Newbie from the Philippines

[LoveB]

Hey all, Paul here, new from the Philippines (rather new into bikes too!)

Just a quick question, my friend recently sold me a yamaha bike which he said was an xs400... Been looking up online on turning it into a cafe racer and I've been quite excited about it..

Got the bike last night however and as it turns out its a seca 400, whats the difference between an xs400 and a seca 400? it says seca400 on the side sill. also when i look up seca400 on google its the exact same bike. have yet you find a cafe racer one online too..

 

[DanMach]

The XS400 and SECA 400 are NOT identical bikes. They have a lot of key differences. Bottom line of it:

Seca400 has a modern suspension(rear monoshock), modern engine(DOHC as compared to SOHC), and I *believe* it has a 6 speed. While the XS400 has a 6 speed, the XS400J (Maxim) only has a 5 speed.

The DOHC redlines at 10k, has about 40hp, and its more a screamer. 7k - 10k is a fun ride

Other than that.. the DOHC uses shim over bucket design for the valves. They require less maintence, but when you do adjust them you have to order new shims. The engine can sometimes have an issue with the headgasket leaking some.

If you want to double check its a DOHC motor look at the valve cover. It should have 2 black half moons on each side. One in front, one in rear.

I have a Maxim, but I really love the engine. It sounds great, has a good idle, and is mostly vibe free.

Gud lak sa 'yo. (Sorry if thats misspelt )

 

[226dark]

Welcome, Helps to identify if you can give the first 3 of serial, stamped on the motor.
This might clarify, assuming it is correct.
http://www.freecaine.org/bikeblog/?p=1

 

[drewpy]

hey Paul, glad you could make it over here

 

[xschris]

Welcome! It is nice to see people from all over the world

 

[LoveB]

Thanks guys and thanks drewpy for the link

I'll take a pic of the bike, my friend told me it was an XS400 but upon further investigation (as we both arent that great with bikes lol) the side card says seca 400 and from the pics/vids ive seen i do believe its a seca 400, its in a rather rough condition so at the moment I'm contemplating whether i should restore it to use it or stay away from it, I'll have updated pics up tomorrow and I'll definately be back with heaps more questions!

A few that I have in mind right now are,

1: did the seca ever come with a kick starter? I cant seem to find a kick start so I'm not 100% sure, I'm betting there was it was probably just removed

2: how reliable are the engines on these?? the one I've got hasnt been started in about 2-3 years, maybe even a little longer than that, do you guys reckon its worth opening it up, rebuilding (hopefully possible to do on the cheap side) to get it going?

3:do you guys have any pictures of cafe racer or any other modified seca 400s?


I'll post pics tomorrow as today I just gave it a bit of a wash so tomorrow I'm gonna try and slightly disassemble it so I can further investigate the rush and such! thanks guys!


And BTW, gud lak is how most filipinos would spell it so not bad at all

 

[OleDoc]

welcome.just try to get it running before you rebuild it.you'd be suprised how well they run with a good carb cleaning

 

[OliverB]

Welcome to the forum! Do you know the actual mileage on the bike? If it isn't too high, like OleDoc said, just get it running and go from there. I am not familiar with this engine but I do believe it is pretty durable from what I have read - as long as it has been treated properly.

BTW, only electric start, IIRC.

 

[xschris]

It would be a good idea to clean the carbs good and change all of the fluids.

 

[LoveB]

alright guys, this is what im dealign with

Save? or stay away?

 

[xschris]

Can't see the pics.

 

[xschris]

Got them to open, it looks rough does it turn over? Any bike can be fixed if you are willing to spend the time and money

 

[OleDoc]

Got them to open, it looks rough does it turn over? Any bike can be fixed if you are willing to spend the time and money

i agree.it is better to save them then to let them be turned into chinese metal

 

[LoveB]

havent tried starting it yet. Will probably attempt to flush out the fluid and replace it then get a battery on it....


Or how do you guys suggest I go about it first?

 

[xschris]

I would make sure it will turn over first. You can do this by putting it into gear and pushing it forward to see if the engine is not stuck.