1100 SF on the road

[melbxs]

My faulty TCI resulted in on/off cylinder misfiring. If I cycled the ignition key it would come back good and start misfiring again in a couple of Klms time.  There was a NZ guy on eBay who made replacements. Will see if I can find a link.

[petejw1966]

when I had a faulty tci,
it killed 2 cylinders,
do u know if it was running on 2 or 3 cylinders?
if it was 3 more than likely another cause
if its running on 2 then maybe the tci is faulty,
u can unscrew the back of the box and check the solder joints
some have had success in resoldering the joints,
also don't forget to check the pick up wires for any breaks,
this can also cause the engine to run on 2 cylinders.   jat

[Eveready1100]

Actually, mate. That sounds for the life of me, like bad connections somewhere. Save your money buying the TCT unit and go through all the connectors in the harness, firstly cleaning with an aerosol contact cleaner (or similar) then just for added insurance, give all the male pins a tweak (slight twist) with a pair of long nosed pliers to make sure there's contact when you plug the connectors  together

[Far Canal]

Thanks for the feedback you guys. Excellent advice and links.Strangely enough I think I have fluked a fix for the issue of not running on all fours.When I bought the bike it was not running on all fours. A mate who is into XS's told me that the TCI (black box) was stuffed, he put a spare one he had onto my bike and vrrooom running on all fours.So I went and bought another second hand one from ebay (US) so that I could give him his spare one back. I put the one I bought from ebay on the bike and started it up and the bike was running on all fours...in the shed...not being ridden.
This morning I was considering the problems mentioned earlier about erratic running and dwelling on a reluctance to pull all the cays appart and it got me thinking about that flaming black box. So I put my mates one back on and took bike for a spin, maybe 100klm and it didn't miss a beat....just like a bought one.
Upshot is I reckon I've got it sorted. Downshot is I reckon I have bought a dodgy TCI (black box).
Ive only ever had bikes with points so am in the dark with these black box units.
Would really like to know if this scenario is typical of them....you know....like when they stuff up, what sort of symptoms do you normally get? Also can you get new ones? or are you at the peril of dealing with unsavoury characters  off ebay?
Anyone got a KNOWN WORKING CDI that they would sell me?

[Eveready1100]

Brad, do the fuel lines go straight from the taps to the carb tees, or is the octy valve still there on top of #2 carb -
If not, this is the vacuum shutoff valve as fitted to the Special models (and RH's) which stops the flow of fuel when the motor is shut down.

In a lot of cases of the carbs flooding / leaking while sitting, it's the needle and seat that's the culprit. Sometimes it can be fixed by tapping on the float bowl of the offending carby with the handle of a screwdriver or similar device(you can check which one it is by pulling off the air filter base and looking up inside. It'll be evident which one is leaking)
Also in a lot of cases, carbs that have been cleaned (even professionally) by the PO haven't been properly cleaned, or, if left sitting for a period, the fuel can deteriorate and gum all the tiny passages up - CLICK to read thread
BTW, mate. NEVER put ethanol mix fuel in your XS. the ethanol attacks all the rubber bits in the carbs. Just good ol normal 91 ron unleaded will suit it best.
If you have to pull the carb bank to do the needles and seats, check the bowl gaskets for fit along the inside edges of the bowls. Some aftermarket gasket kits have gaskets that are slightly too wide and foul the floats. Also, while you have the carbs apart, check the floats for pinholes. A set of digital scales would be very handy for this, but if not available, just give them a (gentle) shake while holding up near your ear. You will hear them slosh if there's fuel in them.
Also highly recommend fitting some inline filters in your fuel lines to keep the carb passages clear once you've given them the once over.

Here's a link to a very handy guide for new XS owners - CLICK. You don't have to do it all at once, but a read through the relevant sections will be very educational.

[Far Canal]

This model (US import) does have an off position on the fuel taps. Which seems weird if they aren't meant to let fuel flow in the on position with the engine stopped, but anyway there is an off position.
Previous owner told me that the carbs had been overhauled/cleaned as the bike had been sitting so long.I tend to believe it as 10000 miles for a 34 year old bike is pretty minimal.Plus he was upfront about what needed doing.Having said that though a puddle of fuel on shed floor tends to suggest something is not right.With regard to a possible sticking float ,What are the chances of removing fuel bowls off the bottom of carbys without removing the entire carby set up wholus-bolus? Also would a sticking float cause an engine to run on less than four cylinders? If anything it felt like a starvation problem....mmmm maybe I'm clutching at straws>

[excess.11]

Not leaking on the centrestand.......and leaking on the sidestand is what your describing ....maybe indicating a sticking float.
If no maintainence has been done in the area of the carbys that you know of..........it might pay to remove them and give them a good clean out. This one costs nothing but .......time and parts .....you feel might be at fault that you see.
To see if the vacuum cutoff is working on the taps.....simply remove the fuel line going to the carby with it in the on or reserve position......where no fuel should be flowing in either of these 2 positions .....without the vacuum from the engine running.
Fuel will flow  in the prime position......without vacuum.

[Jonesy :-)]

G,day FC
as for the intermittent running on less than 4 cyl's
Take the left side engine cover off and check for broken wires to the pick up coils, the light blue and orange ones, you'll be able to stretch the insulation if theres a brake in the wire
common fault with these old things.
as for the fuel taps...I assume they are vacuum operated like the standard XS and don't actually have an off position. Leaking fuel taps is also a common problem.
The most effective and cheapest ($0) fix for this is the " fuel tap off position mod"
I recently did this after putting needle and seat kits and fuel tap kits in mine to no avail. but the off mod did the trick

Read reply #2 in the link below. it gives a brief explanation on the off mod

http://xs1100.com.au/forum/index.php?topic=1959.msg12719#msg12719

[Far Canal]

Well finally fixed the fork seals and rode the 25 odd klms down to get it registered. First decent ride, must say I was pleasantly surprised with the smoothness and power of the 10,000 mile old motor. Even the silly looking buckhorn handlebars were more comfortable than they looked like they would be. Rode most of the way home a bit quicker as it was now legal and all was great, UNTILL I stopped at a shop to get a few things. When I got back on it was not running on all 4 cyls not sure if it was 3 or 2. Pulled over and at standstill gave the engine a few quick revs and "bingo" running on 4 again.
Got home left bike on sidestand. In the shed the next day there was a pool of fuel under the bike.This was the first time I'd left it on the sidestand, it doesn't leak on centrestand. I always turn the fuel tap off out of habbit so I assume the pool of fuel was the contents of the 4 carbys.
Anyway took the bike for another spin today up into town 30klms away.It went fantastic untill I turned it off and restarted a short time later...same thing not running on all four cylinders.
Was hoping to get a few tips here, not sure if these things are prone to leaking fuel on the sidestand? (I know my old Honda 750 four sure does). But I suspect it may be a fuel problem with the erratic running on all 4's thing.
Tried riding with fuel taps in the on,prime and reserve position,when it wasn't running right and no difference noted.
Any advice appreciated. thanks in advance