Recent content by JARichmond

Dude. If you're so hung up on me saying "Huge draw" then ignore it. The fact is that our bikes seriously dislike a single carb setup. You can run it, go for it, but one side is going to run lean and one side will run rich. If you want to change your spark plugs, exhaust gaskets, and maybe have...

The DOHC models came with different jets on each side due to airbox restrictions. The only thing that will allow gas to come out of the airbox would be the float needle sticking or that they aren't responding. my suggestion would be to pull out your floats and look for any small pinholes. If...

Carbs are a great place to start. Filter swapping will usually lean out your mixture pretty significantly, so upping your main jets to the next size up (or two) will usually solve the problem. You can also check your spark plugs. A lean mixture will leave white residue on your plugs while a rich...

Took the bike out for about a 100km ride yesterday. About half way through, I noticed my bike was having problems idling. "That's okay", I thought, "I'll have a look at it when I'm back. Turns out it was idling poorly because one of my pod filters fell off somewhere on the highway. I've given up...

Spec. Was that a Suzi 55?

Looking for a new or used tachometer and cable. Preferably, I'm looking for a tach that reads up to 12k

Well, I mean, Dave does :D

Indeed, 2 carbs are better than one, mostly because of the way our crankshafts are set up as opposed to the 650s, which have been documented to work well. Our crankshafts operate on a 180 degree journal offset which gives our bikes a characteristic exhaust note (fire, fire, pause, pause) as...

I had a thought recently. I keep a heavily-weighted flashlight in my car in case I need to defend myself. However, I haven't considered putting something on my bike for that reason. Just wondering if anybody has strapped something to their bike in case the need arises to defend yourself. What...

So the rectifier is used to turn the AC from your alternator into DC using a series of diodes. Having continuity in one direction is totally normal for a rectifier, which means it's working as it should on that front. Having a 500 ohm reading is not discussed in the Haynes manual but, provided...

Finished rebuilding my brakes and completed documenting the write-up! Will be going for my first major ride fairly soon.

Just completed a front brake rebuild. Have a look at it here: http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?p=149277#post149277 Lucho, your clip is backwards and will press on the rotor if it is installed that way. The retaining ring sits over the dust boot and the gap faces forward.

Note: If I'm missing anything, post on this thread so that I can add it appropriately. I have a spare caliper to take additional pictures with. Maybe your brakes aren't performing to your standard. Maybe your brakes are due for a rebuild Maybe our brakes are leaking. We have a solution for all...

Just an FYI, the part you're looking for is not a main jet. They will be different as the part you've listed sit in the carburetor bowl. Note that the threads are different. Chris is a seasoned veteran regarding his XS and has got some pretty insightful advice regarding getting yours to run...

Seems there's no smoke on start up, and Chris's numbers seems to match up pretty well with what I've experienced. I put about 3000 miles on it last summer, which would be a good approximation of the 2 quarts of oil that I consumed. A good practice for me should be to add about a quart/liter of...