US82XS
'82 Seca 400 restorer
Hello there! A few months back, I acquired a 1982 XS400 (RJ/RK? - DOHC and single mono-shock rear suspension). It had been sitting, uncovered, under a garage overhang in someone's backyard for 3-4 years.
Aside from some faded plastic bits and cobwebs, and a bit of rust in the usual vulnerable places, this XS would eventually turn over, start, and run raggedly (though the brakes were gone and the PO didn't even have the decency to store it on its center stand so the flat spot on the rear tire made that first run around the block VERY INTERESTING). With the PO selling it for $75, I determined that this was a bargain opportunity not to be missed.
Before I found this lovely community I did the things I know how to do: I checked compression. I CLEANED CLEANED AND CLEANED the carbs. I replaced the spark plugs, air filter, oil, oil filter, the brake pads/shoes/fluid, the final drive and rear sprockets, chain, and the back tire. The result: the bike will start easy enough and will run well with the enricher/choke engaged. But it has serious trouble idling and there is odd revving in between gears (the clutch is fine so this must be a carb or top-end issue). Otherwise, you can hear it missing while it runs and there is some occasional backfiring out the exhaust - neighbors love that.
I removed (and cleaned) carbs again and found the idles adjusted factory-lean (as the old plugs indicated) so I spun those out to 3.5 turns out inline with the suggestions in this forum. Perhaps it was the second carb removal that did it but the #2 intake boot was cracked so I'll probably just replace the factory airbox with pods and rejet accordingly.
The throttle butterflies were visibly out of alignment so balancing the carbs will be next. And I suppose I'll check the timing and the valves, too. Unless any of you old hands have some better ideas.
I think this is a bike that wants to ride and I'm very close to making it happy again. I'll post an update and some pics when its running and looking a little more like a proper motorcycle. My other project is an '86 Suzuki GSX-R750 rat racer that is not so far along as this fun little guy.
Since my mechanical knowledge and skills are wanting, I'm very glad to have found XS400.com!
Aside from some faded plastic bits and cobwebs, and a bit of rust in the usual vulnerable places, this XS would eventually turn over, start, and run raggedly (though the brakes were gone and the PO didn't even have the decency to store it on its center stand so the flat spot on the rear tire made that first run around the block VERY INTERESTING). With the PO selling it for $75, I determined that this was a bargain opportunity not to be missed.
Before I found this lovely community I did the things I know how to do: I checked compression. I CLEANED CLEANED AND CLEANED the carbs. I replaced the spark plugs, air filter, oil, oil filter, the brake pads/shoes/fluid, the final drive and rear sprockets, chain, and the back tire. The result: the bike will start easy enough and will run well with the enricher/choke engaged. But it has serious trouble idling and there is odd revving in between gears (the clutch is fine so this must be a carb or top-end issue). Otherwise, you can hear it missing while it runs and there is some occasional backfiring out the exhaust - neighbors love that.
I removed (and cleaned) carbs again and found the idles adjusted factory-lean (as the old plugs indicated) so I spun those out to 3.5 turns out inline with the suggestions in this forum. Perhaps it was the second carb removal that did it but the #2 intake boot was cracked so I'll probably just replace the factory airbox with pods and rejet accordingly.
The throttle butterflies were visibly out of alignment so balancing the carbs will be next. And I suppose I'll check the timing and the valves, too. Unless any of you old hands have some better ideas.
I think this is a bike that wants to ride and I'm very close to making it happy again. I'll post an update and some pics when its running and looking a little more like a proper motorcycle. My other project is an '86 Suzuki GSX-R750 rat racer that is not so far along as this fun little guy.
Since my mechanical knowledge and skills are wanting, I'm very glad to have found XS400.com!
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