81 XS 1100 Start

[BrettS]

Nice spot Errol, Looks different to this one



It sounds like you suggest that the unit that matches my engine may not fit the wiring loom, is that correct?

Work meant a trip to Orange today so I decided to take the bike. That's about a 260km round trip. It went pretty good and I am even starting to feel comfortable at top road speed.
The poor speedo started falling apart. First most of the needle disappeared then what was left of the needle went from erratic to very erratic to pointing in any direction and making no sense. The tacho/trip meter was still going but then stopped at 180km. I worked out that 110km was just over 4000 revs in top gear.
Still not sure how serious the lag is (someone that rides a good XS would be better qualified) but something else that did show up that was more problematic to riding it was clutch slip. It showed up most often in 4th and 5th under load such as hills and head wind. (it was a windy day) Seems that may be an easier fix than I thought.
At first I thought it was going through heaps of fuel but in the end it went through 26 liters so 10L per 100km. Now I check the fuel economy of these again that still seems ALOT. Should be almost half that I think.
Still I was very happy with it overall for a 30 year old bike that still needs lots of TLC it was ALOT of fun riding it today especially around the windy hills. I even thought of strapiing that carton to the back seat and heading of to find Errol 

[excess.11]

Brett......make that 2 slabs that Errol won t accept.............

[Eveready1100]

Again!
Mate, I just went back and re-read this thread from the start up to here, and I can't find a reference to your TCI unit number (Black box on the rear guard). Being that the bikes frame is a 3X1 and theoretically the harness is also, motor is a 5H4 which is the latest version of the XS11 donk. If you happen to have an early TCI on it, you won't be getting the advance required for it to rev properly.


^ Hopefully, it'll read like this one.

[BrettS]

Will do. I should have said that is next on the list but didn't think to mention that.

[excess.11]

Quote........."Without the frame being grounded the rest of the electrics are relying on parts touching other parts through the drivetrain to somehow attain a difference in potential."

Trust me on this one Brett.........get that earth strap on Asap.

[BrettS]

Hey Jeff, thanks but if it would cause that much trouble then maybe it is earthed somewhere else as it really is running pretty good  I think it will take me a while to get my head around the bikes wiring but I am getting there.

I got full rego today  Passed the blue slip first go but I did have to take the bike to get weighed. Got the plate from the RTA with minutes to spare. Took it out on the open road and it hits 100kmh fairly easy. Can't say I got there in second gear yet, I think my best was about 80kmh in second. And at 120kmh into strong cross wind I think the only thing holding the bike back was me  I must say you feel pretty vulnerable on a bike at full legal speed  I watched a truck behind a car veer of into the gravel slightly and several scenarios went through my head that spelt instant death. You bike riders are a breed unto yourselves LOL 

It is hard to grasp what is going on over the Internet. I was thinking today that what I call a slight lag when accelerating maybe not much more than what has been explained to me happens when the original exhaust is replaced with a 4 into 1.
I haven't yet checked the inlet manifold cracks aren't leaking or it could be any number of small issues that don't have the bike running at optimum yet. We know that the valve shims are not in tolerance. That may be next on the list.
But over all I think we are winning. I had an absolute ball riding the bike in and out of town for a couple of hours this evening. Visiting friends trips to the shops. I was getting pretty good at hitting the town speed limit and making as much noise as possible as fast as possible  Finding the miss seems to be getting harder but I am sure it can still be improved.

I am very gratefull for all the help and hope that I can shout the beers when we meet 
Yaaaa I have rego 

[excess.11]

There are a couple of ring connectors with black wires crimped to them that attach to one of the two screws that hold down the regulator/rectifier that sits under the tank between the top of the frame.
Aside from the neg battery strap to the frame .......these are the 2 connectors that will give you all sorts of strange effects if not properly grounded and tight...as they service the return path of 90% electrical items on the bike.

 If you don t have battery negative strap attached to the frame....I d hate to think of all the components that are nt  receiving the correct voltages under load conditions. Get jiggy as fast as you can and clean up the threads and contact point on the frame with a piece of Emery sandpaper or the like.
The only things i can think of that are getting a satisfactory neg........is the oil pressure and neutral switches mounted on the motor.
Without the frame being grounded the rest of the electrics are relying on parts touching other parts through the drivetrain to somehow attain a difference in potential.

