Yamaha XS1100

[tntmo]

A friend has located a neglected 1980 XS1100 Special in his neighbors garage, she wants to get rid of it so I may take it on as a project.

It hasn't been run in probably ten years, the carburetors and air box are already removed. Everything appears to be there and the bike overall looks pretty good . The usual stuff: tank has varnish/rust, brakes need servicing, dead battery, etc.....all the normal stuff that I have done dozens of times.

Has anyone ever owned one of these beasts? I guess it was the fastest production bike for a little bit, ran 11.7 1/4 mile times or something like that. Should be a fun project!

 

[Sierra1]

It was the precursor to the FJ 1100. (and the great grandpa to the FJR) Very likely the same engine, just different packaging. They didn't change all that much when it went from FJ to FJR.

 

[OldRider]

There is a very good XS100 page on Facebook loaded with parts and info.

 

[Tenman]

Buddy of mine could smoke anybody in town on his. The shaft drive made it buck on acceleration. He could open and close the throttle hard and it looked like it was goona jump off the ground.

 

[MFP]

A friend has located a neglected 1980 XS1100 Special in his neighbors garage, she wants to get rid of it so I may take it on as a project.

By any chance is it a Midnight Special?

 

[hogrunner]

Had one mid 80s. Think it might have been an 81. Black. Fast for the time. Good bike. Saw indicated 132 on it in so cal (way past statute of limitations). Wallowed at that speed. The Kz1000 had more character but was chain driven. Remember the black/gold Midnight Specials new back in 81. Bad Ass but the Xs1100 was king for a short time; CBX 1000 came out about two weeks after the XS and stole the show. Had a CBX briefly and burned it up going across so cal desert. Never could hurt that old XS or any of the 80s KZ bikes. Had an XS750 before enlisting in the early 80s. Three cylinder; Sounded weird but was smooth like a 4 cly with torque and low rpm like a parallel twin. Fun times!

 

[PhilPhilippines]

A brother of a good friend of mine had one in 83-86. All black with subtle pinstripes, straight cut-off pipes and naked cafe-racer styling. Used open the sash windows at 11pm to hear him open it up through the Watford Underpass after the pubs closed - lovely soundtrack, followed by popping and spitting flames!

Soundtrack over. Back to a cloudy room and sounds back on...

 

[tntmo]

It was the precursor to the FJ 1100. (and the great grandpa to the FJR) Very likely the same engine, just different packaging. They didn't change all that much when it went from FJ to FJR.

The XS is air cooled and two valves per cylinder, so maybe some of the architecture was used but likely not much in common. The FJ was air cooled if I recall correctly, but chain drive. Yamaha has made some darn good bikes when you start to think about it!

 

[tntmo]

By any chance is it a Midnight Special?

No, just the Special. When he told me about it, I was sort of hoping for the standard model. They are a bit less common, and I wouldn't have chosen that model years ago but I like the look of them now.

Here's a picture of the bike that my neighbor took.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . The FJ was air cooled if I recall correctly, but chain drive. . . .

If you put an FJ beside an FJR, you can see the similarities. Yes, they went from air to water for cooling, and added a shaft. (which is why I can see Yamaha using the MT10 motor for the Tenere in the future) But, most of FJ motor remains.

Now, I thought the XS 11 started as a triple. I remember reading an article where a magazine took one across country. But, I can't find anything mentioning it having anything but a four. Am I imagining things? (wouldn't be the first time)

 

[tntmo]

Had one mid 80s. Think it might have been an 81. Black. Fast for the time. Good bike. Saw indicated 132 on it in so cal (way past statute of limitations). Wallowed at that speed. The Kz1000 had more character but was chain driven. Remember the black/gold Midnight Specials new back in 81. Bad Ass but the Xs1100 was king for a short time; CBX 1000 came out about two weeks after the XS and stole the show. Had a CBX briefly and burned it up going across so cal desert. Never could hurt that old XS or any of the 80s KZ bikes. Had an XS750 before enlisting in the early 80s. Three cylinder; Sounded weird but was smooth like a 4 cly with torque and low rpm like a parallel twin. Fun times!

