I'm Back

[petei]

Hey everybody!! Some of you may remember me from over a year ago. when i was planning on drivng my XS400 maxim across canada....

Well..it never happened. long story short.. i got married moved back to montreal for a year, (put the bike in storage) and now i'm back in BC. wit the bike now in vancouver.

I'm working on getting the bike back in top shape. the "friend" stored the bike with assured me he woiuld store it properly but he just put it in a shed so she is having trouble starting. I've replaced the battery which was dead, cleaned the petcock, in the process of changing the oil, (the filter bolt won't budge, i will be trying a torch) and now i'm thinking it might be the carbs. i've found the threads and plan on getting that done soon.

also another thing i noticed is if the tire goes insta flat if is the tire pressure drops (i guy a at a tire shop says the tire is cheap and probably leaks very slowly and i should just double check the pressure before each ride). has this ever happened to you guys?

I'm glad to be back and i'm sorry for falling of the face of the earth for the last year it was a busy one... moving cross country twice, planning a wedding (one reception in mtl one in vancouver) and then finding a summer job and trying to figuring out a school exchange, so the wife an I can stay in the same city. well its all done now and i finally have a little time to work on the bike.

 

[xschris]

Welcome back

 

[Scorpio1963]

I don't remember your name as a member on here but welcome back and I hope you get your xs back in top form.

 

[Lou Ranger]

Hey everybody!! Some of you may remember me from over a year ago. when i was planning on drivng my XS400 maxim across canada ....

Welcome back Petei.
I wondered if you would end up doing what I did. Sell your bike the year you got married and then take up riding again 35 years later.

.... also another thing i noticed is if the tire goes insta flat if is the tire pressure drops (i guy a at a tire shop says the tire is cheap and probably leaks very slowly and i should just double check the pressure before each ride)....

It hasn't happened to me but I have read a number of accounts. Usually it is a failure of the seal against the rim. A number of people seem to have solved it by letting all the air out, breaking the seal, cleaning the contact surfaces and them lubing them with an appropriate agent (not sure what is the right one - I've read soap to WD-40 but I don't know what to advise), and then reinflating. Sounds reasonable and ought to work. One thing to do first though would be to mark the tire and wheel so that you can align it properly before re-inflating, thus preserving your wheel balance.

I would not simply ignore and check every day though, unless you are 100% sure it is a slightly leaking seal and NOT a staple, nail or shard of some sort which could come out at any time and result in a rapid deflation. I would do an inspection for any sort of foreign object and, if there's none, try to clean and re-inflate.

... in the process of changing the oil, (the filter bolt won't budge, i will be trying a torch) ...

I suppose torching could work and it might be worth a try. I had the same problem with my Maxim and ended up using the coolest Christmas present to get the bolt off:

http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8129
​

Once you do get it off, be VERY careful putting it back on.
11 ft-lbs is not very much at all and you don't want to crack the cover like I did:

http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?p=89736#post89736
​

 

[XSLeo]

I have a Honda CM400 It had the front tire go flat inconsistently. Some times it held air for weeks then the next day it would be flat.
I Looked it over for everything I could think of. Valve core bead leaks holes.
I finally took the tire of and found the valve stem had a small crack where it hooked to the tube. Replaced to tube, now all is good.
So take your wheel off and fill a large container full of water and put the wheel in the water. Air it up a few psi over what you run it at. Watch for bubbles, turn the wheel so you check the whole tire.
If you see air bubbles on the sidewalls or thread then it's got a tire problem as well as a tube problem.
Watch around the valve stem. If it's tube it could be a bad tube. If a tubeless tire the valve stem has an o-ring that seals it to the rim. The o-ring might be bad.
If tubeless it could be the tire is just old. You do know how to tell the age of a tire, right?
On the sidewall is a DOT number. At the end of this number is a oval with 3 or 4 digits in it. If just 3 digits the tire is before the year 2000. After 2000 they used 4 digits. If no digits it way older.
With 3 digits the first two numbers are the week of the year and the last number is the year. As in 347, the 34 is the 34rth week of 1997.
4 digits the first two are the same with the last two the year. Like 2704. 27th week of 2004.
Most tire manufactures recommend NOT running a tire over 6 years old. The belts can separate and can even explode.
If your tires and tubes are very old they can just be rotting and leaking air out through them. If old just replace.
The only thing hooking your bike to the road are your tires. Old tires on a bike if one gives out that leaves one.
How much is your life worth?
Leo

 

[petei]

Thanks XSleo, i'll check the age, i'm pretty sure they are fairly new, i will check the age wheni get home. right now I have the carbs off and will be cleaned this weekend (it between writing a paper on gender equality and urbanization in the global south ). lots of things to do.

On another note, my throttle is quite mangled i discovered this when i took the grip off to replace it, a couple of questions can I cut the plastic piece and sand it down to make it smooth (i'll post pictures) or do i need a new one?

 

[XSLeo]

On the throttle where the grip goes on just clean it up a bit. A rough surface will let the grip hold onto the sleeve better.
If broken best to replace. Cut short and the rubber of the grip will rub on the handle bar and cause extra resistance. may even stick. A stuck throttle sucks. Been there done that.
Leo