DriverSideImpact1008
XS400 Member
I recently picked up this 1980 XS400. It's my first XS400. It has little over 11k miles. The old school seat and drag bars on some 2-3" risers are the only mods on it. I'm not too familiar with bikes (cars and trucks are more my area of expertise), but I know the basics. So I have a little learning to do.
These are the pictures the PO sent me. I'll have to take a few of my own soon.
The stupid flaming skull stickers on the tank were the first things I removed.
The bike was originally blue. But was painted black several years ago, it's scratched and there are a few rust bubbles starting to form around where the nameplates attached to the tank (I'm sure the stickers didn't help that). Inside the tank looks good though.
The seat is ripped, so I'll probably be getting that reupholstered, along with getting a stock seat so I can switch it up depending on my mood.
There is an oil leak somewhere. I think it's coming from the lower, finned cover on the front of the engine...whatever that is.
The mufflers are rotted out and falling apart inside (you can hear all the baffles and shit clanking around).
The electric starter doesn't work. It's a little bit hard to cold start with just the kick start. But once it fires up it runs pretty good. It definitely needs a tune up.
My plans for it in the near future are to make a custom exhaust and put on pod filters. Get it tuned up, adjusted, and stop the oil leak(s). Get rid of the rust on the tank, fill in where the badges were, and re-paint it.
Also, when you are releasing the clutch lever, it doesn't grab until it is pretty much completely released. If you pull the lever in maybe an inch, it disengages the clutch. And you don't need the clutch to shift, in fact trying to use the clutch while shifting makes it hard to ride, since the clutch isn't there until the very end of the lever's travel. It shifts well though without using the clutch, the trans seems in good working order.
My questions are: Is this normal for these bikes? Is it bad to ride it this way? How do you go about changing it?
These are the pictures the PO sent me. I'll have to take a few of my own soon.
The stupid flaming skull stickers on the tank were the first things I removed.
The bike was originally blue. But was painted black several years ago, it's scratched and there are a few rust bubbles starting to form around where the nameplates attached to the tank (I'm sure the stickers didn't help that). Inside the tank looks good though.The seat is ripped, so I'll probably be getting that reupholstered, along with getting a stock seat so I can switch it up depending on my mood.
There is an oil leak somewhere. I think it's coming from the lower, finned cover on the front of the engine...whatever that is.
The mufflers are rotted out and falling apart inside (you can hear all the baffles and shit clanking around).
The electric starter doesn't work. It's a little bit hard to cold start with just the kick start. But once it fires up it runs pretty good. It definitely needs a tune up.
My plans for it in the near future are to make a custom exhaust and put on pod filters. Get it tuned up, adjusted, and stop the oil leak(s). Get rid of the rust on the tank, fill in where the badges were, and re-paint it.
Also, when you are releasing the clutch lever, it doesn't grab until it is pretty much completely released. If you pull the lever in maybe an inch, it disengages the clutch. And you don't need the clutch to shift, in fact trying to use the clutch while shifting makes it hard to ride, since the clutch isn't there until the very end of the lever's travel. It shifts well though without using the clutch, the trans seems in good working order.
My questions are: Is this normal for these bikes? Is it bad to ride it this way? How do you go about changing it?
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