I went through recent “New to XII” kinds of posts and compiled the following. It’s a mix of what to look for when shopping, catching-up overdue maintenance, and tips. I didn’t go out of my way with upgrades or farkles.
- 1) Download the manuals. https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ao3K0Ai2gvglgS3l7J4pBJrjfBhc
- a. Review Chapter 1, especially the Periodic Maintenance Chart on 1-7. Short story: Unless you know otherwise, consider doing basically every maintenance task in this table, to catch up. Log your maintenance.
b. There's a readable pdf schematic at viewtopic.php?p=89919#p89919 (thanks, Dave!)
3) Long story: I’m calling special attention to the following topics. - a. Review Chapter 1, especially the Periodic Maintenance Chart on 1-7. Short story: Unless you know otherwise, consider doing basically every maintenance task in this table, to catch up. Log your maintenance.
• For models from the ‘80’s (especially 1986 and early 1987), deal with the Igniter (http://www.amervoyassoc.org/forum/viewt ... it=igniter). This can potentially brick your motor.
• Miscellaneous improvements after the first year: different fork tubes, cruise control, air deflectors ("winglets") on the fairing to improve wind protection, rigid locking covers for the "glove boxes" in the front fairing, rear speakers, and luggage rack, plus other stuff. I mean, the ’87-’03 bikes were almost exactly the same except color. From what I read, other changes through the years include clutch parts, water pump O-rings, radiator caps, front fork internals, and some other miscellany. See viewtopic.php?p=92221#p92221 for more info.
• Some believe that ’01-’03 models were prone to end-of-the-line quality issues such as insufficient lube on the driveshaft and U-joints.
• There are two options for a speedo gear (wheel end of the cable): accurate speed (23 teeth) or accurate mileage (25 teeth, stock). About 8% difference.
• Factory air suspension requires very little air volume, but I was able to cope with gas station air. Specialty pump and gage are available. Or upgrade away from air.
• Do a search here on “Carl Leo”. He knows everything about these bikes, is a swell guy, and has tons of spares. He’s semi-retired. voyagerparts@bellsouth.net
• XII have a positive neutral finder, a mechanical device that favors shifting from first gear to neutral when the bike is idling. When the engine is cold, you might have to go to 3K RPMs to shift into second. When the engine is off, you can't shift into second at all.
• The cruise control only works in 5th gear (you can find directions to defeat this); and only when you’re going above about 45. When it works at all.
Things to look for in a used XII:
• The XII front end is picky about lots of things, but the shortlist includes: Dunlop 404's (they just don't work on the front – even though they came stock); maladjusted headset bearings; improper air pressure (tires and forks/shocks); and loose frame bolts under the right fairing. Lots of potential problems, but most are fairly easy to fix on XII. A price negotiation factor?
• Check the front fender mounting bolts -- or actually the holes in the fender. These often are cracked, and that can't really be repaired. The plastic has an embedded metal plate, and it should have spacers to avoid crushing the plastic when you torque it down. When crushed (or even too many miles on rough roads), the plastic eventually cracks, and then you need another fender. Gene (ekap1200, memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=398) makes reusable spacers, but they won't help much if the plastic is already crushed -- the fender won't torque secure. Good fenders are hard to find. You may not be able to check this right without removing the fender. At the very least, see if the fender is loose on the bike. And avoid motocrossing your XII
• Check that the brake rotors aren’t gouged because they’re silly expensive.
• Check the tire date, 4 digits in a small oval. “4111” is 41st week of 2011. Search this blog for the latest tire faves. As above, dump any Dunlop 404 on the front. (They apparently work fine on other bikes, if it’s worth finding a new home for it.)
• These used bikes often have sat for years. Don’t be surprised if old gas screws up the carbs, such as a rough idle. This can require disassembling the carbs – more than just “dialing” something in. A price negotiation factor? (Many here recommend using Seafoam as a winterizing stabilizer.)
• Ask the seller to demonstrate the center-stand. There are one-piece stands out there, but they’re difficult to use. The center-stand usually is a double-jointed affair having two separate foot levers. One of these levers often rusts off or bends. On level ground and when all is working right, you can put this heavy beast on the center-stand wearing flip-flops. A slight rise under the stand makes this much harder. There are vids on the web showing how it works.
• The oil pans on many XII are damaged from banging on tall stuff, perhaps because the suspension has sagged or lost air. This damage often is repairable but can get pricey. The headers get smashed, too. Look under there.
• Look for rust in the gas tank fill neck. This usually can be fixed with a little labor and tank liner.
• Check all the locks with the key – including the fork lock. (Ask me how I know.)
• Check that the radiator fan comes on when idling. (Even when it’s hot out, it generally won’t come on when moving 45 or more.)
