Front brake

[Les Curtis]

Hello Chaps,
Thanks for letting me join. I have fitted an XS400 drum front brake to my Renaissa. The spigot on the brake plate has an M7 thread. Does anyone know the correct cable part number please?
Thanks, Les

 

[CaptChrome]

Welcome! I know of a couple of options you might try.

First is Yamaha cables of which there are two lengths. The cables for the 1978 XS400_2E (P/N 1T6-26341-00-00) and the 1979 XS400_2F (P/N 2V6-26341-00-00) are the shortest and the cables for the North American 1980-82 XS400G, H and J (P/N 3F8-26341-00-00) are longer. Yamaha no longer has any of these cables available, so you will have to look at places that buy up old stock and resell it, perhaps on eBay or maybe CMSNL in the Netherlands, who sometimes buys up old stock.

The other option I know of is to have a custom cable made up to your length. Venhill in the UK sells parts for cables, but also makes custom cables. You might inquire whether they can make a cable for you and what the cost is.

 

[Les Curtis]

Thank you CaptChrome! That’s a great start. I’ll investigate these. I know Venhill well. I bought a lot of parts to make my own cables up for my Gilera. What I don’t understand is the brake plate thread being M7 and all the cables I’ve seen are M8. I have made up a lower adjuster to fit so I might just modify a Yamaha cable to fit?
Thanks again.

 

[CaptChrome]

I know Venhill well. I bought a lot of parts to make my own cables up for my Gilera.

Gilera? Holy crap. I thought putting a drum brake on a Renaissa was cool and unique. Italian moto porn is next level. If you do get a chance, please post a photo of your Renaissa. We only got the Virago (cruiser) flavor of that bike here, and even those are not something you see often. Having a Renaissa with an XS brake drum on the front would be a one of one bike on the planet, I think.

Sorry, but I guess I didn't understand the term "spigot" in your original post, but when you used "lower adjuster" the light bulb went on. The Yamaha parts diagrams really don't show that part well:

So, I went out and checked the size of the adjuster on my 1981 XS400H.

It is M8 thread all day, and holidays too.

So, I am not sure what is going on with the adjuster you have. The cable I am using is an NOS cable for a 1979 XS400_2F that I used when I replaced my stock buckhorn handlebars with more of a standard bar.

 

[Les Curtis]

Thanks for this, I really appreciate your help. I’m working on a post showing the Renaissa and the mods I’ve made to it, which I hope will be of interest.

 

[Les Curtis]

Sorry for the delay in posting this. Here is the Renaissa, the front hub fitted which required a bracket making to provide anchorage. I like the look of the additional holes in the flanges. This Honda arm is too long, but I’m not a fan of stamped brake arms. i need to find another forged one. I don’t like single sided hubs so I turned a collar for the rear hub, had it TIG welded on then turned the fins in. Many other modifications including exhaust and clocks.

 

[Les Curtis]

 

[CaptChrome]

Love it. There is something about a V-twin engine in a bike set up in a British standard configuration that I really like. Probably the fact that no one has really done this since Vincent has something to do with it. Yamaha taking the trouble to build a V-twin in 250cc just for consumer bikes is also pretty cool. That rear hub mod and the front hub bracket is pretty trick!

 

[Les Curtis]

Thank you, CaptChrome! Yes, I agree. I always fancied a NorVin, but this is the nearest I can afford! I made a replacement exhaust in stainless with elbows, but couldn’t find a swept tee. I found one for an external fire escape hand rail! How’s that for lateral thinking? I have also made a new fascia, including tachometerand instrument cases.

 

[Les Curtis]

I also got rid of the vacuum fuel tap arrangement and used a Honda mini tractor one back to front!

 

[CaptChrome]

You do some fine work. I am soon building a new exhaust for my bike, but it will not look anywhere near as nice as that collector pipe you made up! I hope you are planning on showing it, but boy, that bike will turn heads if you do nothing more than just ride it around town.

Before I got my XS400, I was toying with the idea of getting some unloved Harley Sportster and making exactly what you have here. Wire wheels, mid controls, chain drive and a carbureted engine. I figured I could toss the bars, tank, seat and rear fender and remake the bike with a horizontal bone line. The suspension would be tweaked to give it the stance of a Vincent, essentially resulting in a standard with a heart from Milwaukee. Well, the XS400 found me first, so it got reimagined instead of the Harley. I hope your bike is as much fun to ride as it is to look at and work on.

 

[Les Curtis]

Thank you for your kind words and appreciation. I like your Harley idea! It would make a superb bike. Simon Goodman, son of the Velocette founder started building Harley engined bikes with Norton Festherbed frames. A really great idea. He was based in Honeybuorne, Gloucestershire. He only made a few, less than 100 before the project shut down. Good luck with your exhaust project. Incidentally, I have polished a lot of Yamaha alloy and it’s nicer to work with than Honda metal. I’m sure there’s less additives like Zinc in it. Honda alloy can be a bugger sometimes, it oxidises more quickly and often has a black inclusion somewhere. Yamaha alloy is whiter, and doesn’t tarnish much..

 

[CaptChrome]

I will have to look up and read about Simon. As far as the alloy goes, I will definitely take your word for it as by all accounts, you are a master at making the stuff shine!