The things you will learn!

[vfost]

So i bought an original owners manual for my 1980 special from ebay the other day. It came in the mail today and i read through it and found out a lot of small things i never really knew or cared to know about my bike. But one i found out that will be VERY usefull is that there is a steering lock on it! I have said time and time again that i wish my bike had a lock of some sort. Just figured i would post it here incase anyone else didnt know about this nifty little feature!

 

[Ruined1]

I have a 82 and to be honest I'm not sure what the model is, of course it is XS400 but I don't know what subtype... How do you engage the steering lock on yours so I may try that on mine? I though mine didn't have one either and now it may lol...

 

[lhaolpa]

I have a 82 and to be honest I'm not sure what the model is, of course it is XS400 but I don't know what subtype... How do you engage the steering lock on yours so I may try that on mine? I though mine didn't have one either and now it may lol...

It's on the key switch,turn the key to the left to where it says"lock" and a pin comes out and locks the bars,so no turn,Oh yeah,you have to turn the bars to one side. On the subtype,it's in the serial #s and/or the title. lha

 

[Ruined1]

mine doesn't say lock and I am pretty sure my key only has OFF and ON (2 positions which aren't even labeled) my bike is not like the others I've seen. I'll have to take a picture sometime and show everyone... definitely an 82 Yamaha Maxim 400.

 

[lhaolpa]

Remove the 2 screws from below the lock apparatus and look at the rear of it and see if there is a bolt that comes out of the case.You have to push down slightly on the key and twist the key to the left. If it doesn't have this lock,then it must have a lock somewhere. lha

 

[OliverB]

Yep, discovered the same thing when I read through the manual I bought last Winter for my '80! I knew many bikes had a steering lock but had never really checked mine out as I don't have a need for one the way I use it.

 

[Sandrew]

My '82, operated with a different key.

 

[OliverB]

Yeah, on some bikes the steering lock is often a separate tumbler.

 

[vfost]

On mine the area around where the keys goes in is all worn off so you can no longer see the lettering that says on and off and lock. Thats why i never realized it but i am glad i found it now it will come in handy.

@ruined1-my book says that you have to press down on the key in the off position and realease it and then you can turn it past the off position. Of course you need to have the handlebars turned all the way one way or another while doing this. Hope this helps!

 

[lhaolpa]

On mine the area around where the keys goes in is all worn off so you can no longer see the lettering that says on and off and lock. Thats why i never realized it but i am glad i found it now it will come in handy.

@ruined1-my book says that you have to press down on the key in the off position and realease it and then you can turn it past the off position. Of course you need to have the handlebars turned all the way one way or another while doing this. Hope this helps!

Didn't you read either of the post that I put on as an answer to your question?I just bought a new lock/ignition for mine because I couldn't read what it said,and the bolt didn't move out far enough. lha

 

[HoughMade]

If you turn the ignition key to where it locks then a bit more, the tail light will come on, so watch out for that.

 

[vfost]

Didn't you read either of the post that I put on as an answer to your question?I just bought a new lock/ignition for mine because I couldn't read what it said,and the bolt didn't move out far enough. lha

Yes i read both of your post but neither one was an answer to my question because i never asked a question in the first place. All i was saying in my previous post was the reason that i never knew mine had one was because it was all worn off.

 

[drewpy]

for info the separate lock mechanism is called a neiman lock