The 2 ring connectors i mentioned are responsible for providing a neg to the rest of the electrics.........coils.......ignition unit..reg/rectifier/all lighting/horns/starter push button.
It s a wonder the bike is running at all !!!!

It may explain why you feel the bike seems to struggle getting up to speeds of 100kmph plus......along with a shiteload of other issues...

You owe Errol a slab of the best for picking up that one in the pic you posted of the battery clamp........not that he would ever entertain the thought of accepting it from you .... .....we are all here just to see others enjoy their bikes and resolve problems wherever we can.

[BrettS]

Went over the bike again today. Put a new high flow KN air filter in and shored up any air leaks in the air box to carbies, put the OEM blind plugs on. Reset the fuel mixture to one and a half turns out on each carby.
Seems to again be running slightly better. I am sure things can still get better but it is running pretty good.
So am I correct in understanding that the black box on the rear guard is electronic ignition and only on the 81's ?

I was thinking if the bike should hit 100kmh in second gear then maybe I am just changing gears too early 

After a spit and polish it is down at the shop getting a blue slip check, fingers crossed 

Oh and Errol the negative goes only to the engine. I have bought some terminals and wire this morning to earth it to the frame I might do that this afternoon.

[pgnz]

still have the ignition advance,  just non-mechanical,  timing curve controlled by the blackbox 

[petejw1966]

except on the 81 models,
they only have vac adv.

[pgnz]

centrifugal advance unit,  sits under timing plate and pick-up coils,  gives the ignition timing curve,  just sprung weights that spread out in slots as the revs rise,   moves the pick-up coil contact,  pushes the timing forward

[BrettS]

Sorry for the slow reply guys it has been busy around here.
Thanks Errol I will check on that. I might spend the day on the bike tomorrow going over it again. Might even get full rego so needs a couple of things looked at before a blue slip check.

Hi Pg,
At first I thought you were totally wrong but I went and read up about vacumn advance before I opened my big mouth and I do believe youn are 100% correct.
It does seem however that almost all engines will have a mechanical advance as well as a vacumn advance. It is this mechanical advance that will advance the spark as the engine reves increase.
I love it when I am wrong because all of a sudden like magic I am now smarter 
Now I wonder if someone could point me in the direction of the mechanical advance ?

Thanks again guy's the advice is invaluable to me 

[pgnz]

the vac advance always whips back and forth all over the show when revving the engine,  it just follows the vacuum,  the vacuum is increased/decreased by the butterfly position.  The vac advance only comes into play out on the road at small throttle with a light load on the engine. (eg tailwinds,  moderate cruising speeds or down hills)  Even totally disconnected and plugged there's no difference in performance with or without vac advance.  And if an XS11 is struggling to hit 100kph then there's something desperately wrong alright.  Should hit 100 k's in second gear within seconds

[Eveready1100]

Another little question for you, mate. Where does your negative earth cable from the battery hook up to the frame?? The photo that Jonesey posted of his battery shows his cable attached to the lug on the frame where you have your battery bracket bolted. That's where mine goes too.
 In your photo of your bracket, the cable loops back into the nether regions of the battery carrier area. I'm guessing that it might go back down onto the rear of the gearbox??
These bikes really need good earths both on the frame and the engine as a lot of the electrics use the frame as their earth track back to the battery negative terminal, so I'd be putting a short cable to that lug and check  that you have good tight clean connections at these points.

[BrettS]

Been away at SA for just over a week and missed the replies!

I am starting to think I want a ball buster Jonsey even though I am sure I could not handle it yet I am just getting that yearning  Baby steps 

"What you describe sounds right
motor runs clockwise like the arrow on the timing plate at rest the pickups will be against the stop in clockwise direction and when running will advance slightly in the anti CW direction."

Yes but when I hit the juice it heads back in the clockwise direction    It seems to have trouble getting over 100kmh although I have not been on a Loooonng stretch yet this does seem lacking.

Anyway I think it is time to get it on the road and I will learn more in time.

Thanks Errol now I won't have to pester the auto electrician to work that one out