Hi there, just signed up for the forum and figured I'd say hi, introduce myself and start a log of the new cafe' project i'm starting.
So... Hi.. I'm Mark i live in Vancouver, WA and just picked up a '78 xs400 with about 3000 miles on it that has been sitting in a shed for about 25 years. The last time it was registered was 1982. Anyway, everything seems to be in pretty good shape other than some rust (I live in the Pacific Northwest everything has rust!) and some old dried out gaskets etc.
My son is 14 and I'm including him in the project as much as possible to teach him some basic engine and mechanical principles. The 2 cylinder Yamaha is a great platform for him to learn some basics about internal combustion engines, and simple brakes and carburetor principles.
At this point I'm planning on switching out the tank from my "tear drop" shape to the more square XS400e (??? i guess that's the species... still learning the ins and outs of this model) I think I may have to do a little fabricating to make it fit since i think the lengths of the 2 tanks are different. I'm also going to try my hand at making my own seat pan with fiberglass. It will be the first time I've done anything with fiberglass so well see how that goes.
Here is what it looked like when I brought it home... or should say it was delivered.
Here is some early stages of the tear down.
Here it is after my son and I got done spending a couple hours in the garage together with it.
I'll post more as the project progresses.
I assume I'll be looking on here for more help with suspension issues. I'm about 6' tall and 220lbs and those tiny little forks are gonna have their work cut out for them. I may try upgrading springs after trying some thicker oil. I have done springs on a couple SV's that I take to the track on occasion, but I'm not sure what my options are for these little guys.
I'm looking forward to combing through the threads here!
Mark