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Before I put the bike away for winter I noticed a new and strange sound. It was most defined when I downshift to 2nd and decelerate. That is, in fact, the only time I hear it. It can also be somewhat felt in my boots. It disappears with clutch... I have a fear that the oil may have run too...

I am having this issue where my bike will loose power no matter how much I throttle, it wont go past 2-3k RPM. It happens intermittently, sometimes when I am starting the bike, sometimes when I am cruising 50 km/hr, sometimes when I'm climbing a hill. The bike will drop down to 2-3K RPM. It...

Last year I had new piston rings installed and rehoned the cylinders. After reassembly it wouldn't start. Cue winter break... Now I am right back at it and nothing has changed. Any thoughts? This summer is the make or break, and I'd rather make!

The little circlip that holds my master link together broke when I was trying to reinstall it. Is it possible to get a replacement? Or do I need to replace the whole chain (and thus sprockets)?

Continued from: '79 xs400 rough>reliable>cafe 'Scarlett' Figured that since I skipped 2016 entirely I should make a fresh thread! Last year I had my engine in pieces and the bike never got on the road. Not going to do that again! This fall I have been doing some tinkering: - Serviced Forks -...

Hello everyone, I am having a hard time tracking down a fork pinch bolt for the top triple tree... The PO cross threaded it and when I took it off I busted the bolt in half! I went to all the hardware stores that I could think of, and some specialty fastener shops as well. They either didn't...

I am having some trouble re-installing the two guides. First time trying, so I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. Starting with the front guide, I don't know if I am getting it in the bottom seat or not. I can either drop it in and have the lateral bar on the top catch in its saddle, or try to...

Hello all, Finally getting a chance to put together my top end (pistons, jugs, valves) after re-honing my cylinders, new piston rings and a valve tune up. This is my first time, so I want to make sure I am not missing any gaskets or pieces. I've purchased a gasket set off ebay and was just...

I want to change my fork fluid and do the Minton Mod, but my fork seals are still good. Is it possible to get to the Damper without replacing the seals?

This may be a very stupid question, but is it possible to set the valve clearances without having oil in the engine? My engine is currently on my workbench after getting my cylinders honed and I wanted to check my valves in a comfortable setting before putting the engine back in the frame...

Hi all, Taking my engine out for the first time (to address low compression issues) and am looking for a few tips. 1. Do I NEED to take the oil out? Will the oil filter casing clear the frame when I remove the engine? 2. Any tips for moving the exhaust pipe out of the silencers? Mine are kinda...

There appears to be a leak in my gas tank.. When I bought the bike there was a good ol' wad of silicon around the mounting tab at the back of the tank. Didn't know if it was because the mount tab had broken loose and the PO was reattach or if it was leaking. Year later my bike started to...

I've learned a lot since owning this bike, but I am no Master yet... My bike suffers from LCD (low compression disorder). I know this, what I'm not 100% sure on is how to fix it. I've set my valve clearances many times, I don't think this is the issue. I've been read about replacing rings...

Hello XSers. I did a search but didn't come up with much. I am looking for a good Motorcycle Cover for my xs400. I have to park my bike outdoors for winter, covered but otherwise exposed. We get snow and temp typically down to -20 C (-4 F). I was wondering if anyone has any good/bad...

Hi all! So I've replaced the butterfly seals on my carbs as I was having vacuum issues. First of all, I was a little confused when I pulled out the seals and one of them seemed noticeably larger than the other three. (picture to come) The seals themselves seemed to be in good shape, so...

For the last few rides I've done, my bike will spontaneously lose power and the motor will almost drop an octave in tone. I also get some smoke out of the right exhaust. In the past the issue resolved itself. With clutch in I could get the RPM to 7k, but when I start moving with WOT it...

Hey all! Might be a bit off topic, but I just wanted to share this with all you builders. If you're like me, you take 100 measurements a day, find links and cool articles all over the place, but loose track of where you saved them, forget your shopping list at home or can't 100% remember your...

I have a minor vacuum leak from the butterfly gasket on my right carb and I wanted to do a good cleaning along with replacement of that seal. First of all, my local Yamaha dealer wants to charge $5 per o-ring, is that a normal price? Second, I don't know how to replace the seals! Is there...

Not sure if this is covered elsewhere, but a search didn't yield any results... Sometimes when I'm driving on the highway accelerating and gearing up, my bike will go into a neutral stage between 4 and 5 causing my RPM to rocket. The fix is simple, shift up one more time - but it is startling...

I am looking to upgrade my turns and brake lights to brighter LEDs, probably from Superbrightleds. As I'm sure you all know they have options for tinted LEDs. Just curious if anyone has experience putting Red Tinted LEDs in their tail lights and Amber Tinted LEDs in their signals (along...