xs1100 - oil cooler and fork brace
I always love riding the xs1100... with one exception, on a 90 degree day stuck in traffic going 3 mph on my way home from work. The heat from the engine flows up and just bakes me. The xs1100 is all air cooled, which means there is no external radiator, hence all the fins on the motor itself. I decided to add an external oil radiator to help keep engine running cool.This mod was possible thanks to the SOFCA (spin-on oil filter cooler adapter) I fitted last year. Previously I just had the a straight hose run from the output of the SOFCA back the input. Now I have the output run to a 170 degree thermostat then to a radiator, then back to the SOFCA.The radiator, thermostat, and all mounting stuff cost about $120, though the thermostat was about half the cost, with good reason. It has an internal bypass to allow oil that is not hot enough to bypass the radiator and go straight back to engine. It also keeps pressure on input side of the radiator so that your radiator does not empty of oil while the bike is warming up.At the same time I decided to add a fork brace from Trail Kat. This adds some much needed rigidity to the front end. It only took about 10 minutes to install and does seem to have improved the handling of the bike.With the backrest / luggage rack, oil cooler, and fork brace the 1100 feels like a brand new bike.
