| Author | Message | ||
     Doz |
I may have the chance to score a nice S1 and I happen to have a fairly fresh xb9 motor. Anyone ever attempt this? | ||
| Red93stang |
Yes it’s been done. | ||
| S1owner |
Yes been done This guy is in the Neatherlands and has done it several times   | ||
| Upthemaiden |
Just one thing to note, that bike in the picture appears to be an M2 frame, and the exhaust header is able to squeak under the right side of the frame. Your S1 would have a lower frame and you might not be able to fit the XB header on the bike. I'm not sure if the S1 header would fit onto the XB engine, but even if it does you'd be looking at a custom arrangement for an exhaust, or you could use the XB exhaust and may have to get your headers rewelded to fit. | ||
| Doz |
Thanks for the input. I've yet to purchase the bike but was just wondering about the combination since I've already got the xb motor and the s1 motor needs a total rebuild. Don't know if there is any real benefit. The header issue is a cakewalk, other than mounting points I'm thinking the fuel delivery system would be the biggest difference between the two. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
As far as benefits, like you said you'd be switching from the carb to FI, which would be a plus if you prefer FI. I think even though you're switching from a 1203cc motor to a 984cc motor, with the better heads on the XB I think you still end up with pretty much the same HP. I used to have an XB9 and I don't know that I really remember the engines feeling THAT different. Other than that, I'm sure there are a few other upgrades inside the XB motor just based on it being a slightly newer design. Downsides, are that you're ending up with a more complicated bike, and engine that doesn't share as many parts with a sportster, so eventually little pieces will be harder to track down. Also keep in mind you'll need to track down some extra parts to make it all come together like the XB swingarm, oil lines, weld a mount on the frame for the rear shock, front engine mount for the XB motor to tube frame, XB rear wheel.... and are you really gonna do all of that without swapping to an XB front end while you're at it?? In the end the only parts you're gonna be left with off of the S1 are the frame, tank, tail, seat, and footpegs. If you're in it just for the project, then absolutely go for it. If you were debating it because you assumed sliding that XB motor into the S1 frame would be a practical alternative to rebuilding the S1 motor, I think you'd probably be better rebuilding the S1 motor and saving the XB motor for someday when someone sells an xb with a blown motor for $1000. I feel like personally if I had the money to spend, I'd just spend the money and time rebuilding the S1 motor with a 1450 kit and a bunch of top end work. Just my opinion, I'd be very interested in following along with your project regardless of which way you go with it. | ||
| Phelan |
What are you talking about? Over 75% of an XB motor is shared with the same year XL1200 Sportster. Gaskets, cylinders, heads (machining is slightly different between the two but only an hour or so work to make either work on the other), pushrods (but not the covers), rockerboxes (except rocker covers), oil pump (03-07, fittings are different but swappable, pump itself is the same), entire transmission, primary drive is the same except the clutch basket. That said, putting an XB motor in a tuber is a shit ton of fabrication. Much cheaper to build an XB so everything bolts together. I love fabrication and do a lot of it, but there's a reason I never did a project like this. Cheaper and more fun to rebuild or just buy an S1 and an XB than to make a hybrid of the 2, and not rake/trail figures to keep an eye on to keep it safe. (Message edited by phelan on December 07, 2017) | ||
| S1owner |
I will say this I put an XB swingarm and fronyvend on. It was literally 10 times more work then I was prepared for. If will not do another large mod again!!!!! | ||
| Doz |
Ok, ok. I got it. Maybe a cool idea but not worth the trouble...or the time. But I may use xb wheels or a laced set. Or just focus on doing a chrome frame and blacked out engine. Lots to consider during the winter months | ||
| Upthemaiden |
"What are you talking about? Over 75% of an XB motor is shared with the same year XL1200 Sportster." I said they don't share AS many parts, I didn't say they don't share any. As far as I had always heard, tuber engines were sportster engines with different top ends, but by the time the XBs came around they started making some of their own parts for the bottom end too. | ||
| Kc_zombie |
If you are planning to use a complete example of an S1 for you're chop, er, mod job, then please reconsider. A rebuild would be a better choice. IMHO I have a nice S1 frame with title I'll sell ya... | ||
| Phelan |
Sorry, I read that wrong. 96-up Tubers also got different cams and lightened cranks, except M2 didn't get cams and S2 didn't get anything (bone stock Sportster motor). | ||
| Doz |
Thanks Kc, but the bike is fairly complete. I'm not a fan of chopping- especially a buell. Currently I'm leaning toward a restore. Just keep tripping over this spare xb motor. | ||
| S1owner |
Laced wheels would be cool! | ||
| Ratbuell |
The other thing you give up on an XB motor is the trap door transmission. Blow a gear in an XB? Time to split the cases... | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
It is doable to put a xb engine in a tuber frame without cutting and welding on the frame. You could even keep with the under slung suspension ,but especially for a S1 you better stay with a tuber/sportster engine. I know what you mean with tripping over the xb engine ,keep that or sell it to put that money in the S1 restore! Or find a known good tuber engine from someone on here. | ||
| S1owner |
Buy a cheap old xs650 or something and cram that xb power plant in it  | ||
| Oopezoo |
hell yeah......wow, that looks sweet If the S1 is even close to being a usable bike, I would sell that XB9 motor and sink the cash into the S1. It won't take long to spend it......trust me. Mechanically, my S1 ran pretty well when I traded for it, but it had been through years of neglect. I stopped keeping track of receipts, but I think I have spent more on repairs and updates on it than I originally acquired it for. Looking back, I could have bought a pristine X1 or a really nicely sorted S1 for what I have wrapped up in mine, but its been a fun adventure and I don't regret it. | ||
| Ralph |
At first I thought this was pretty silly. But in a way it makes twisted sense. There are so may tuber frames out there that have had the motors transplanted into stupid choppers. At the same time, the XB frame suffers from crashes comparatively easily so there are motors out there. Why not swap the XB motor into the tuber frame and keep it Buell? As far as swapping motors in a perfectly good running tuber? Back to silly. | ||
| S1owner |
Python Paul look him up on here or ebay but he has a tuber frame setup to take an xb engine in his attic last time we spoke at least | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
These engines really need to be rubber mounted. The lighter bottom end and higher state of tune make them shake much more violently than a plain jane evo. as much as I like the concept of jamming an XB engine into an old japbike, I doubt you would get far without metal fatigue taking out stuff. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
"as much as I like the concept of jamming an XB engine into an old japbike, I doubt you would get far without metal fatigue taking out stuff." Yeah that's the wrong direction entirely. If we're jamming engines in different frames and mixing American with Japanese bikes, it'd be a lot more fun to stick a TL1000 motor into a tuber frame. |
