Renegade
XS400 Enthusiast
I have seen other people start threads about their bikes and what they have done to them, so I thought I might as well do so too. Please pardon my lack of step-by-step pics...I only just recently started to do that.
I wanted a bike since I was about 14, and right before graduating high school I found one in the paper. $500. I admit, I knew nothing about motorcycles at the time, but I wanted a cheap one to learn on. I went to go look at the bike listed (with no details) and found this old school 1982 Yamaha XS400J Maxim.
Now my mother's rule was that if I ever bought a motorcycle; she'd kill me. So my father dropped the $500 and said "Don't pay me back. Consider it a graduation gift and a 'Fuck you' to you mom."
So I started to learn to ride, and work on the bike (just repairs) and I came to realize that the basic black just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. So, after filling in the places for the YAMAHA tank emblems, I painted it. Flames...every bike looks good with flames! Right?
Next step was to deal with the seat that needed repairs... A coworker at the time did upholstery. So I gave her the seat, gave her my basic idea (black with some red and the Phoenix silhouette on the passenger seat). A week later she gave the seat back, looking like it does now.
Now most of you will agree; the stock bars that came on the Maxim suck. They are awkward, too large for the design, and hurt your wrists after a while. So, wanting a sportier feel, I slapped a set of drag bars on in their place. Much better.
^Now you can see the seat's new look that I mentioned.
But something didnt seem right yet. BINGO! Too much color... That much yellow on it make it look...weird...to my eyes at least. So I took some time and did some drawings to decide what I wanted. Hey, I'm an artist...I live for this kind of thing. So a new coat of paint, this time with just red in the flames, and a new set of bar end mirrors, and I was a happy camper.
For a little while anyhow.
After breaking the headlight retaining ring on the New Jersey GSP, I decided that I wanted a different style anyways. So I picked up a couple light units (fog lights from my local AutoZone) and installed them, setting one up as my main beam, the other as my high beam.
Then I set my sights on how she handled. I still wasn't completely happy with it, and wanted a slightly lower center of gravity. My solution: lower the front end by 1 inch. It did help a good amount. That one inch made the bike's stance look a little more aggressive and stream lined, and she handled better.
Again; I was happy, for about a month. I wanted to be lower. I wanted that lowbar cafe style front end and stance. Only problem was that I couldn't find anywhere that sold bar EXACTLY like I wanted. So I went out and bought a steel pipe, cut it up, and welded it all together myself.
And I think it looks f'ing sick now.
I wanted a bike since I was about 14, and right before graduating high school I found one in the paper. $500. I admit, I knew nothing about motorcycles at the time, but I wanted a cheap one to learn on. I went to go look at the bike listed (with no details) and found this old school 1982 Yamaha XS400J Maxim.
Now my mother's rule was that if I ever bought a motorcycle; she'd kill me. So my father dropped the $500 and said "Don't pay me back. Consider it a graduation gift and a 'Fuck you' to you mom."
So I started to learn to ride, and work on the bike (just repairs) and I came to realize that the basic black just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. So, after filling in the places for the YAMAHA tank emblems, I painted it. Flames...every bike looks good with flames! Right?
Next step was to deal with the seat that needed repairs... A coworker at the time did upholstery. So I gave her the seat, gave her my basic idea (black with some red and the Phoenix silhouette on the passenger seat). A week later she gave the seat back, looking like it does now.
Now most of you will agree; the stock bars that came on the Maxim suck. They are awkward, too large for the design, and hurt your wrists after a while. So, wanting a sportier feel, I slapped a set of drag bars on in their place. Much better.
^Now you can see the seat's new look that I mentioned.
But something didnt seem right yet. BINGO! Too much color... That much yellow on it make it look...weird...to my eyes at least. So I took some time and did some drawings to decide what I wanted. Hey, I'm an artist...I live for this kind of thing. So a new coat of paint, this time with just red in the flames, and a new set of bar end mirrors, and I was a happy camper.
For a little while anyhow.
After breaking the headlight retaining ring on the New Jersey GSP, I decided that I wanted a different style anyways. So I picked up a couple light units (fog lights from my local AutoZone) and installed them, setting one up as my main beam, the other as my high beam.
Then I set my sights on how she handled. I still wasn't completely happy with it, and wanted a slightly lower center of gravity. My solution: lower the front end by 1 inch. It did help a good amount. That one inch made the bike's stance look a little more aggressive and stream lined, and she handled better.
Again; I was happy, for about a month. I wanted to be lower. I wanted that lowbar cafe style front end and stance. Only problem was that I couldn't find anywhere that sold bar EXACTLY like I wanted. So I went out and bought a steel pipe, cut it up, and welded it all together myself.
And I think it looks f'ing sick now.
