corruptmind
XS400 Addict
nope, someone already cut it out and put individual inline fuses. this bike was a mess when we got it.
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Intro & Twin '81 Cafe/Streetfighter XS400s
- Thread starter corruptmind
- Start date
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
The issue was the headlight relay, seems to have gone bad. So i bypassed it, now the headlight turns on when the key is turned. With the new battery it isnt an issue. Gunna rewire the horn aswell soon. Im not sure if its at the button or elsewhere... but it randomly will go off. Im wondering if a critter crawled in there and is shorting it out. I had a tiny spider crawl into my brake light switch and short it. lol
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
The wife mentioned to me earlier on our ride home that her speedo light is still out... so i search through the wiring diagram remembering someone had mentioned before about a diode... sure as can be there it is... so now im thinking the relay itself didnt go bad but the diode did and thats not letting the relay click. Will have to tear into it this weekend and check it out.
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
Some drive-bys
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
This bike is turning int a headache. We did a group ride last Sunday and stopped over at my moms before returning home. We came out an hour later and the bike was leaking fuel, the line had split. So I took an old lawn mower one I had lying around and fit it. Stupidly I never went the extra step to blow it out better and I'm thinking some sand or something into the float needle. Went went to leave and she got to the end of the road and kept bogging down. Turn around and limp it to the house, go grab and flash light and find that fuel is pouring out of the carbs. So we drained the tank and parked it. I got it home and tore into the carbs. They needed it but weren't as bad as I've seen. Got ride of the flooding issue but I realized the previous owner removed the lower bracket and the idea speed screw.
At the moment I pulled the idea speed screw off mine and mounted it but having idling issues. I'm not sure if the cable is getting in a bind randomly while riding or if the screw is vibrating but id figure it would vibrate loose causing it to die not over idle. It rides fine but when you stop at a sign or light it sometimes I idling high. I don't believe its the rev hanging because it doesn't come down, even if you give it som clutch it'll slow but as soon as you pull it back in it jumps back up. Then 3-4 signs later its gone.
Forgot to mention its running k&n 2into1 filter, and stock kawasaki ex500 exhaust. The idle mix screw is 4.5 turns out.
At the moment I pulled the idea speed screw off mine and mounted it but having idling issues. I'm not sure if the cable is getting in a bind randomly while riding or if the screw is vibrating but id figure it would vibrate loose causing it to die not over idle. It rides fine but when you stop at a sign or light it sometimes I idling high. I don't believe its the rev hanging because it doesn't come down, even if you give it som clutch it'll slow but as soon as you pull it back in it jumps back up. Then 3-4 signs later its gone.
Forgot to mention its running k&n 2into1 filter, and stock kawasaki ex500 exhaust. The idle mix screw is 4.5 turns out.
Last edited:
confused dot com!
what's an "idea speed" screw?
you don't believe the revs are hanging but it doesn't come down, that's the revs hanging!
what's an "idea speed" screw?
you don't believe the revs are hanging but it doesn't come down, that's the revs hanging!
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
i do most of all my posting on a cellphone so I tend to mis-spell words, obviously I meant idle speed screw. You know, the one that allows you to adjust the idle speed... What I was refering to when I was saying hanging is when you roll on the throttle and let it snap back, the bike will start to rev down but then stop for a few seconds and then finish dropping to the set idle speed. That would be fine right now because I would know its just running lean... but when we come up to the light and the bike is just holding 2500 rpms and wont come down, you engage the clutch a bit and then disengage it and it shoots right back up... that bothers me.
I get the "idea" just "screwing" with ya 
sounds like its still leeen! just
sounds like its still leeen! just
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
2 questions for ya. The throttle cable, this bike was a mess when we got it, is it usually strapped anywhere, I'm assuming that at one point it was strapped on the middle backbone with the harness. 2nd question, how many turns out on the idle mix screw before it just doesn't do anything anymore?
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
Tonight confirmed my suspicion about my laziness causing a problem. When I put the throttle adjust back on I didnt put it back on with the bracket that joins the carbs. So that made the spring on the screw a bit loose. So when she was riding the screw would vibrate, sometimes loose, but most often tight and then when she would be slowing to a stop and the throttle would be close with the screw making it to high. So I pulled the adjust screw out and threw some washers between the head and the spring and put it back on, it keeps tension on the spring now which stops the screw from vibrating around keeping the idle solid. She is still slightly lean though, very small hang. Maybe another half turn out.
corruptmind
XS400 Addict
Been a long while since any updates. We havent done to much to either of the bikes.
The wife was using her bike daily back and forth to school. She named it the Speed Double because she said it reminds her of our late brother-in-laws Speed Triple. One day it stalled at a light and she couldnt get it to start with the electric start. She attempted to use the kickstart and was standing in a pool of transmission fluid. Her foot slipped and her and the bike fell over. broke the brake lever, mirror, and bashed up the exhaust a bit. She had to push it to a empty parking lot and got a ride from a friend. I picked her up from class that night and we went to get it. It fired right up and she had no issues on the ride home other than a very short front brake lever.
We parked the bike and I got her a '01 SV650 for $1500. We have plans to tear it down, replace the exhaust and do it right this time. Replaced the lever but not the mirrors yet. Mean while I have been staring at those '01 EX500 ive got just laying around... grown tired of looking at it and no real interest in finishing it.
After a bit it came to me that I still dont have all the electrical components for my XS400 anymore due to family throwing them away when I wasnt around, so without that the engine is basicly useless (sort of) to me. I did some measuring and turns out the EX500 and XS400 engines have very similar dimensions and weight. The EX having the bonus (debatable) of liquid cooling and more power. Not to mention I have everything needed to make it run. So... The EXS500 project is born.
In the process of repairing my cracked CR500 engine and replacing a cracked cover on the CBR1000F so its not absolute priority but it will be started soon. Probably after my August trip to Deals Gap.
The wife was using her bike daily back and forth to school. She named it the Speed Double because she said it reminds her of our late brother-in-laws Speed Triple. One day it stalled at a light and she couldnt get it to start with the electric start. She attempted to use the kickstart and was standing in a pool of transmission fluid. Her foot slipped and her and the bike fell over. broke the brake lever, mirror, and bashed up the exhaust a bit. She had to push it to a empty parking lot and got a ride from a friend. I picked her up from class that night and we went to get it. It fired right up and she had no issues on the ride home other than a very short front brake lever.
We parked the bike and I got her a '01 SV650 for $1500. We have plans to tear it down, replace the exhaust and do it right this time. Replaced the lever but not the mirrors yet. Mean while I have been staring at those '01 EX500 ive got just laying around... grown tired of looking at it and no real interest in finishing it.
After a bit it came to me that I still dont have all the electrical components for my XS400 anymore due to family throwing them away when I wasnt around, so without that the engine is basicly useless (sort of) to me. I did some measuring and turns out the EX500 and XS400 engines have very similar dimensions and weight. The EX having the bonus (debatable) of liquid cooling and more power. Not to mention I have everything needed to make it run. So... The EXS500 project is born.
In the process of repairing my cracked CR500 engine and replacing a cracked cover on the CBR1000F so its not absolute priority but it will be started soon. Probably after my August trip to Deals Gap.
