For Sale - 78 2E

226dark

78 2E
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Points
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Location
SW MN
1978 400-2E $950
Tis the season for parting and chopping. This one is a runner and is still registered and insured (yes, title).

I have the '400' side covers which i got from the Reverend. Winterized now (black socks are stuffed in the airboxes) seat off, battery out, etc. The seat is in great (not quite excellent) shape--3 tiny tears are starting about 1-2 inches. BTW seat was bought on e-bay; I also have the original - torn up but good for re-doing and selling or turkey-knife carving it into your preferred shape. Year-old XS Power AGM sealed battery is kept fully charged.

As a parts bike you'd be getting your moneys worth. . . as a runner it will need the usual old-bike upkeep such as dressing/gapping the breaker points. I've held onto it with plans to enter it in AHRMA (historic racing) in the Novice Historic Production - lightweight class. Plans change and now I'm glad I didn't start into drilling and safety wiring every bolt and nut. With that in mind, I never replaced the SECOND(!) failed speedometer or the jumpy tachometer (Plans would have required only a single reliable tach). Oddly, the trip meter still counts the miles to the next gas station.

Tank has zero rust and Por-15 has held up flawlessly.
One-kick startup (4 or 5 when cold).
IRC GS-11 (3 and 3.5") tires in very good condition.

I didn't clean it, polish it and WD-40 every cooling fin this year (yet?) - it must be time to sell it. Past summer I put 500-600 miles on it.
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Sweet looking but is it a 400? Looks like a 350 with the points cover on it.......My 78 400 did not have that granted yours has wire wheels as mine was discs front and back...........
 
77D and 78 2-E also 79 2-F had the finned points cover. All xs360 bikes had them as well. This would be a great resto bike. It would just be hard to find the stock mufflers for it as the 77 D and 78 2-E where the only 400's that used those type. I think the xs360 used them but not sure.
 
Appreciate the question and good answer Chris!

1978 400E with restyled teardrop early-80's looking tank, the 2E was a carryover/leftover of the 1977 400D, offered at a bargain. Like the magazine ad said "The XS400-2E isn't cheap, it just costs less."

It has no starter (or starter button)(kickstart only), has the squarish tank, spoke rims, drum brakes and so on.
I ordered parts that were same part # as the 360; it helped to search eek-bay for XS360 if there were parts that came off an XS360 and listed as such which I badly needed and couldn't find by searching XS400. Also, obviously 400D parts (it's mostly the same bike).

At some point I hastily ordered a left mirror for XS360, received it and it was taller than the original right side mirror which was on the bike - I assumed too much! I kept it that way and it's my customized touch with a lower view of the right if I happen to need it, and better view on the left, ha. Nobody has ever noticed that, such as gas stations when someone wants to talk about the old thing. Always asked what year, one reply was that they thought it was much older . . . indeed, drum brakes in the late 70's??? I assume that's why.

The Dunstall reverse cone mufflers, economical as they are (nichecycle, 80-84051) have held up amazingly well. I was expecting them to be needing replacing by now (from 2012 restore) but there is nothing wrong with them. I ordered them despite one forum member mentioning that the chrome doesn't hold up (or is too thin? or chips?)(something with the chrome). I haven't had that, or any other issue with them. (Mounting brackets into the muffler slot side are a pain - bolt head would turn in that slot as you tried to tighten).
 
77D and 78 2-E also 79 2-F had the finned points cover. All xs360 bikes had them as well. This would be a great resto bike. It would just be hard to find the stock mufflers for it as the 77 D and 78 2-E where the only 400's that used those type. I think the xs360 used them but not sure.
I have a set of those mufflers, one has got a soft spot but overall very nice. On my 77
 
yes! old school points filing, sanding, cleaning, gapping, cleaning then timing.
The timing gun itself is "missing" - oldschool again, it was my dad's from the 70's
Greasy garage camera doesn't autofocus.

Concerning the timing adjustment, as once sagely noted by one notable member (paraphrasing here): these bikes seem to run happier with the timing slightly more advanced than spec.
It's timed slightly advanced of the static timing line and slightly right of the 'F' of the RF and LF. It was beyond my abilities to demonstrate the advancing of it while adding throttle. As mentioned the old timing light seems to "miss"

(If I remember, that wick was splitting in half so I oriented it that way intentionally, no comment needed, ha)



 
Awakened from it's winter slumber on this 60 degree day.
Points are cleaned up and ready for a full summer of riding (depending on mileage I suppose).
On its 2nd speedometer - broken,,,,also on 2nd tach. December of 2017 took it for a chilling cold ride and the odometer cracked falling inward as you see. Never bothered replacing it last summer. Tach bounces a lot too. The trip meter still keeps miles tho. If you know how fast you are going it is ride-ready. Runs smooth, no leaks, etc. Last oil leak was replacement of Blind Plug 1L9-11197 a year ago (ordered 2, have an extra). Ride it or chop it up. Price is as mentioned.
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tis SOLD
yesiree, I've done it in again. . . spring season riding excitement (and no working tachometer to distract me!) - one more blown head gasket, this time the OEM one.

Spec for compression being 140 to 170, +/- 15 for the difference - after the done-for gasket leak, compression was at 135 and 137 psi. That was after cooling down for about 7 minutes. Not bad (maybe?).

Also, I did an oil change last week and there were equal parts gas and oil in the case. Carbs apart, the float valve needles weren't quite closing. Upon inspection they are worn pretty much to their limit. Got them to close off the flow (27mm I think?). Also the idle adjust screws had been worn to the equivalent of 3-4 turns out, they are ok for now, no broken tips, and back to their 1 1/4 turns. (First running rich then running over!). My carb rebuild is ready for a rebuild which means I got my share of miles out of her and am now ready to make the headaches stop, haha. I got one last short ride in to demo how strong it's still going (for a few miles more).

Have mixed feelings at watching it go away. It sold for $300. Hmmm, What was that square gas tank worth? JK
Big thanks and appreciation for the help on this forum; I came upon it when it was first made possible by notables - you know who you are!
 
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