PopMac's XS400 Maxim Cleanup

After just under a month with the new bars I have to say that I'm really happy with them. At first it was a bit more strain on my back but I've already adjusted to it. In the past week and a bit I've done three rides of around an hour to an hour and a half of highway driving and I think it does feel a bit better. Two of those rides were in 35 km/h wind which sucked but it was manageable.

Today I grabbed some new mirrors and a new horn. The horn is a Motowolf one, which can be bought cheaply off Aliexpress and is killer. The old horn was so quiet, a couple times in the last while I would be behind somebody asleep at the wheel when the light turns green so I give a little beep but theres almost no chance of being heard. This new horn is significantly louder, which makes me feel a bit better.

The new mirrors are basic round mirrors, but I think they look better. I need to get an adapter in for the reverse threaded one so I haven't tried them out yet but they should be good I think.

JJJAADD said:

May be a little late to this post but hope this helps

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, but yep - already got it figured out!

All season I have been running on 20w50, don't know the brand but I picked it up at a Yamaha dealership. This last Thursday I changed to the Rotella oil I've seen recommended here, 15w40. Holy crap, what a difference! The bike shifts noticeably smoother than it ever has.

Also, all season if the bike sits more than a day it's difficult to start and takes some time to get going. Today was the first time I've started it since doing the change and it fired up immediately on the first button press. That was especially surprising to me because it's 4C outside right now.

The shifting was such a massive difference and nothing else has changed so I'll definitely chock that up to the oil. I don't know what it would have to do with the starting issue though, so I'm inclined to think that was just a coincidence. Any thoughts?

Adapter for the mirrors came in so here is a photo of the bike. It doesn't make a massive difference, but I definitely prefer them. They just look cleaner and less dorky to me.

Next up is new slipons. User 1982 XS400J Maxim was awesome enough to hook me up with his so hopefully I'll have those by the end of next week! My left pipe doesn't have a baffle and his are in good condition so I think it should be an improvement. I'll do a before and after video and post it if the results are good. Fingers crossed I don't need to rejet the carbs. I talked to my mechanics yesterday about me doing the work and them giving me a guiding hand so it would actually be a good learning experience but I really hate removing and putting them back in.

The riding season is rapidly coming to a close here. Once I decide I'm done till spring I can make some decisions about how much I want to tear the bike apart to keep cleaning it up and what I'm fine with. By far the worst looking is the front fender, but those are cheap off eBay so I don't really want to spend too much time with that. The side covers (cluts and whatnot) don't look great yet but they don't bother me too much so I guess we'll see how bored I get over winter.

Got the mufflers (thanks to user 1982 XS400J Maxim!) and popped them on - they sound a thousand times better! The high pitched exhaust sound has been replaced with a low rumble, it sounds more like a motorcycle than a dirtbike now. I did take some before and after videos but my phone mic is terrible, you can hear the pitch change but it sounds awful either way. I'll watch on my computer later and see if its worth posting or not. These slip ons are much shorter, so I'll need some new brackets. Its snowing here now though so I won't be riding for a bit anyway.

Unfortunately I may not keep the pipes though. While I'm 100% satisfied with them they are a good deal louder than the old ones. Its a more pleasing sound but still, I leave for work early and live on a quite street so I think I'll ride around for them on a while and maybe check in with my a couple people to ensure I'm not making any enemies.