Probably should know, but don't

[excess.11]

Many things to check when you have intermittent or hard to start problems.The xs1100 being the age it is and with enough reports from owners to verify common failures and fixes as Brian has pointed out.Aside from the hi tension leads from the coils causing hard to start and misfirng / loss of power when wet.........i have had a broken contact plate under the kill switch on the throttle switches.Come to think of it........it still is broken ...albeit repaired with epoxy glue.Maybe a get together for a quick look over your bike will answer most of your queries all at once......as well as on here and all the other sites and references you can find via links.

[melbxs]

Thanks thats a good start for me, a think the vibration is engine related, rather than rolling chassis

Could easily be unbalanced carbs. Have you got access to vacuum guages?

[melbxs]

I've just copied over a post from the UK site that details all the sorts of jobs you want to think about when you pick up an XS. You'll find it here:

http://xs1100.com.au/forum/index.php?topic=917.msg4594#msg4594

One of the most important, that I would never have thought of, is to go through all the contact points on the bike and clean them up. This will really help starting and can cure a host of ills. Best of all it takes about 1/2 an hour and costs nowt.

http://www.benefiscal.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4234.0

[dahcar]

Thanks thats a good start for me, a think the vibration is engine related, rather than rolling chassis

[melbxs]

You sound like a perfect candidate for the first Melbourne Workshop day. 

The oil leak from the cam tensioner can be quite easily fixed. The rubber plug on the front of the tensioner is a push-fit and over the years they all become sloppy. Take the plug out and put it back in with a squirt of silicone to seal it. You can do the same with the half moons or you can buy some fresh new ones.

The vibration sounds like something you want to get to the bottom of. It could be a wheel bearing. Maybe check the wheel hubs for heat after a bit of a run?

Could be the diff or middle gear box. Have you checked the oil levels in those? Well worth changing the oil in them if you haven't done so yet.

Wet starting problem could be old HT leads shorting when wet or damp. The HT leads are bonded into the coils. Options range from new coils and leads (if you have $150 to spend) or you can replace the coils with good 2nd hand ones (if available), or you can get crafty and cut the leads out of the original coils and put fresh new leads in. Instructions available for all options - I can point you in the right direction.

[dahcar]

Hi all. I'm a new owner of a XS1100E, rode it back from Adelaide to Mornington (Melbourne) last November. This is the first 4 cylinder I've had, so lots of things I don't know. So far I have only put oil in it, as it weaps slightly from cam rubber things on RHS. But leaks from cam chain tensioner, enough where odd drips will land on ground. How do I fix this? It has always started & run well, I have experimented with 91-98 octane fuel, in slow moving it gets abit sluggish on 91, until the revs rise, but overall runs well. Although this is the only XS1100 I have ridden.
However recently a vibration is nearly always present, before there was vibration at lower speeds, but 70-80 it was perfectly smooth. Dont know what it is.
I left it outside last night, & the heavens opened, it would not fire this morning in the dark. After virtually flattening battery in bursts, gave up. This arvo, pulled blade fuses out, all OK. Attached strobe light, it flashed & bike fired & stalled, so ignition works (has petrol). I am now charging battery to try again tomorrow.
I don't have a manual, to remove the oil filter I have to remove the 4-1 exhaust, do I need replacement exhaust gaskets? Probably enough ramblings for starters