1978 XS400 - Project has begun!

[Kbarkilr]

Hi All:

Just thought I would share a few pics of what she started life as and the bit of progress that I've made.

 

[Travis]

What are your plans for it?

 

[Kbarkilr]

Was originally thinking hardtail, but now I'm leaning more towards extending the swingarm about 3 inches and still using the shocks. Similar the 650 you have on your website (I checked it out!). I'm not much of a welder (want to learn, but no time yet) and the PSW hardtail for the $400 is so expensive, so I thought it would save me some $$ and I would still get the look I wanted.

 

[CadXS]

The triple backbone and the twin down tube make the XS400 quite awkward to hardtail I think. I was considering extending the swingarm on mine at one point so I'll be interested in how that turns out. Were you thinking about bracing it when stretched? I know Joe Wiseguy does this for the XS650.

Good luck with your build

 

[Travis]

Wise Guys Choppers stretched and braced my XS650 swingarm back in 2007 right before I bought my welder. I didn't have a bender then either. He's got a jig built for the XS650 swingarms to keep everything straight. I don't know if the XS400 swingarms would fit in his jig or not...

I think I paid over $265 to have it done and I don't remember if that included shipping. Nothing is cheap these days.. even when you do it yourself it costs you time and you have to have the proper tools for the job. After I got it back, I did a lot of work to swingarm to make the fender and battery box mount to it. Then there was more work in redoing the seat rails a couple times. Anything you do is going to cost you time and money so you might as well do what you want and not worry about the money so much.