Blu's XS400 Brat Style

[Blu]

There was no shim behind the c-clip on my bike. Do I need one?

Unfortunately the bike didn't have a seat or tank when I got it so I hooked up a hose, got gas to her and got her running but never rode it. I did talk to the P.O. and he said it always seemed doggy in first and second (facepalm) which made me think maybe the clutch plates were bad.To compound all of this I left my good calipers at work Friday cuz I needed them for a job. Bought a cheap set from harbor freight and the disks all measure 2.7mm. Manual say they need changed when they get that thin, they should be 3mm. (If those calipers are even accurate) Who knows how the bike was rode before I got it and it has 18k on it so they had plenty of time to wear out the plates I suppose. I'm gonna see about overnighting the plates. I cant get the bike running until they are back in so tonight I'm gonna remove the starter and solenoid. Hopefully that fixs the drain on the battery, if not the regulator or rectifier is probably bad.

I thought the needles seemed high but that what that kit said to do so I went with it. I'll take off the washers and see if that helps. It revs up fine in neutral but under load she has zero ass. As far as the plugs go I don't think they are wet now, just put a brand new set in, old ones were pretty dark but dry and I got no idea how long they were in there.

Oh and did I mention it needs to be in the back of the pickup to be hauled 2 hours south on Thursday night? No pressure....at this point I'm throwing the book at it, if I end up not getting it going in time I'm gonna go down in flames trying.

 

[Blu]

Ok so it's my understanding I still need the ignition module. Can I simply disconnect the starter, leave it in for now and remove the solenoid? Does a wiring diagram for kick only with no starter or solenoid exist?

 

[Blu]

Ok, pulled the starter last night and plugged the hole. Need to find a tool pouch for that hole! Stator looks brand new so I'm hoping it isn't the issue. I didn't get a chance to test the other components. Gaskets won't be here till Friday so the bike simply won't be done in time for the ride. Sucks but I'd rather do her right than deal with problems later cuz I rushed it. We have plans to go to Nashville later in the year and I want her right for that trip. So the pressure is off, which is actually pretty nice lol. Might even re-wire with the correct colors when I get back lol. So for now it's waiting on parts and researching stuff on here. This forum has been super helpful, there's just a sea of information on here, so thanks for that. I'll be back on her as the parts come in and updating regularly but probably wont do too much till next week.

 

[xschris]

Did you leave the starter clutch in?

 

[Blu]

I did, should I have removed it???'

 

[xschris]

Yes that's ok. If your ever want to get rid of it post it in the classifieds. I may pick it up

 

[Blu]

Alright so just to verify...removing the starter clutch doesn't affect kick starting the bike and all I need is the 16mm puller right? I'm gonna have some stuff to post after this is all said and done, I got stock air boxes bouncing around the garage somewhere too...

 

[xschris]

Starter clutch is for e-start only. Yes a bolt type puller is what I have used in the past.

 

[Blu]

That's what I thought, had me second guessing myself lol! Only left it in cuz I didn't have the puller, now that I'm not in a rush I can order it.

 

[Blu]

Chris, I've been spending some time looking up combo regulator/rectifiers on the forum and can't seem to find which one will work for sure with my bike. Seems like people have mixed results even with the same unit. I have a '81 model with electronic ignition, is there a specific combo unit I should look for or should I just replace with stock components? I haven't tested anything just just trying to prepare myself for when I do...

 

[xschris]

I would stick with stock. There is a diode test for the rectifier in the manual and if your bike is putting out 14.5 volt at the battery at 5k rpm's your good. There are lots of these units still around for cheap off ebay as a few different bikes used them.

 

[Blu]

Ok, thanks, I'll do that.

 

[Blu]

Ok, the kick starter is giving me fits. Sometimes it doesn't engage at all, just movsd free with no resistance. Seems if I put the bike in gear and bump it around, then shift back into neutral I can get the kicker "back" but it still doesn't engage until it's about half way through it's stroke. Is there something I should look at first, has anybody had this problem? I see a lot of threads on broken cases but i havent pulled the kicker out to check that, really want somebody to say "oh you need this part"....kinda dreading the possible broken case....

 

[xschris]

These don't usually engage until about half way down. But if your will not catch then you need to take the cover off and see what is going on. Hope the journal isn't snapped. Having a e-start is a very nice thing.

 

[Blu]

Ok so after some clutch issues on my softail, a trip to Nashville, a trip to Michigan and a yearly ride I do in Southern IL... I'm ready to resume work on the 400. Gonna drain the oil and throw the starter back in and rewire this weekend. Should be a matter of sorting out the carbs at that point. I do need to figure out a linkage for the rear brake as well as mine has too much flex in it, binds and doesn't return. But I know a straight rod works it just gets in the way of the kicker. Since I'll have the starter again that might just have to be the temporary fix for now.