Hi guys - new guy with a cold-storage "barn" find

[Mickey85]

Hi guys. My name's Matt, and I just found myself the owner of an '81 XS400 Special II that I stole off craigslist for $400...well...I hope I stole it.


I pick it up tomorrow, and for the present moment, just have the photos from the CL ad:

According to the seller, it was bought new at the Gary, IN dealer in March 1981 and was used to commute between Valparaiso and Gary until it was parked. The license plate says 1987. It hasn't moved since then. Her husband had been sick for a decade, and died last year. She just wants it gone.

A quick look over, and it seems like it needs a cleaning and would be ready to go - all the rubber appears at least good enough to start it, and the motor turns over really easily - oil appears new-ish (well, as new as 30 year old oil can look), and the gas tank sounded dry when I knocked on it. Didn't ask to crack it open. Even the tires are crack and dry-rot free. Of course I'm changing them though.

So anyway, that's what I'm working with. I want to keep it nearly all original, or original-style. Maybe upgrade it for driveability - electronic ignition, etc.

A bit about me - bought my first car, an '83 Olds Delta 88, when I was 14. Built and installed an Olds 403 and a Buick Grand National trans for it, installed police-spec Caprice suspension and ran mid-12's in the quarter by the time I was 16. I still have the car, but it's a far cry from where it was. I guess I'm buying this as a precursor to restoring that...

Motorcycle-wise, my first and only bike has been an '03 Buell XB9R. Fun bike, but not too comfortable, and I'm looking for something that's more "daily driver" to take to work and back and putter around the area. I've always loved UJM's, and I couldn't pass up a time capsule for $400.

Anyway...hi!

 

[xschris]

Welcome to the forum Make sure to change all the fluids and lube everything!!! I am working on a bike now that sat for 5 yrs and you would be amazed on how dry everything is Btw this model bike already has electronic ignition. Make sure to down load the manual from the forum or buy one and start reading

 

[Mickey85]

I printed out the "quick start" guide, and downloaded the manual, and have been reading on here basically all weekend, and it appeared to me that only 82s had EI. when did the change from points happen?

 

[xschris]

The 79 was the last year for points. 80-82 sohc bikes have a TCI.

 

[Mickey85]

Nice!

Well, I got it today...

Here it is on the trailer -

And off - the bottom mounts for the windshield had broken off just by the 10 minute ride home on the trailer, so I pulled it. I would like to keep it around and see if I can't re-mount it somehow during the fall and winter.

It also came with these fun little things...as well as the original toolkit:

Aaaaand washed:

The three biggest things I can find beyond maintenance are: the dented rim, a broken muffler (right by the header pipe coupling), and a little crack that is on the right fork tube...I don't think it's anything, as it appears too small to be all the way through...

Here's the crack - you can barely see it.

And, parked in the shop next to its little (big?) sibling:

HOnestly, the muffler is going to get changed, but I'm not even gonna sweat about the rim - if I'm really going to be anal, I may hammer it out, but it's holding air in its 27 year old tire right now, so I'm not too concerned.

 

[Mickey85]

Holy glare batman!

Next up will be to try to find a set of filters and spark plugs, swap out the oil (I'm thinking Rotella 15W40 diesel oil), and clean out the gas tank and float bowls.

There was about 1/2 gallon of gas left in the tank...from 27 years ago...so the entire tank is thoroughly varnished. How extensively should i be cleaning this out? Or, flush it with mineral spirits for a couple days and then install an inline filter?


Also, the handlebars jiggle...extensively it seems. They appear to be mounted to rubber bushings, and its the flex in the bushings that are causing it to jiggle...it appears that the end of the bars can move over an inch vertically.

 

[BamaBill]

Nice find! I paid $900 for mine. I like the nostalgia of the spoke drum front wheel, but glad I have the mags. You should have no trouble getting her running. Carb cleaning is the biggest and make sure the electronics are charging properly. Good luck and welcome to your new "sickness"

 

[Mickey85]

Thanks! The battery was really corroded, but the rest of the wiring is factory fresh, down to the original glass fuses - I think I'm going to just put a battery in it and see what I get.

The goal for this week is to get it running enough to take it down the block. After that I'll start in on new cables, new hoses, new fork oil, and new grease in the wheel hubs and steerer. The goal for tomorrow is to try to clean out the gas tank as best I can.

 

[xschris]

Your going to want to replace that front rim As well as the old tires. You may want to get the fork checked out as that rim looks to have had a hard hit.

 

[Mickey85]

The tires are going to be replaced before I go much further than a block. The fork is straight and has full travel. I'm not going to sweat the front rim as it still holds the bead, and will work OK for me. I'm gonna keep an eye out for a cherry new wheel though...

 

[Mickey85]

Also - with the broken muffler - do I need to re-jet by going with new mufflers? I'm thinking for price savings, I'm going with a set of shorty muffs, and didn't know if I needed to do something with the jets to compensate for the free-er exhaust

 

[levdir]

Yeah, freer exhaust will lean your mix out, you'll need a bigger main jet by a size or so. Specifically how much varies pretty widely but order two or three sizes up and swap them in and out until it feels good.

 

[BamaBill]

Rejetting the carb is cheap. Go to MikesXS.net and get a carb rebuild kit and order a couple of size main jets up and go ahead and get a size up on the pilot jet. If the rebuild kit doesn't come with new air mixture adjustment screws be sure to get them also.

 

[Mickey85]

What are the stock jet sizes, and what are the numbers for one or two bigger?

 

[xschris]

42.5 pilots and 135 mains are stock sizes. The next size up would be 45 and 137.5.

 

[Mickey85]

Would that do it for a set of shorty muffs? They look like glass pack style car mufflers...

 

[xschris]

Every bike is different and those type of mufflers have little to no back pressure so you may need much larger ones. One thing that you must do is make sure your idle mix screw caps are removed so you can adjust them. Your model had them blocked with brass caps from the factory so people could not adjust them. It's a emissions thing.