Hello from Wisconsin! 82 XS400SJ track bound...

[beta_kevin]

Back on the track...at Blackhawk Farms Raceway for a "All levels track day". Was the only vintage bike out there, so I got lots of looks and conversations out of being the odd ball in the pack. Ended up doing the Novice group as all other groups were sold out. Would have been nice to run in the intermediate group as you are not allowed to pass in the corners in the novice group. There were quite a few slower bikes in the corners, so it was a bit annoying, but one can still learn from the experience, so I made the most of it.

Paddock_spot

• beta_kevin
• Aug 3, 2016

Paddock spot at Blackhawk Farms

My bike eats up about a half quart of oil during a track day...

More_oil

• beta_kevin
• Aug 3, 2016

Hungry for more oil...

My daughter trying on my gear...

Annie_in_my_gear

• beta_kevin
• Aug 3, 2016

My daughter trying on my gear.

Broken zipper...doh!

Ducktape

• beta_kevin
• Aug 3, 2016

Zipper busted.

Weeeeeee! (don't tell anyone, but I did add in a bit blur to the photo )

Blackhawk Farms Track Day July 27th

• beta_kevin
• Aug 3, 2016

Getting some track time at Blackhawk Farms. Got plenty of looks in the pits as I was the only...

There are four more track days at BFR this season, hopefully I can make a few more.

At this point I don't plan on participating in any more AHRMA events this season, funds are kinda tight right now and I want to figure out if I have the desire to continue modifying my bike to be competitive in super bike light weight or simply find a new bike to race. Seems like I would have to switch out the front end with something like a SR500 with dual calipers, switch out wheels and possibly do some engine work...just not sure if it's worth it....though I do love riding the bike on track...soooooo much fun!!! I do highly recommend it if you have a track in your area that offers "track days".

 

[arfstrom]

AWESOME!

 

[beta_kevin]

Well, it's been a few months since my last update. I never did make it back out onto the track as I had hoped. It's tricky business with 2 young kids and job hunting. I sorely missed racing a Barber this season...would have been a blast I'm sure. Guess it's something to look forward to next season.
Even though I didn't make it out onto the track again, I have been busy other ways. I was finally able to put in a larger pre-load spacer in my forks (1" space), with the help of some fell milvinmoto folks (Milwaukee Vintage Moto) during a "Garage night" hosted at my place. It only took like 5 of us to accomplish this...one person to hold the stack of washers/spacer/plug, one person to compress them, one person to hold a flash light as we did at night...lol!, one person to watch for flying parts and one person to laugh at us when stack slips and going flying. There was success though...good times
I have also been busy buying bikes...partly, I wanted a non-running cheap bike that I can wrench on and learn...so I picked up a 73' CB350f...kind ofa POS...yea, not a yamaha...and probably not the best option from a simplicity standpoint, but that's fine...more carbs...more fun...right?!
I then picked up a 72' CB350 twin...pretty much total stock...runs, but not well...yea, not a yamaha, but it fits the class I ran my 82' XS400 illegally in...so it has purpose. Ironic though, the 2017 AHRMA rules have changed now and the cutoff year for novice history production is 1978, which means my bike is technically no longer illegal for the class since it's "like design"...first model year for the XS400 was 76'.
I'm still going to move forward with prepping the 72' CB350 twin for racing next season...but I'm really stoked that my XS400 can run legally as well...so love running that bike on the track...kind of drives me batty having to wait till next season to get back out there...it's a sickness for sure and I'm deep in it.
For the winter, I will feed my newly acquired racing addiction by learning. Have my CB350f in my garage to work on...which I fired up for the first time yesterday...granted it pretty much only ran on starter fluid for about 20-30 seconds...but it's a good sign...no just have to pull/clean the carbs and see if that does the trick. Previously I cleaned out the gas tank and lined it...was quite the rust haven...but no longer.
Also hooked up with a fellow milvinmoto member for shadowing/helping at his shop...where I hope to learn as much as possible. Have a long way to go, but I'm hungry for it and it's fun to learn something new and build relationships with fellow vintage bike folks...good times!

Thanks for following along with my intro to racing this season...it's been a blast. Suppose I will end this forum thread here as the XS400's battery is pulled and bike stored for the winter.

Also, thanks a ton for the advice and guidance provided by the folks here on XS400.com...I may not have always followed the advice, but it was huge in giving me perspective on bike mods.

 

[MerlinDudley]

The spec sheets I looked at were from Yamaha. I bet they think you have the 82 dohc seca xs400 which was a much faster bike than the sohc 82 xs400. There are two xs400's for the same year. You should have told them it was a 81.

Actually there are three models released In 82 your sohc, the dohc "Seca" and the dohc "Maxim" with the Maxim, having a 5 speed gearbox (transmission) and the Seca having a 6 speed gearbox.

Merlin

 

[beta_kevin]

Actually there are three models released In 82 your sohc, the dohc "Seca" and the dohc "Maxim" with the Maxim, having a 5 speed gearbox (transmission) and the Seca having a 6 speed gearbox.

Merlin

Yup...it pretty confusing...depending on what you read, it's hard to figure out if the 82' heritage special is a sohc of dohc...since I'm not knowledgeable enough to simply look at the engine and know. I did find the following quote though, which seems pretty clear.

Found this from the XJ forum...

"The "original" XS400 was a single overhead-cam, with twin shocks; a "first cousin" to the XS 650 twins. It came out in the mid-late '70s.

Then in 1982, Yamaha brought out the "XS400 Maxim" and "XS400 Seca" which were completely different animals, with double overhead-cam YICS motors, like an "XJ twin" and a monoshock rear suspension. To add to the confusion, in '82 Yamaha was also still offering the original XS400 configuration as a "Heritage Special."

Those new DOHC "half an XJ" XS's continued to be offered for '83, while the SOHC 400 twin finally disappeared from the lineup."

 

[MerlinDudley]

Hi Kevin, my profile pic is of my 82 XS400J Maxim. The wider top end should give a clue, for it being a DOHC engine, the two cam "lobe's" on the cylinder head! Whereas, on the SOHC engins, there are screw on caps, to adjust the tappets. (DOHC engines use a bucket and shim configuration)

Merlin

 

[beta_kevin]

Hi Kevin, my profile pic is of my 82 XS400J Maxim. The wider top end should give a clue, for it being a DOHC engine, the two cam "lobe's" on the cylinder head! Whereas, on the SOHC engins, there are screw on caps, to adjust the tappets. (DOHC engines use a bucket and shim configuration)

Merlin

Makes sense, thanks Merlin!

 

[MerlinDudley]

My pleasure Kevin, after all we are all on this forum, to gain information, and to inform others of our brothers and sisters across the world, with the same obsession, for the Yammy XS400. Be it like mine (an 82 XS400J Maxim) or of the SOHC models? I don't know much about the XS400 SOHC, not having owned one myself, although, I used to ride my cousins, XS250 quite regularly, which as far as I understand it, is the little brother, to the SOHC XS 400?
I found the 250 to be pretty gutless, as compared to say a Honda Super Dream, of the same year! (I owned a 1938 sidevalve Harley Davidson, at that time!)

Merlin