1979 xs400 "no label" build(?)

[Jacob]

Alright. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna (lightly)cut up a perfectly usable machine.

I got her for $600 from a guy in the Canadian Air Force. Maybe I'm being stereotypical, but I just thought an armed forces person would take great care of his machine. I was right. It runs great! The inside of the gas tank is shiny metal in color, just super clean. Very little rust anywhere. I also got a file full of recent maintenance records worth about $800. New headset bearings, rear tire, and new chain and sprockets. He has had it for 6 or 7 years and he got it from an old guy (my first choice for buying any vehicle). Old-guy owned stuff is the best. -Thank you, old guys...

So, first two pics are how it came to me. Following ones are mock-up shots.

I have an 83 Maxim 750cc with a locked up motor (PO left the spark plugs out for a few years while it was under his deck). I'll be using it for, well, lots of things. I got it for free from a good buddy who's Dad bought it new in 1985. The "new" tank, headlight, speedometer, and horns are all from the Maxim, so far.

I kinda feel like it fits into the bobber category, but what do you guys think?

 

[Drewcifer]

I sort of enjoyed the progression of your bike from good girl at sunday mass to Sandy at the end of Grease in the hot capri pants.

LOL

 

[Lou Ranger]

Old-guy owned stuff is the best. -Thank you, old guys...

You're welcome - although I'm an old guy who buys things from anal-retentive even older guys and then runs the rest of the good life right out of them. so beware ...

Alright. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna (lightly)cut up a perfectly usable machine.

I see what you mean - an "old guy" would never do such a thing....

 

[vectra]

your doing what to a 79


oh well guess someone has to do it

 

[Greasey Fingers]

I sort of enjoyed the progression of your bike from good girl at sunday mass to Sandy at the end of Grease in the hot capri pants.

LOL

sandy the dirty slut

 

[Jacob]

I might just have to name it "Sandy the dirty slut". I have to admit, I like Sandy as the sweet naive girl and as the leather pants wearing, got-to-be-good-in-the-sack dirty girl at the end...

 

[Jacob]

I've mounted the tank, changed out the bars, welded up the rear fender mount, and re-mounted the rear fender. Now I'm working on creating the seat and the getting a tail light mounted. I know you are all holding your breath.

 

[Lou Ranger]

I've mounted the tank, changed out the bars, welded up the rear fender mount, and re-mounted the rear fender. Now I'm working on creating the seat and the getting a tail light mounted. I know you are all holding your breath.

Hurry up!
We old guys can't hold our breath very long any more.

 

[Jacob]

Got a tail light on. So I rode her with a piece of foam in place of the seat and I really don't like these new bars. I have 4 sets of bars all a little different, but I'm not a huge fan of any of them-comfort wise. Is it a complete lost cause to want to look cool and be comfortable?

 

[Jacob]

Ok, I made a seat, on the cheap...er free. Here's how I did it.
Made a seat pan out of scrap ply wood. Cut and added a hinge for the bend.
Cut out some 4ish-inch foam with a really sharp fillet knife a little bigger than the pan.
Used the wedges I cut off to bolster the butt area a bit.
Then I attached the old seat cover to the pan with an electric stapler.
Cut away the excess (xs...) material.
Added some of those rubber seat vibration isolater doodads from another seat.
Attached it to the bike with zip-ties.
And Bob's your uncle, its done.

 

[Jacob]

So I saw my cargo net sitting in the corner of the shop and thought "What am I gonna do with that now that I have no extra seat space?". So I'd seen the guys with the tank mounted bag and thought I'd put the net on the tank so I could put a bag there under it. I think it looks shaaaaaarp. I know it harkens back to the OCC spiderweb bike, but still, for a $10 cargo net, I think it's a lot of bang for the buck-and functional!

 

[Jacob]

Alright, here's the latest. Sissy bar, new tires, tail light.
She's kinda short and stout, like me, I'm 5'7" 205lbs. We make a fine pair. I think I'll do some header wrap and something shiny at end of the pipes. Then maybe gold paint. What do you think?