1980 Yamaha XS1100

This will be my 3rd bike owned, but the first that I plan on modifying in any way. It's nothing impressive but I wanted to keep a build log somewhere, so I figured this is good.

I got this bike in a trade, I traded my broken ATV for this guy's broken, no-title motorcycle. I got it titled via the Vermont method. The bike is real roughed up, it would take a small fortune to restore it, so I figured a fun project would be nice.

The pic is from the ad, it doesn't look any different yet. So far I've cleaned out the gas tank, cleaned the carbs, got a new ignition (it didn't come with keys), and ripped the boots out of the airbox out of frustration. They're pretty much rubber velocity stacks, which are currently covered in pieces of panty hose and clamped to the carbs. The air box was extremely difficult to get onto the carbs. Just to get one boot on (after I took them all out) I laid the carbs down, sprayed silicone lube in the boot, removed the clamp, and had to use my body weight to force the boot down on the carb. Getting all 4 on at once was damn near impossible.

Here's a video from the first time I got it running on all cylinders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQCahotXRfI
(apologies for vertical video)

Plans/to-do list: new battery, new tires, tune carb, mx bars, trim seat pan/foam to brat style, recover seat, replace tail light and signals (maybe head light?) with much smaller units, ditch the gauges, wrap pipes, minimize front fender, not sure about rear fender, strip paint off tank (patch rust holes) and rattle can with clear coat.

Nice theyre coming out of the wood work

Nice. I have an 81

I got a new battery and front master cylinder. Front brakes bled fine yesterday, no leaks. The front wheel is difficult to turn, I may need to disassemble the calipers and make sure everything can move freely. Next will be filling/bleeding the rear brake.

I also stripped all the paint off the tank with a wire wheel. I'm not going to try to make it look nice, it's got way too many dents for me to bother repairing it enough to make paint look good. I want to polish up the knee dent areas to make to add a bit of visual appeal, then I figured I'd clear coat it and call it good enough. It looks pretty cool all metal, but I also found a whole bunch of rust holes.

Eventually I'll repair it properly (have a shop do it, or learn to braze), but in the spirit of "just get the damn thing moving under its own power", I'm filling the holes with JB Weld WaterWeld. It's pretty much the same thing as QuikSteel, it's a 2-part putty you knead together to activate. The package specifically mentions using it on gas tanks, and that it's resistant to oil, gas, and diesel. So it should hold up for at least a while. Or until new rust holes form from the inside out.

I have a build in progress 1979.
This is where it sits right now.
Been trying to finish my other bike up before I really get going on this one.

Nice, I would never have the discipline to take it that far, unless I had it back together the same day. I had a car engine swap project that was over my head, ended up sitting for years before selling it in its disassembled state.

So my goal with this is to consistently make progress, don't stall at all, even if it's small stuff each day.

Oakback,

Your XS1100 standard shares some parts with the XS650. If you buy an XS650 front fender, it will directly bolt up to your bike. Your fender might sell for enough to defray most of the expense. You can shop XS650 for brakes, too! There are a bunch of bits you can swap over. (not seats) As you may be aware, the XS650 has a large aftermarket.

jetmechmarty said:

Oakback,

Your XS1100 standard shares some parts with the XS650. If you buy an XS650 front fender, it will directly bolt up to your bike. Your fender might sell for enough to defray most of the expense. You can shop XS650 for brakes, too! There are a bunch of bits you can swap over. (not seats) As you may be aware, the XS650 has a large aftermarket.

Click to expand...

Thanks, but the front fender is dented and twisted a bit anyway. The pic doesn't accurately show how bad (cosmetically) this bike is. I plan on trying to clean up and sell the signals, rear grab bar, gauges (not sure if they work), maybe the airbox (without the boots), and handlebars. But not until I get the new parts, to make sure wiring and such doesn't get too confusing.

Good to know there are a lot of parts that swap over, I'll keep that in mind.

I think I'm ready to admit I need a new tank. But I'll have to use this until it fails, or until the budget allows me to properly repair or replace this. I might line the inside, then wire-wheel off all the putty, then learn to braze over the holes. The brass would look cool. I dunno.

I've read that the only tank that will swap over (without modification) is from an xs11 special, which I don't like at all.

I know a huge Harley buff, has a bunch of Harley friends and lots of parts hanging around. He has several sets of wheels and tires and other parts that he's offering. I know a rear wheel won't work (since this is shaft drive), but a different front might be cool, if he doesn't have a tire that'll fit my rim.

Damn, are all those rust holes??
Would be more worried about getting whats inside the tank into the carbs then..

datadavid said:

Damn, are all those rust holes??
Would be more worried about getting whats inside the tank into the carbs then..

Click to expand...

Yup, most were very tiny pinholes. I've got a couple clear filters on the fuel lines. I did the electrolysis rust removal and rinsed the tank many times. I know there's still rust in there, but it's not loose for now. I don't know if it's worth lining the inside with redkote or por15.

I think there has much discussion between both ....and Caswell won....

DesmoBro said:

I think there has much discussion between both ....and Caswell won....

Click to expand...

Thanks, I hadn't heard of that. Sounds like just what I need. I might be able to keep this tank (and get rid of the putty) after all.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy a good tank off eBay or a forum member than spending on all of these "fixes"?

deviant said:

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy a good tank off eBay or a forum member than spending on all of these "fixes"?

Click to expand...

Epoxy putty: $5
Tank sealer: $36
Rattle can of clear: $10 (I think? I don't remember, I already have it)

Tank: $140 (the last one I spotted on ebay)
edit: I searched some more, in the past they've sold anywhere between $130 and $235, depending on condition

I'm not trying to make it look good, I'm just trying to make it functional.