"The Kramer" 82 Seca Build.

[Tj Gonz]

Hi everyone.
Read tons of great threads here, this is my first post.
My first bike was a 06 Ninja 250ex..loved her to death for a year.
I did the works to her but always wished I made a build thread.
Then I needed a car for the lady.
Sold that for $2200[top value] got a car, car died..sold that for another one,
found out it had mucho DMV fees & scrapped it.
My girl now has a car so I'm free to fulfill my riding dream again.
Saved up, talked a guy down to $500 on a 82 Seca xs400.[31k miles]
Bike was his daily rider 3 years but had a spark problem & wouldn't start up.
I just put new[used] coils in since we weren't getting power to the plugs.
I'm getting it to my liking before I attempt to get it started again
[has sat for a little time]. NOTE: Not trying to be a cafe or bobber, just to my liking.
About 4 days in now & I think we already made good progress..
with lots of help from my buddy Kenny across the street.
Cant wait to ride again!
enjoy : ]]

The kramer arrives.

Digging into the tail section.

Tank nearly faded down to the metal..

A little dust here & there.

Unacceptable!

Might still use this.

Took some major persuasion to get the air box out.

Before & after a little sawzall action.

Starting on the tank.

Did it up with rubberized undercoating & it was just rubbing off.
Looked cool though, a little diesel fuel and elbow grease &
I was back at square one..settled on 3 coats gloss black & 2 clear.

Bullet signals & brake light Kenny picked up at mc swapmeet.

Black primer plus 1 clear coat.

Motor mounts & tank emblems..purple lettering soon.

Grinding out all the tabs.

Cake removal!

Somehow my only key got stepped on in the gas cap.
New ignition on the way but Kenny came through yet again with a dope cap he scored earlier that day.

Fabbed up rear lights bracket.

Cant hang with squares.

Kenny's stock headlamp & flipped bars mock up

Bubble shield & matte helmet.

I make & sell stickers on ebay if anyone digs em.

A couple of The Kramers brothers..

Purp gator ftw.

Still deciding on where to put my plate.

Just in case anyones wondering what I did to the ninja 250.
BEFORE

AFTER
Yes that is a sound system on the bars lol.

 

[bentwrench]

That's a lot of work done fast! Welcome!

 

[Tj Gonz]

Thanks bentwrench!
I love what you did to the rear of the frame..great build you got there.
I lol'd when I read the post "the black paint was coming off the swingarm."
I totally thought mine was black before we washed it..thing was grimy as ever!

 

[Tj Gonz]

New sound system & ignition came today..actually sent to wrong address so I had to camp out & wait on UPS all day long.

 

[Tj Gonz]

Got the motor away from the frame & all wiring removed..
Getting ready for paint now.

 

[Tj Gonz]

Got frame chopped & grinded all useless fairing tabs off.
Also got engine, frame & swing arm painted..phone died so not much picture wise.
Ran into a little trouble, grinded a piece of my knuckle off
& lost a spacer into the dark abyss that is the xs400 engine lol.
Kenny to the rescue once again..just before I gave in & pulled the whole pan off.
New gloves came, first pic breaking in the Icon 29ers : ]]

 

[Lou Ranger]

Got the motor away from the frame & all wiring removed.. Getting ready for paint now.

Wow, you are daring and skilled. Nice work. Would you consider lending Kenny out?

B-W: just wondered if this shows a backwards sprocket installation by a previous PO - or am I being fooled by shadows (and a touch of paranoia)?

 

[Tj Gonz]

Wow, you are daring and skilled. Nice work. Would you consider lending Kenny out?

B-W: just wondered if this shows a backwards sprocket installation by a previous PO - or am I being fooled by shadows (and a touch of paranoia)?

Yeah awesome guy, always coming through when I have no idea what I'm doing next!

I would have never noticed but is very possible that he had it flipped..
bike seemed untouched until I started popping covers off the engine & some bolts were not tightened down at all. I wish I could say I'm having as much fun putting her back together as tearing her down!

 

[lhaolpa]

Hey, I have an identical bike[well,was] red and all.Motor's good but the tank's all rusted through,so I bought a tank from an '82 seca turbo. It's a big,blocky tank,but it looks like it'll be pretty cool.I'm getting a bunch of stuff together to make it a bobber/brat/rat/? bike,so I'll have to wait and see. These DOHC motors really run good according to everything I've read.Looking pretty good! good luck. lha

 

[Tj Gonz]

Hey, I have an identical bike[well,was] red and all.Motor's good but the tank's all rusted through,so I bought a tank from an '82 seca turbo. It's a big,blocky tank,but it looks like it'll be pretty cool.I'm getting a bunch of stuff together to make it a bobber/brat/rat/? bike,so I'll have to wait and see. These DOHC motors really run good according to everything I've read.Looking pretty good! good luck. lha

Thats sweet I cant wait to see it man! Yeah Im not sure what look I'm going for just what looks good to me but I've heard it's turning into a brat lol.

