Carolinarooster
79' XS400
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My $50 XS400 Find
- Thread starter Carolinarooster
- Start date
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- xs400
Carolinarooster
79' XS400
Any advice or comments on the bike are appreciated!
Specially if you see something wrong, haha.
Want to turn into tracker.
Specially if you see something wrong, haha.
Want to turn into tracker.
levdir
Rounded bolt brigade
Can you weld, or do you know a welder? You're going to need some frame spars between the shock mounts and the tank mount or any good bump is going to buckle your frame.
That frame looks bent. $50 for a working motor is a steal though
High fives on a $50 bike. Maybe we should start the $50 cycle club, since I got mine for the same.
Looks like your bike needs a little love. Not sure on the year by looks, but with the vin and a little investigating the forum, you should be able to find out whatever you need to know. If it helps, my '79 starts out 2LO and is a xs400f.
Looks like your bike needs a little love. Not sure on the year by looks, but with the vin and a little investigating the forum, you should be able to find out whatever you need to know. If it helps, my '79 starts out 2LO and is a xs400f.
Does it have a title?
Requiem
XS400 Addict
Frame does indeed look bent... Still a steal though, if only for the engine and parts
Carolinarooster
79' XS400
Thanks for the feedback.
The VIN does start with 2LO.
It does have a title.
Where on the frame does it look bent? If indeed bent, is it safe if I have it repaired?
The VIN does start with 2LO.
It does have a title.
Where on the frame does it look bent? If indeed bent, is it safe if I have it repaired?
Carolinarooster
79' XS400
heres a pic (sorry for the grain, was a bit dark) of it with tank off. still bent?!
Yes, it's bent, bad.
Those 2 arrows should be in line.
Those 2 arrows should be in line.
Carolinarooster
79' XS400
Thank you guys so much for taking a look at it...
On the arrows above... the photo i took was tilted as you can see in the previous photo on the background shelves
... I leveled the picture as seen here. Does this make it look less warped?
On the arrows above... the photo i took was tilted as you can see in the previous photo on the background shelves
Rotating the photo won't change the fact that those arrows don't line up. Whoever chopped the center seat bracing out weakened the frame in such a way that any force exerted on the rear wheel and through the rear shocks is folding the back half of the bike up and forward with the pivot point being where the swingarm meets the frame, just behind the engine.
In order to correct this, you could put a porta-power between the top of the rear shocks and the back of the frame neck, slowly force it back apart, take lots of careful measurements, and weld in some seat bracing to "finish the triangle" in the frame.
Another option could be to chop the rear and get a hardtail kit, if that's your thing, or maybe go the other direction and fab up a monoshock in that thing.
In order to correct this, you could put a porta-power between the top of the rear shocks and the back of the frame neck, slowly force it back apart, take lots of careful measurements, and weld in some seat bracing to "finish the triangle" in the frame.
Another option could be to chop the rear and get a hardtail kit, if that's your thing, or maybe go the other direction and fab up a monoshock in that thing.
This should give you a decent idea of how far off yours is-
It's actually bent worse than that. You can see the bend in the middle of the rear down tube.
I wouldn't trust my life with that, even if it could be bent back and made to 'look' fixed.
I wouldn't trust my life with that, even if it could be bent back and made to 'look' fixed.
Carolinarooster
79' XS400
Thanks for the help everyone.
Looks like I need a plan!
I think I'll begin tearing it down.
Is it safe to modify this frame as a bobber?
Looks like I need a plan!
I think I'll begin tearing it down.
Is it safe to modify this frame as a bobber?
Most hardtail kits for bobbers or whatnot would chop off the whole rear bent section of bike, so I think you would be fine doing that. If you're still looking to do a tracker, you could chop the back half off, weld a loop and bracket on the swingarm and a bracket on the rear of the backbone of the frame (between the carbs somewhere) and put a monoshock in there.
Like:
Like:
levdir
Rounded bolt brigade
That's basically exactly what I want my bike to look like eventually 
Carolinarooster
79' XS400
aight, I'm about to order a hardball kit. I saw one on voodoo customs... should i order a pre welded on for $299 or a unassembled one for $159, since ill have to have it welded to the existing frame eventually anyways?
