First bike, what should I do first?

bornIIloose

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Hey everyone,

New to the forum and motorcycles in general. Picked up an '81 XS400 Special on Craigslist for $800 this weekend. Everything seems in decent enough shape, the chrome looks good, new tires, paint recently done by a pro, recovered seat, etc. 23K miles, only really noticeable issue is a busted tach (not super worried about that) and something is leaking a bit on the engine.

So my question is, I've got all winter, so are there common issues I should try and adjust while I've got time to tinker? It seems to start, run, and shift ok. Need to run it with the choke out for 1-2 miles until it really warms up, but the lady who owned it kicked the baffles out of the stock exhaust, could that have something to do with it?

Anyways, I've got a limited budget but I want to be sure this thing will be running for a long time! Like most people I've got grand ideas for body work and cosmetic things like that, but I want to get it up to snuff first.

I attached a sightly fuzzy photo (sorry),any suggestions or other threads to look at would be appreciated!

Thanks,

-Matt
 

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Cool! I just bought my 78 Yamaha XS400 a month ago and I live in Baltimore, too. I'm not a bike pro in anyway but I do research and watch a ton of Youtube videos. You can always give it a tune up and an oil change if you haven't already.
If you go on YT, there are videos of XS400 cafe racers, bobbers, etc. Google images is great to find an idea of what kind of bike you want to build. My bike isn't running as I bought it to build it from the ground up. I have a couple setbacks but my goal is to get it running before Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll see you riding around on your XS400 around here when I am!
Peace, bro
 
Welcome to the forum:) If you have not already get a manual or download it for free from the classified section of the forum. If the exhaust has had the baffles altered from stock the bike is most likely running lean. I would pull the spark plugs ( when the bike is cold) and see how they look. They should be a light tan on the ends. If they are white the bike is lean.
 
Hey, thanks for the replies! I'm going to give a good clean up this coming weekend and will be sure to take a look at the spark plugs, and I'll snag a manual as well to help me through the learning process.

I have been weighing the options with regards to re-jetting the carbs to alleviate needing to rely on the choke, but I have also considered just picking up two of the Emgo shorty mufflers for $25/each on amazon and seeing if that would help, since that would be a quicker process.

I also hope to give the carbs a good cleaning, look at the air filter, chain, etc. since i have no clue what kind of maintenance has been performed regularly. Hopefully the cosmetic shape is some indication that the previous owner cared enough to keep up with it.

Regardless, I'm stoked to have this community to ask questions!
 
If the stock exhaust is in good shape leave it alone!! The bike will perform MUCH better with the stock setup than with most aftermarket ones. The emgo brand "shorties" are about the worst. That is why they are so cheap:laugh::laugh: Post a pic of the mufflers as you said the baffles are kicked out.
 
Hey Chris, the exhaust is in great shape as far as I can tell. No rust or damage. I won't be able to post a picture for a week or so because it's parked in a buddy's garage.

Do you think I could find some baffles to re-install and get some added back pressure to avoid re-jetting? Everything else is stock, and my budget is pretty low.

Thanks!
 
I would have to see what was done to the ones you have. If someone has removed all the guts from them I am not sure there is much you can do. These exhausts have welded in internals and where not replaceable.
 
Well….pretty sure these are done for:doh:. Suggestions on where to go from here? The pipes are loud and I have no problem with that, so if I should re-jet could anyone suggest a size to start with? The bike is an '81 heritage special (I'm pretty sure, based on the VIN). As I said before, everything else seems to be stock.

To re-visit the idea of putting shorties on there, are they generally viewed as crappy because they don't actually muffle sound very well? Or is it because they won't provide any back pressure, which is why I'm assuming the bike is running lean and this is the problem I'm trying to address?

Haven't had chance to look at the spark plugs yet, but I think it's safe to assume something needs to be done to get everything back to normal. Appreciate the help everyone.:thumbsup:
 

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Wow :eek: Why would someone do that to there mufflers:doh: If your crossover that connects to exhausts together is still good you can cut off the old ones a replace them with a set of megaphones. It won't be as good as stock but much better than shorties. http://www.mikesxs.net/product/07-0067.html Something like this would be close to stock.
 
Thanks for the suggestions! I think at this point my budget leans more towards rejetting, with a rebuild of the exhaust or new mufflers as a future plan.

Could anyone suggest where to start? I've read some posts saying to just move up one size and see how it is? Should I only change the pilot jet? I'll search the forums as well since I'm sure the question has come up
 
You can also try and weld a large fender washer on the end to give it some back pressure. This was what the end on the muffler should look like. The washer will help but also keep in mind that yours have had all the "guts"/baffling removed.
 

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For a winter project on a nice running bike you don't plan to customize: safety first. Rebuild brakes calipers and master cylinder, replace front brake pads and rear brake shoes. Check neck bearings for looseness. Check swing arm bearing. Check front and rear wheel bearings. Check throttle and clutch cables. Check tires for wear and dryrot. If any of these items fail check, replace/rebuild. Upgrade the headlight with a halogen or HID. Replace the stop and turn signal bulbs with LEDs. Replacing turn signal bulbs will also probably require a new LED compatible flasher and minor rewire with diodes of the "dashboard" turn signal indicator circuit. Swapping to LEDs reduces stress on an already weak charging system from the factory.

EDIT: Replace original hydraulic lines with braided stainless covered lines. I can't believe how much better the braking was after the new lines were installed.
 
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What jmd said. Wheel bearings, swing arm and steering head, and brakes. Then you know you are going down the road safely. Put plenty of oil on the chain, and resist the urge to adjust it every week.
Check the compression, if it is good you can feel smug, if it is not good, it will give you something to think about.
My 83 XS400 DOHC Seca is 163 on both cylinders, and I have done all of the above except the steering head, which feels okay for now. Will swap the bearings next year when I switch bikes.

Unkle Crusty
 
Thanks everyone! I hope to go take a look at the bike this weekend. Another question: I'm running the stock airbox, the only thing that has been changed to my knowledge is the exhaust being hacked at. After searching the forums, I'm seeing that the stock pilot jet size is 42.5. So when I go up, should I just go with a 45 since everything else is stock, or should I get a 47.5 as well?

Also, my buddy sent me a video of the bike idling and the left side muffler is smoking (white). The bike did not see a ton of use over the last year or so to my knowledge, is this a big concern? The video won't attach because I'm on my phone so I'll upload tonight.

Thanks again
 
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Rather than dick with the jets, I would be looking for a good used stock exhaust system. I wouldn't worry too much about a little smoke unless it is a lot and remains after warmup.
 
I'll keep that in mind about the smoke, thanks! While I'm sure a stock exhaust would be better, I haven't seen one under $100 on eBay (and even the cheap used ones are in rough shape). A $10 jet and some elbow grease fits into my budget much better for the time being...I'm hoping to commute to work on it, so I'd really like to address the leanness and ride while I save up for a better exhaust
 
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