All the sudden low power

[thomas Brashear]

I recently got my first motorcycle an 82 xs400 I put 400 miles on it in the last week but while riding today it all the sudden lost power and would not go over 4k rpm then died out at a stop light and I couldn't start it tell i let it sit for 10 min

 

[SoulMan]

Have you cleaned the carrbs?

 

[thomas Brashear]

Have you cleaned the carrbs?

No i have no idea where to start could you link me to something that will show me how to remove the carb?

 

[SoulMan]

Post a picture of your bike. Assuming its stock there should be two side covers. Those come off and behind then are air filter housings. Those come out. There is an H pipe between the two air filters and the carb with a connector in the H pipe that goes down to the breather port. Take that off. Once you take the H pipe off you can take the carbs out. You will have to remove the throttle linkage to take it out. I actually pull my carbs off slightly and pull them to the right. Once I have the carbs out of the frame on the right side I take the linkage off. It is easier for me to take off when the carb is off of the bike.

This link should be all you need when it comes to cleaning the carbs.

www.xs400.com/threads/carb-cleaning-carb-tuning-links.13321/

Once you have the carbs clean get a fuel filter for the carb. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ALCLRGM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

At this price you can afford to change them every year or every other year.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

 

[thomas Brashear]

Post a picture of your bike. Assuming its stock there should be two side covers. Those come off and behind then are air filter housings. Those come out. There is an H pipe between the two air filters and the carb with a connector in the H pipe that goes down to the breather port. Take that off. Once you take the H pipe off you can take the carbs out. You will have to remove the throttle linkage to take it out. I actually pull my carbs off slightly and pull them to the right. Once I have the carbs out of the frame on the right side I take the linkage off. It is easier for me to take off when the carb is off of the bike.

This link should be all you need when it comes to cleaning the carbs.

www.xs400.com/threads/carb-cleaning-carb-tuning-links.13321/

Once you have the carbs clean get a fuel filter for the carb. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ALCLRGM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

At this price you can afford to change them every year or every other year.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

I still dont understand what to do i took everything off removed the throttle cable removed the bolts on the air filter but its in the way and i have no idea how to get it off

 

[thomas Brashear]

Post a picture of your bike. Assuming its stock there should be two side covers. Those come off and behind then are air filter housings. Those come out. There is an H pipe between the two air filters and the carb with a connector in the H pipe that goes down to the breather port. Take that off. Once you take the H pipe off you can take the carbs out. You will have to remove the throttle linkage to take it out. I actually pull my carbs off slightly and pull them to the right. Once I have the carbs out of the frame on the right side I take the linkage off. It is easier for me to take off when the carb is off of the bike.

This link should be all you need when it comes to cleaning the carbs.

www.xs400.com/threads/carb-cleaning-carb-tuning-links.13321/

Once you have the carbs clean get a fuel filter for the carb. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ALCLRGM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

At this price you can afford to change them every year or every other year.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

Nevermind i got it out

 

[NewHavenMike]

Theres other things you should check out first before you rip the carbs apart. Check your ignition system first. Check your plugs and see that they look like, make sure they spark. Check battery voltage, and then monitor it when the bike is running to see if its normal. Is the fuel flowing freely out of the fuel line and are there any sediments with it?

 

[thomas Brashear]

Theres other things you should check out first before you rip the carbs apart. Check your ignition system first. Check your plugs and see that they look like, make sure they spark. Check battery voltage, and then monitor it when the bike is running to see if its normal. Is the fuel flowing freely out of the fuel line and are there any sediments with it?

The thing must be over heating i can ride it for while perfectly no issue easy start but im out riding the thing it will die on me and ill have to wait 20 min for it to be able to start then its good to go again for awhile

 

[NewHavenMike]

Do you want to get stranded?

Looking at the plugs is almost always the first thing I do. If they are black, that means they could be old and worn if youve never changed them. Start your diagnosing as simple and easy as possible.

Going off topic for a bit here... Welcome to the forum. Get a book manual for your motorcycle and start reading it, they are also available here to view but I prefer the hard copy. Get a decent metric tool set with all your basic sockets. Get some extensions and extended hex key sockets. I am not sure of your mechanical abilities and know-hows, so if youve got this part covered then ignore it.

Cleaning carbs is not something a rookie should do, no offense, it is what it is. Its a very tedious job and small parts etc.. and like I said, theres easier tests you can do first.

If you just got the bike and its been doing that since you got it, I would really hesitate to ride it before going over the bike 100% and changing what I could.

ABSOLUTELY inspect the brake lines and check the date of manufacture, and then replace the lines and flush the whole system.

Owning an older bike requires more attention, with shorter maintenance intervals and constant checkups... Not something I would recommend to just anyone. Major reason being is that a lot of casual/first timer motorcyclist dont want to work on their bikes and deal with getting dirty hands and all that crap. They want the satisfaction, I find enjoyment in working with my bikes, although im at wits end with working on my VW daily driver car.


But if youre into it, this is the place to be!