side note, watch your reciepts, my local auto parts store tried to charge me $7.50 a quart for oil that was listed at $5.00. They did make it right and sold it for the lower price tho, but only because I noticed the price difference on the way out the door.

 

[dcarver]

Funny thing about motorcycle engines. As it turns out they do not like it when there's over a gallon of fuel mixed in with the oil, from sitting with the petcock on prime for a couple days, or for other mysterious reasons. Now the old 2 strokes liked having oil in the fuel. that's how they were lubricated, but modern four stokes don't care to much for fuel in the oil. They try and spit the offending solution out of engine thru the bypass tube, right into the airbox, causing the offending solution to leak all over said four stroke and the ground beneath. This tends to make for a very messy, and dangerous situation. Ok, I admit it, I left the petcock on prime the last time I rode it. What can I say? I forgot by doing so, I opened a whole can of worms. Maybe I'll be more apt to remember next time.
Now that thats out in the open, the oil's been drained, and the carbs are back in and ready to go. Just waiting for the fuel to evaporate out of the engine caseing a bit before putting in new Synthetic oil.

On a side note, watch your reciepts, my local auto parts store tried to charge me $7.50 a quart for oil that was listed at $5.00. They did make it right and sold it for the lower price tho, but only because I noticed the price difference on the way out the door.

Silent, I can also tell you that high compression gas engines also don't like it when you put diesel fuel in the tank...

 

[James Burleigh]

Silent said pet cock.....

 

[madmike2]

I never did trust those vacuum petcocks. I believe I warned you that I always parked it with the petcocks in the "OFF" position.

They're old and have been known to leak through...not good! :nono:

At least the "fix" wasn't more serious than an oil and filter change!

 

[Brodie]

A few years back California put MTBE in the fuel as an oxygenate. The stuff is a poisonous byproduct of the refining process- something to be gotten rid of. It attacked the "rubber" seals in the fuel systems of the day. Since then modern vehicles have had their fuel lines and seals made out of more robust material that stands up to the stuff. You may have to get a new petcock ( or at least new packing ) for your bike.Once you start switching from mains to reserve on a regular basis it may fail on you. There was a time I didn't ride my Ascot very much. The petcock wasn't moved off of mains. When I worked on my Venture I put my ascot back in daily service. After working the petcock a few times it started drooling gas past the handle and onto a hot engine.

NOT GOOD!

I ended up buying a new one from Honda to stop the leak. Be prepared.

Brodie

 

[madmike2]

You may have to get a new petcock ( or at least new packing ) for your bike.Once you start switching from mains to reserve on a regular basis it may fail on you. There was a time I didn't ride my Ascot very much. The petcock wasn't moved off of mains. When I worked on my Venture I put my ascot back in daily service. After working the petcock a few times it started drooling gas past the handle and onto a hot engine.
NOT GOOD!

I ended up buying a new one from Honda to stop the leak. Be prepared.

Brodie

On the XS1100, there are 2 means of gas flow interruption. First, there is a petcock on the tank with "off-on-prime" positions. Then there is a vacuum operated valve (maybe 2?) between the tank petcock and the carburetors. The vacuum operated valves never did completely seal and the needle/seat in one of the carburetors would seep.

I know Ray rebuilt the carburetors but, as I noted, I never trusted things and always turned the main petcock to "off". IIRC, I had kits for both valves and gave them to Ray in one of the boxes of accumulated parts.

Ray, just chalk it up to the experience of owning a "classic"!