Another New Member (1980 XS400)

[Alex_D]

So i've been a member for a few weeks but i was mostly lurking, reading alot, trying to find as much info as possible on the XS400 before buying my own.

So here's a little background on me: I live in Montreal, Canada but I'm from Portuguese descend and I just got my motorcycle license even if im almost 30.
The XS400 is my first motorcycle (although i've had a few ATV and 3wheelers)

I was looking for a project and i've always been attracted by old cars, old bikes. I didn't want something recent, i wanted something I can work on.

So I finally bought a bike, its a 1980 Yamaha XS400 with 29000km, it wasn't running when i bought it but i had seen it run previously and was fairly confident that it didn't have any major problems
As usual, rule #1 on every forum: pictures:

I got it for 600$ wich seems to be an ok deal here in Canada. So far I changed the battery, the plugs, air filters, carb booths and it is now working pretty decent.

 

[Alex_D]

A little more:

I have an ok background in car mechanics. I'm a big VW fan and i've done quite a few projects (I noticed while reading on the forum that theres seem to be alot of dubbers here) but i've never worked on motorcycles so i've been learning quite a bit in the last few weeks


My goal right now is to make it run as good as possible, I want to be able to rely on it when i go for longer rides. I want to learn as much as possible about it while going over all the regular maintenance items and then over the winter (we have pretty long winters here) i want to tear it apart and customize it a bit

At the moment it's running ok but i can't seem to adjust the clutch properly, im able to go trough all the gears but they don't really click when i change them, i just know it went trough because i feel it in the revs. I don't know if its normal or not since i don't have much experience with old bikes ?
Also, my front brake is pretty much useless, i've went trough all the adjusting i could and it's not better. is it possible that the cable got slack with time and it's now too long?
Also it has a small exhaust leak, i tried changing the gaskets (the original ones were destroyed) but i'm not sure they gave me the right size of gaskets at the shop where i bought them. Im gonna have to order other ones online.

Even if I said I wouldn't be modifying it yet, I couldn't stand the regular bars on it so I got a set of Renthal bars to put on it, so here's the first modification

In the long run I think I want to go with a brat style / street tracker look but keep it simple, flat seat, chopped fenders, i'm also looking for an early gaz tank (the square/boxy one)

I want to get rid of most of the chrome and polished parts (ive done my share of polishing in other projects and its too much work)
Here's my main "inspiration" for my project.
Its a bike built by the Wrench Monkees Garage. Basically a lot of powdercoated blacked out parts, a lot of deleted parts, a really clean look, close to original but still with a bit of flair

 

[arfstrom]

First post to look at as a New be.
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10595

Link for modifying clutch, (it didnt make the list on the first post to look to. Post 33 starts to put the manual excerts out there, then eventually I add photos!
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10687&page=2

Welcome to the group!

 

[Alex_D]

First post to look at as a New be.
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10595

Link for modifying clutch, (it didnt make the list on the first post to look to. Post 33 starts to put the manual excerts out there, then eventually I add photos!
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10687&page=2

Welcome to the group!

thanks for the heads up, but i was already aware of those thread since ive been reading and researching the forum quite a bit in the last month

I am already (albeit slowly) going trough all the regular maintenance updates on the first thread.
But i have also researched the clutch issue extensively on the forum and i had already read that specific thread and didn't find what i was looking for.

That thread was actually pretty useful because i used the info posted on it to adjust my clutch the first time (it wasn't really shifting properly when i got the bike) and now its really alot better, i can drive the bike and shift through all the gears and i don't have a problem finding the neutral. I did the adjustments at the bottom and and at the lever already.

My issue is that on the other bikes i rode (not many keep in mind) when you shift and actuate the shifting lever with your foot you can positively feel some sort of a click and you know the next gear was engaged properly.
On my bike, i just press on the shifting lever and you don't feel the next gear engage, it always shifts but youre never sure it did.
The only way to know you shifted is when you feel it because of the revs per minute drop.

What i'm wondering really is: is it normal on this bike? Do you feel your gears click and engage when you shift on your XS400? Am I just being picky...?

Like I said my experience with motorcycles is pretty limited and since it does shift properly trough all the gears it's really a minor setback.

I heard that changing the oil on the bike could improve the feeling and the shifts so thats probably my next move and if that doesn't work then i guess i will have to open the case and dig deeper around the shifting mechanism

 

[arfstrom]

i guess my opinion is it is a light feel, not a obvious feel. One of the last images I posted was the shift drum, that actually changes the gear, but I don't think that gives you the feel of the change. The thing I think that gives you the feel is the Drum roll please while I Partzilla my answer,

Thank you psuedoMonkey
That arrow is weak, but its pointing to the part of the answer. Under that cog is a plastic thing, and a inside that is a spring. and under all that is a bolt under the engine that is easy to get too. So maybe someone can clear this up, but I am suspicious that you may may have a failure in that spot. Lou, or Drew will correct me if I am wrong The only thing I can imagine that thing is for is to give a tactile feel to the gear changing. I know when I was re-doing the bottom end, I had a mini fit trying to get that to work right. Too many moving parts, The shift forks, getting them in the right grove, and the transmission getting the various moving parts to accept what I was telling it, (its not a computer, no syntax error) It took me 2 to 3 times to get that do-dad to work right. Ask anyone here, I am a little slow.
Okay I found it in Partzilla
http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Yamaha/Motorcycle/1981/XS400SH/SHIFT+CAM+-+FORK/parts.html
Part 14, is the cog from the picture. and then the rest of the device is 27-30 on the same diagram

http://www.partzilla.com/images/diagrams/yamaha/MCY/1981/XS400SH/IMAGES/SHIFT_CAM_-_FORK.png
shiftcam-fork diagram for the OEM style pics.

 

[arfstrom]

Part number 14 seems to be covered by the partzilla anti piracy tags. the link is there, you can inspect is as well as anyone else can. Good luck Tobie

 

[Alex_D]

Wow thanks for the information and the diagrams, i wasn't expecting that much! I'm sure that will help once i decide to tear into it!

 

[arfstrom]

This is somehthing that we have been chatting for months about, I think this i the first time anyone suggested that this could be it, we kinda just though things at you new guys, and hope something will stick, Perhaps or sometime in the future, someone will come back and say, nope your wrong, this is the thing... what ever that might be. Aaa.