Halfbreeds Build

[halfbreed4lyfe]

Well I'm gonna start a new thread all together for my build, seperate from my intro. Well i guess for starts I ordered most of my parts over the weekend and am waiting for them to come in. I have started my knee dents, and by no means am i a body specialist, or mechanic. Here are the pics so far for my dents.

I learned too late that all the dents really need to be uniform in depth otherwise you will need more layers of filler to as you sand away the highspot, and metal shows up.

this is maybe two coats in.

second coat apx with some sanding.

this is I believe the most recent layer after finally covering the metal brace for the yamaha logo. I found the thread last night about grinding it off, but that was after I filled it, so I hope no vibrations cause cracks in the surface.
Here again is the bike before dents and with dents but before filler.

I found the Airplane Stripper to be my best friend in removing the many layers of paint.

and I also put a shorty on the side where I lost my exhaust, however i still have the slash cut on the otherside. Anyone know if this will cause an issue by having the two different exhausts. I'll be getting both shortys eventually.

I have clip ons ordered a seat ordered new turns and some other small parts so far. I am still keeping it a daily driver. so I plan to do most things in small pieces, or dedicate a days work, to it then put everything back together and ride.

 

[bcware]

Yes, the different exhaust pipes will cause problems. The bike might still run OK, but get matching pipes asap.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

Ok I've ordered the other side should be here by the end of the week. For attaching securely would you suggest just putting cuts in the pipe and using some sort of clamp or maybe find someone to weld it. The exhaust sealing cement is horrible.

 

[bcware]

I have the same mufflers. I ended up making "relief" cuts in the end, putting a bunch of ultra copper silicone on the inside, and using a cobra clamp.

Welding would be better, but I didn't want to spend any money.

It's a universal muffler, so it will take a little effort to make it work.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

got my seat in, but I'm getting a little nervous about the framework ahead. Anything in particular i need to look out for? The battery seems a bit to big to relocate under the seat hump, so what are the next best places? I want that pod filter only look in the middle. Got the fabric for the seat cover also, doing a pleated seat but is polyfoam going to be enough support? Sorry i have a lot of questions, just need to get this part right and have minimal down time. Will start all this on Thursday, day after my summer finals.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

Its been a while since I posted updates since all the engine issues went underway but i will have some new pics tomorrow, until then here are the stock seat guts next to my seat pan.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

this is my girl all naked waiting for the new engine, and then her with her new engine and parts sort of mocked up.

more pics and info to come after this weekend, thanks to all the xs400 members for the help in getting her back on her feet.

 

[Greasey Fingers]

Looking good mate! Tanks come up well

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

Thank you sir, Its def not the smoothest tank but it was also the first time I've ever dented a tank. I have a question for those who come across this. What do you think bedliner or like rhino liner in the shape of the knee dents in just that area, maybe surrounded by a red pinstripe. Figure it would do a could job of covering some uneveness on the right side.

 

[Ironhead]

What do you think bedliner or like rhino liner in the shape of the knee dents in just that area?

i think that's a cool idea and you should go for it. i personally haven't seen that before. it'll be unique as well as functional - especially if you actually ride it hard like a dirtbike and tend to pinch the tank with your knees - like i do. just please be discreet with it and don't use it anywhere else on the bike. if you buy some, those indentions will use about .0001% of what you get so you gotta resist the temptation to slather that crap everywhere. i've seen people get carried away with that stuff. a pal of mine recently rented a house where the previous occupant had a lot left over and decided to fully coat all of the kitchen counters with it. total disaster. dish sponge budget: ANNIHILATED.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

I just had an image in my mind of shredded dish sponge everywhere. Yeah there is a guy in town here who did his entire Jeep wrangler in it.

 

[AMR-XS400]

a whole jeep, i would love to see that,


heres one i found

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

I think that is one badass tundra but again with the cleaning issue, what do you use a power washer? Too much trouble for me.

 

[AMR-XS400]

you wouldnt want to rub against it, it would give you gravel rash

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

Well got my bike running now I guess it will take time with tuning to get it running top notch, so I will update the build thread again. I dont have a Ubar welded on and was curious what this is for exactly. any way installed my turn signals up front and my new tailight however they will all need resistors, so i spend tom in a radio shack. The tank got all nasty after working on her so i resanded and primed, hit with 220 wet then 600wet and then 800wet then a coat of mat black another 800 wet and another coat then a final coat once it was done drying, did the same to the tail. I took about 6-8 hours making a seat cover with the mother in-laws sewing machin and some black vinyl from jo-anns fabric (and soe youtube videos on pleating.) this was 8hrs over three days not straight, and it was done before she stopped running so it sat after being finished. any hew, now i have installed it on my seat, and for my first (and last) seat cover I'll do myself, it wasn't half bad. My wife was impressed, she never expects much from my DIY projects. So here are a few pics, sorry its dark, tom i'll post pics of the bike with everything mounted. I mean I saw it but it was dark and pics wouldnt have worked but it was cool.

So i didnt sew in any water proofing materials, Soooo I ducktaped the cusion to the pan, this helped to control the cushion also. I wanted to have a nice dentisty so I used the tape to sort of smoosh it, I think it worked well.

I'll be putting the red striping on the tank and seat tomorrow so its not quite done but i get excited and move ahead. I also bought a gas cap becuse mine was broken, anyone know why mikesxs is always ot of stock? Well I ordered one form another parts site and it was from canada and the wrong cap, sendig back and buying the one i eventually found would have set me back so much more money I just switched the internal clips and now my original cap is perf, just an FYI for anyone with a broken cap. and here is my tailight mounted under my seat.

all these details will probably only last till december, I plan to redo all of it but I wanted to look temorarily good for the last few cool days. I hope to convert a storage containger to a garage over winter break and do some serious work. Got a electric generator to operate a heater and tools so I should be good. Oh well updates tom.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

just an updated photo, she still needs a stripe or two, the gas cap is not on, the exhaust wrap gets in tomorrow, and i got a resistor and am picking up the ep 34 flash relay tom. so still in the process.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

BTW is shortening cables pretty simple, just cutting away the unnecesary as long as the movement of the tree isnt affected?

 

[sir_h_c]

If you know how to properly reattach the fittings it can be a simple job. Just don't cut off too much, shortening is significantly easier than lengthening!

How do you like those hand grips? I've been looking at similar ones.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

If you know how to properly reattach the fittings it can be a simple job. Just don't cut off too much, shortening is significantly easier than lengthening!

How do you like those hand grips? I've been looking at similar ones.

I really do like the handgrips actually, I dont have any leather gloves so I dont know how they will respond there, more than likely just as well. They dont come with plugs at the ends so you'll probably want mirrors or caps, and they dont fit over the throttle sleeve you'll more than likley have to grind down the stock ones' ridges or buy one of the aftermarket smooth ones, but they look sick and bring the front end together.

 

[halfbreed4lyfe]

any one know about removing that huge bolt that sticks out each side, I believe it was for the bar that wrapped around, the one you grab when hoisting onto the center bar. Are they connected directly to the shocks. And before I disassemle the shocks how can I remove that reflector?