The bit of research I have done has said that it wasn't a great handling bike (not many were in the late 70's/early 80's) but a good comfortable cruising bike. It's pretty heavy and plenty long, so I can understand that. Also, this was the first four cylinder bike that Yamaha produced. Almost ten years after the Honda CB750, makes you wonder what Yamaha was thinking? I guess they went all in, made the biggest four cylinder out there.

 

[tntmo]

If you put an FJ beside an FJR, you can see the similarities. Yes, they went from air to water for cooling, and added a shaft. (which is why I can see Yamaha using the MT10 motor for the Tenere in the future) But, most of FJ motor remains.

Now, I thought the XS 11 started as a triple. I remember reading an article where a magazine took one across country. But, I can't find anything mentioning it having anything but a four. Am I imagining things? (wouldn't be the first time)

I took apart a low compression FJR engine, the thing is a beast. Nice big bearings, huge crankshaft counter weights, really made to last. I'm sure the FJ is similar.

The XS11 engine was based off the XS750 triple from what I remember as well.

 

[WJBertrand]

The XS1100 was always a four. You are probably thinking about the closely related XS750/XS850 which was indeed a triple, basically and XS1100 with a cylinder lopped off and a 120 degree crank. I owned a '78 XS750E from new, it was a nice bike for touring but didn't handle that well and mine had a lot of mechanical and electric problems. Not sure if the 1100s suffered similar maladies or not.

 

[tntmo]

The XS1100 was always a four. You are probably thinking about the closely related XS750/XS850 which was indeed a triple, basically and XS1100 with a cylinder lopped off and a 120 degree crank. I owned a '78 XS750E from new, it was a nice bike for touring but didn't handle that well and mine had a lot of mechanical and electric problems. Not sure if the 1100s suffered similar maladies or not.

Yes, the XS1100 followed the XS750 triple, using some of it's features.
The XS1100 has some common issues, one of the big ones being a weak second gear that plagues a lot of that era Yamaha's. I have had a Seca 750 with that problem, had to split the engine and change out the shift drum and shift fork along with 2nd and 5th gear.

 

[tntmo]

Not sure how many of you are familiar with Kevin Cameron (he used to write for Cycle World magazine and several others).

Yamaha XS1100 - CLASSICS REMEMBERED

Technical Editor Kevin Cameron examines the interesting history of the Yamaha XS1100 or 'XS11' because it could lay down a high 11-second quarter-mile run.

www.cycleworld.com

 

[MFP]

No, just the Special. When he told me about it, I was sort of hoping for the standard model. They are a bit less common, and I wouldn't have chosen that model years ago but I like the look of them now.

Here's a picture of the bike that my neighbor took.
View attachment 81964

Would be interested to know what the date codes on those Dunlop Elites are
as they look to be the originals that came with that bike….

 

[tntmo]

Would be interested to know what the date codes on those Dunlop Elites are
as they look to be the originals that came with that bike….

Look at all the tread, though! I bet they are hard as a rock. The bike has 30,000 miles or something like that. I'm guessing the tires are at least ten years old. It was last registered in 2016 but I don't think it was running then.

 

[Sierra1]

Would be interested to know what the date codes on those Dunlop Elites are
as they look to be the originals that came with that bike….

Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing. I had the original Elites on my SECA. I can't remember when the Elite II came out.

 

[tntmo]

I had to look it up, they still make the Elite II. I can't remember the last time I bought one of those tires.

 

[SkunkWorks]

The XS-1100 engine was a completely different design than the later FJ1100/1200 engines. They were both air-cooled but don't share any architecture.
The FJR1300 engine was also a complete re-design, and does not share any architecture with the FJ1100/1200 engines.
No parts will interchange as far as I know.