History of #000299

The story of #000299 begins in South Australia, where the original machine—then wearing frame number 5N5-000118—was acquired from Kym Trenorden in Adelaide around 2020. The bike had spent years crisscrossing Australia on long-distance solo rides with Kym’s brother-in-law, Derek, before eventually being laid up when sidecar racing took over. When Kym originally bought the machine from an owner in Victoria, it was fitted with a 2H9-series engine rather than its factory-correct 5N5 powerplant.

 

Determined to execute a true factory-correct restoration, legendary Australian XS1100 tuner and builder Mal Pitman set out to build an 'as-new' machine with matching frame and crankcase numbers. Having owned, raced, and built XS1100s for nearly 50 years, Mal sought out Eddy Szmelter in Sydney—one of the pillars of the Australian XS1100 community. Eddy held a rolling chassis featuring matching frame and top crankcase #000299, along with a prized stash of rare, hard-to-find XS1100RH components—including the correct factory TCI ignition unit. The non-matching 2H9 engine was sold to a speedway sidecar racer in Mildura, where it continues to race today, clearing the way for the transformation of #000299.

 

What followed was a meticulous five-year labor of love, culminating in an intensive final assembly phase with assistance from dedicated volunteer helpers and parts sourced across Australia. The frame was first placed in an alignment jig and adjusted until it was millimetre perfect. Sourcing from a deep stockpile of undamaged original and NOS parts, Mal and his trusted network of specialist painters, polishers, and welders carried out a true "nut-and-bolt" restoration to exacting standards of factory originality, paying careful attention to use Australian/European spec hardware rather than North American fittings.

 

Engine building was driven by decades of race-bred expertise. Unable to source genuine 1st oversize pistons, Mal precision-bored the cylinder block out to the 2nd factory oversize (+0.50mm / 0.5mm bigger), increasing engine displacement to 1,117cc while ensuring perfect cylinder tolerances. Beyond returning the powerplant to optimum mechanical health, Mal implemented key engineering refinements that improved upon the original factory design—such as undercutting the transmission gear dogs and modifying the selector forks to permanently eliminate the platform's notorious second-gear jumping issue under heavy load.

 

A highlight of the restoration was the painstaking preservation of the original factory exhaust system. To replicate the look and durability of the 1981 factory finish, Mal developed a multi-stage ceramic coating process in partnership with a specialist finisher—applying a primary ceramic base coat, followed by a black coat, and sealed with a clear gloss ceramic finish. This innovative three-stage process achieved a high-durability "black chrome" appearance that perfectly restores the "Bête Noire" aesthetic, establishing a recommended technique for the broader XS1100RH community.

 

For Mal, this build was deeply personal. Having battled a serious illness that left him physically weakened, he specifically chose the XS1100RH as his personal machine. The sport model’s lower handlebar position and lower perceived centre of gravity made the 600lb muscle bike far easier to handle and manoeuvre on the road, allowing him to stay connected to the machine he had spent a lifetime racing and preserving. Today, #000299 stands as a benchmark example of Yamaha's rare 1981 flagship—a testament to master craftsmanship, passion, and the enduring strength of the Australian XS1100 community.