JWN
XS400 New Member
Hello — I’ve been looking on here for a while and just joined. Great info. Thanks for sharing.
My two teenage boys and I just bought a 1980 400SG for $200 and we are excited to learn and get it running. We are not mechanics by any stretch but confident with time and patience we will get there.
The guy I bought it from said it ran well the last time he rode it in 2013. It has been sitting under a cover ever since. If anyone has some thoughts On my comments, below, I’d appreciate any/all feedback.
We replaced the battery. Taillights, blinkers and indicator lights work. The headlight and the horn don’t work. When I push the start button nothing happens. Battery is at max charge. I am waiting on a manual I ordered for a wire diagram for the electric but it seems the no working horn, headlamp and starter I listed must be connected. ?
I haven’t checked to see if there is oil it (dip stick is missing) but I plan on replacing the oil and filter and putting in new spark plugs. The gas was drained from the tank. It looks like there are some rust spots inside but not a lot. My question — after I add the new fluids and plugs am I ok to try and start it with the kick starter and would it actually “start” that way. I am not sure that if the electric starter is not working that the kick starter will also not work — I think in theory it should work but I don’t want to 1) damage something that isn’t broke and 2) try to start it With the kick starter when there is no chance of it happening because I have an electrical issue related to the electrical starter.
We obviously have a way to go before we can ride but anxious for a small victory if we could get it started.
My apologies if these questions are so elementary. And, please, if anyone has any suggestions on what to do when staring a project like this, please feel free to share. You can’t insult me! Here to learn and get the bike going! Thank you.
My two teenage boys and I just bought a 1980 400SG for $200 and we are excited to learn and get it running. We are not mechanics by any stretch but confident with time and patience we will get there.
The guy I bought it from said it ran well the last time he rode it in 2013. It has been sitting under a cover ever since. If anyone has some thoughts On my comments, below, I’d appreciate any/all feedback.
We replaced the battery. Taillights, blinkers and indicator lights work. The headlight and the horn don’t work. When I push the start button nothing happens. Battery is at max charge. I am waiting on a manual I ordered for a wire diagram for the electric but it seems the no working horn, headlamp and starter I listed must be connected. ?
I haven’t checked to see if there is oil it (dip stick is missing) but I plan on replacing the oil and filter and putting in new spark plugs. The gas was drained from the tank. It looks like there are some rust spots inside but not a lot. My question — after I add the new fluids and plugs am I ok to try and start it with the kick starter and would it actually “start” that way. I am not sure that if the electric starter is not working that the kick starter will also not work — I think in theory it should work but I don’t want to 1) damage something that isn’t broke and 2) try to start it With the kick starter when there is no chance of it happening because I have an electrical issue related to the electrical starter.
We obviously have a way to go before we can ride but anxious for a small victory if we could get it started.
My apologies if these questions are so elementary. And, please, if anyone has any suggestions on what to do when staring a project like this, please feel free to share. You can’t insult me! Here to learn and get the bike going! Thank you.