BTW @LOU the sprocket was put on with lettering & inner lip facing the engine, in other words smooth side out.
Is that correct?

 

[Lou Ranger]

BTW @LOU the sprocket was put on with lettering & inner lip facing the engine, in other words smooth side out.
Is that correct?

I believe that is correct but you can't rely on the stamped lettering since that seems to depend on the brand. The 16T sprocket I took off had "16T" stamped on the smooth side and it was the side facing out. My new 17T has the JT part # and size stamped on the other side.
B-W found a drawing showing that a smooth side faced out but didn't show whether there was a raised spacing circle on the other side - but we assumed so. His PO had apparently put his on with the smooth side facing in.
I put the new 17T on smooth side out and have had no problems. I believe DanMach has done the same.

 

[bentwrench]

I just switched mine - raised section in does fit better (the two screws go further in.)

 

[Lou Ranger]

I just switched mine - raised section in does fit better (the two screws go further in.)

Now you'll be well practised when you install that 17T after the re-configuration.
Do you miss actually riding yet or is the baby still keeping you distracted enough?

 

[Tj Gonz]

thanks @bentwrench & Lou Ranger!
BTW I miss riding terribly..I dream I'm riding & think about it 24-7.
I bought some plugs off ebay..I read somewhere on here they were the standard plugs for these bikes but they ended up too big. these are them:

BP5ES
www.ebay.com/itm/310368609644?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

What do you run Lou?

 

[Lou Ranger]

thanks @bentwrench & Lou Ranger!
BTW I miss riding terribly..I dream I'm riding & think about it 24-7.
I bought some plugs off ebay..I read somewhere on here they were the standard plugs for these bikes but they ended up too big. these are them:
BP5ES
www.ebay.com/itm/310368609644?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
What do you run Lou?

I'm embarrassed to say I don't know. When I bought my bike it was nearly perfect. The PO did everything to make it as good as new. Then he changed his mind and got a 650. All I had/have to do is ride it - which suits me fine for now as I am too old to wait. I just wanted to ride a motorcycle again so I passed on quite a few barn finds and real bargains which would have involved a lot of work and taken a lot of time out of an early, warm spring.
I know it has new plugs and NGK plug wires but I haven't pulled them off to check yet.
I'm currently away from the bike until Wed but I promise I will look for you then.
In the meantime, I have attached an excerpt from the Seca service manual which lists what Yamaha specified back in '82.

 

[Lou Ranger]

I bought some plugs off ebay..I read somewhere on here they were the standard plugs for these bikes but they ended up too big....
What do you run Lou?

Hi Tj.
Sorry for the delay, but I got a bit carried away with my oil change.
My PO ran, and I have continued with, NGK DR8ES-L

 

[Drewcifer]

Hey TJ, I posted to chase gremlins on your other thread before reading this one. Can I assume you did your volt chasing already on your Kramer? Looks like you know your way around a frame.

Hope you sort it out..


Drewcifer

 

[lhaolpa]

thanks @bentwrench & Lou Ranger!
BTW I miss riding terribly..I dream I'm riding & think about it 24-7.
I bought some plugs off ebay..I read somewhere on here they were the standard plugs for these bikes but they ended up too big. these are them:

BP5ES
www.ebay.com/itm/310368609644?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

That's what a Nissan Hardbody truck runs.Way too hot for these bikes. lha

 

[Tj Gonz]

Hi Tj.
Sorry for the delay, but I got a bit carried away with my oil change.
My PO ran, and I have continued with, NGK DR8ES-L

Thanks Lou those are the plugs I ended up going with!

Hey TJ, I posted to chase gremlins on your other thread before reading this one. Can I assume you did your volt chasing already on your Kramer? Looks like you know your way around a frame.

Hope you sort it out..

I know a little bit, also learning as I go but I have some great people helping me..no hard feeling Drew I was just a little excited to get spark because I havent seen the bike running yet, I figured out the issue got it on both sides so shouldnt be long now! Also made me happy to see another XS rider so close, Hermosa Beach is a very nice place! Thanks for the kind words..this will be my solo mode of transportation so I'm really invested in it, cant wait to her that pretty engine roar!

thanks @bentwrench & Lou Ranger!
BTW I miss riding terribly..I dream I'm riding & think about it 24-7.
I bought some plugs off ebay..I read somewhere on here they were the standard plugs for these bikes but they ended up too big. these are them:

BP5ES
www.ebay.com/itm/310368609644?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

That's what a Nissan Hardbody truck runs.Way too hot for these bikes. lha

LOL that makes sense, I was thinking of putting them in my girlfriends car

Mocking up the speakers..still deciding on a good place.

6Sigma Jet Kit made to my specs.

Homemade seat test, buried brake light & signals

Have tons more pics but a dead phone, got rear lights in the right spots now & starting on battery box today. Maybe she runs tomorrow if my paypal money comes soon enough.

 

[Drewcifer]

You'll have to head up here on a 3rd sunday to ride with the VVMC guys and go to Deus in Venice for Sunday Mass. Pretty amazing scene!