XS400 bobber - headlight question

[rmal]

Building an 1978 XS400 brat style - cut down the front springs 2" and replaced stock rear shocks with rebel shocks, plus some other frame mods.

Could use some help with a question.

On a stock XS400, with the battery and the stock harness, does the headlight light when the key is turned on? The tail light does. The battery is charged. I'm doing some rewiring, and everything works fine, except the headlight doesn't light when the key is turned on. The only thing I haven't wired is the starter solenoid - I only plan to kick start it. I don't know if the headlight will ultimately work when I start the bike, because I don't want to fill and install the gas tank and test it until after all wiring is done.

I thought the headlight light when the key was on, but maybe not - I don't remember.

Anybody with a stock '78 xs400F out there?

 

[jayel]

don't see any relays on a 78 2E so it should come on with the key

 

[rmal]

Thanks for the response.

Could you check out the attached?

It's a schematic for my XS400F - the lower left shows the headlight. Is that a relay in the lower left? It also looks like one of the headlight wires goes into the generator.

Does this help?

Thanks again....

 

[jayel]

yes that is a headlight cutout relay, the yellow from the alternator powers it once the alt. starts generating voltage, so no headlight until motor starts . then red/yellow 12v from fuse box connects to blue/black going to hi/lo selector switch

 

[rmal]

cool - thanks man.

 

[seniorsalazar]

how did u take the forks apart to cut down the springs? im having trouble figuring mine out. i also have a xs400

 

[seniorsalazar]

and yes no light until bike is on

 

[rmal]

First I removed them from the triple tree (actually, may not have to). You remove the little black plastic plug from the top of the fork tube. It is just a press fit - I wedged it out with a small screwdriver. Then, you should see a metal plug - mine had a phillips head machined into the top of it. I put a large phillips screwdriver into the top plug and pushed down. That reveled a spring clip machined around the inside diameter of the fork tube. With the metal plug being pushed down, I could jam a tiny screwdriver into the machined groove and wedged out the clip ring. Then the metal plug was free to release upward and the spring was just behind it. I never drained the fork tubes.

I have a manual and can scan in the directions if these steps don't help - just let me know.

 

[rmal]

Then I cut the springs with a metal cut-off blade on my 10" chop saw. I bought the blade for $10 at home depot.

 

[seniorsalazar]

did you have to make a spacer like on a xs650 to take up the room you cut off the spring? thanks for the help ive been wanting to do this for months

 

[rmal]

no - I cut the 2", dropped the spring into the tube, put it back together and it seems to work. I only did it 2 months ago but I can't recall if I had to compress the spring after it was cut to re-assemble the tube. I only recall it was pretty easy and quick. I had delayed it thinking it was going to be tough, but it was over in 15 min - piece of cake.

 

[rmal]

I didn't do a lot or research - only saw a quick article on it, so maybe there are better ways with spacers and such. Ignorance is bliss. The bike's not on the road, just rolled down the driveway, so maybe I'll learn something after - but it seems fine - it's lower and it seems to have decent spring travel. I was worried about the fender hitting the pipes under full compression in a turn, ut it seems it will clear. I will keep my eye on it though.

 

[HoughMade]

I lowered my front end 3/4" just by sliding the forks up through the clamps. Based on what I saw, maybe a little over an inch is possible this way, but much more than that and it looks goofy and there may be interference. Quick, easy and reversible.

If it rides fine for you with cut springs, looks like no problem.

 

[Travis]

rmal, if all you did was cut the springs, I think you're going to have problems when you get that bike out on the road. When the forks fully extend, there will be some slop and it probably won't feel right over bumps and things. To see what I mean, get the front end off the ground and push the forks up and down to see how it feels.