Is my bike correct?

[Rumbaldi]

Looking at the pictures of the bikes on this forum I have started to wonder about the story I was told when I bought my 1977 XS400. I was told it was all stock except for the seat cover which had been damaged in storage. The story goes that the original purchaser died shortly after he bought it and his nephew inherited it and put it in his basement. Last summer the nephew was moving and did not want the bike so he put it up for sale. The guy I bought from bought it because his brother had a 360 that he loved. However he did not enjoy road riding so he sold it to me after rebuilding the front caliper and cleaning the carbs. The bike runs great and I am happy with it. I am just wondering if it is as original as i was told.
The stuff I have questions about are the wheels and the brakes. I thought from what I've seen here that 77 bikes had spoke wheels and drum brakes. My bike has alloys and disks. I also noticed when dealing with the starter that the sprocket cover is labeled like it is a six speed when it is a five speed.

Back wheel

Side view

Other side

 

[FUBAR]

im not sure but thats a fine looking machine you have

 

[xs400neophite]

check vin on yer goose neck and do a thread search on this forum for vin designations. Some brilliant soul has kindly put that info up here some where for all of us to benefit. This would be a perfect situation fer that!

 

[HoughMade]

Don't know if '77s had alloys and disks, but '78s and '79s had them available. What I think I can say is that the wheels have been blasted, stripped or painted. All the alloys I have seen had a clear-coated machined finish with black inside the spokes.

 

[STEVESKLT250]

They made a XS400D like yours and a XS400-2E that had drum brakes, spoke wheels and no electric starter like mine. Otherwise the two were identical in the same year, 1977. Hope this helps.

 

[226dark]

Looks all stock from here, down to the mufflers. Only the mirrors and seat. The 2E and 2F were economy models. The bike does have 6 gears, either needs work or it seems busy to you in 6th gear (it's only 400 cc). What rpm's in highest gear at 60? Did you count the gears? Good luck, hope trans is good!

 

[226dark]

BTW, what did you pay, it looks real clean!

 

[drewpy]

that looks like a European spec machine.

they had plain wheels as standard. Does the vin start with 2A2?


there was a transition from 360 to 400 and I have the dealer specs that detailed what changes were made to update the bike, I see you have the left side brackets for the proposed 2nd disk

 

[Rumbaldi]

They made a XS400D like yours and a XS400-2E that had drum brakes, spoke wheels and no electric starter like mine. Otherwise the two were identical in the same year, 1977. Hope this helps.

BTW, what did you pay, it looks real clean!

that looks like a European spec machine.

they had plain wheels as standard. Does the vin start with 2A2?


there was a transition from 360 to 400 and I have the dealer specs that detailed what changes were made to update the bike, I see you have the left side brackets for the proposed 2nd disk

Don't know if '77s had alloys and disks, but '78s and '79s had them available. What I think I can say is that the wheels have been blasted, stripped or painted. All the alloys I have seen had a clear-coated machined finish with black inside the spokes.

Thanks guys. It does look like the European Spec model. I guess I will have to run the Vin to know what it is supposed to be. I paid $1500.00 for the bike, a NOS Yamaha seat cover, and a Yamaha shop manual. Probably too much but I really liked the way it looked and it only had 3,800 miles on it. I am the one who added the bar end mirrors. It only came with one standard mirror when I bought it and with my big shoulders I couldn't see behind me with it.

 

[Drewcifer]

I think that is a new shift lever, other than that, aces!

 

[Rumbaldi]

that looks like a European spec machine.

they had plain wheels as standard. Does the vin start with 2A2?

It does start with 2A2

 

[jcorney]

I have a 77 as well that (was) exactly the same as yours. Yours looks bone stock. I have the same gray alloy wheels and front and rear disc brakes. And on the 77 the exhaust goes back to end of the rear wheel. I think its the same exhaust as the old Xs360s Mine was original and stock when I got it, but not in as good of shape as yours. Also my motor was seized. I am in the process of restoring and will probably be into it what you paid for yours. Yours looks great. Congrats!

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[63-Coupe]

It does start with 2A2

According to my list 2A2 = 1977 XS400D

 

[Rumbaldi]

Thanks for all the info. I have a lot more reading to do, and a lot to learn.

 

[Rumbaldi]

Looks all stock from here, down to the mufflers. Only the mirrors and seat. The 2E and 2F were economy models. The bike does have 6 gears, either needs work or it seems busy to you in 6th gear (it's only 400 cc). What rpm's in highest gear at 60? Did you count the gears? Good luck, hope trans is good!

You are right, it is a six speed. The previous owner told me it was a five and I just believed him.