my 81 XS400 restoration build

[rshutchinson]

Hey guys, after I picked up an 81 Maxim 650 dirt cheap for my father in law for christmas my dad got excited at the idea of a father-son project we could work on together. Well after a quick search I found a running 81 xs400 that needed a little bit of work but overall in good shape.

He mostly wanted to just "make it look good again" with a few slight changes.

Though it ran, it needed a list of things. Intake boots, float needle, signals, front brake overhaul, fork seals, oil leak, oil slung up under seat, etc. (Found that they never had a tube going from what looks like a crankcase breather to the air intake tubes feeding the carbs, I believe that's the cause)

I've been picking away at it while also working on my own gr650 chop and a friends ninja and rebuilding my track bike from a recent 'oops' moment so the progress has been a little slow.

I didn't take any before pictures but I'm sure everyone knows what they look like. I'll upload some photos of it's current state in a bit here and keep up the updates as I can.

 

[xschris]

Welcome to the forum

 

[rshutchinson]

Thanks!


Well the parts are covered in grinding dust and dirt so they don't look like much but they'll shine in the sun with a wash.

Took apart the forks and cleaned out the sludge thats accumulated for 30+ years. Powdercoated the legs in single stage gun-metal and a few coats of mirror clear. Then assembled with new oil seals and dust wipers as well as some 15w oil.

The front brake was locking up so I rebuilt the master cylinder and coated it as well. Caliper bracket also done in gun metal. The caliper also got a rebuild and a new piston and seal kit. Old coating was coming off from spilled fluid so coated in matte black and mirror clear. New stainless brake line to top it off.

Have to clean up and coat the rotor and rim still as well as fender.

Went through and cleaned up the carbs and put in new float needles and bowl gaskets. Carbs were painted in high heat engine paints that will cure with engine heat over time. The top hats and bowls I powder-coated in gun-metal as well.

I've also rebuilt the tank petcock since the PO just installed a plastic manual one inline.

Lots more work to do but not enough time to do it. Doing this in an un-heated shed so it's hard to get motivated to go out and work...