joecool85

How would there be no Joecool if I forget? I'd look like an idiot? In first gear the bike doesn't even really lerch forward when you try to start with the e-start. And you can't really kick the engine over with the kick start in gear either, at least I can't - but I only weigh 135lbs.

The deed has been done. It now starts clutch in or out, neutral or in gear. Just for kicks I tried starting it with the e-start while in gear, clutch let out. The bike hardly lerches at all and the starter gives up...not unsafe at all really, it would just make you feel like an idiot. Pull the clutch and let her start. **edit** All you need to do btw is short the sky blue wire on the starter relay to ground.

I know why, I wanted to know how badly. IE - stock you got maybe 65mpg, with the lower gears you got...50mpg?

Kick ass, good to hear it! Also, I regulary use my kick start, its far more manly than the wimpy e-start.

I would assume that XS360 sprockets would fit as well then? How bad did it gulp fuel with the lower gearing?

I'm looking at regearing my bike as I need new sprockets anyway. What sprockets swap on? I'd like to gear it down for a bit more acceleration.

Pretty sure there isn't running lights on the front, just blinkers, single filament. If I'm wrong, my bike is broken too (wouldn't be surprised).

Yeah, I'm definetely going to bypass it then. I really don't use the electric start normally anyway, I just want to be able to start in a hurry if I stall in traffic - just in case.

That's what I get when I cross the wires that are suppose to fire the brake light off the front brake - I think it's a bad relay.

I should have been more specific, I was wanting just the page or two of wiring schematics relevant for my '82 XS400S SOHC - not the whole haynes manual lol. I'd be paying you a few bucks if I expected you to scan and email 150 pages. And yeah, that'd be great if you could do that at some point (the wiring schematics).

So the UK XS400 had no sort of safety to keep it from starting? I don't have the haynes manual, is it possible you could scan it for me? I think I'll almost definetely get rid of the neutral safety switch.

I would just pull the clutch in and start it, but you can't. For the electric start it needs to be in neutral, and the kick start you need the clutch out - making you need to be in neutral. Are you saying I should disable the neutral safety switch? (Which is kinda what I've been thinking of doing).

According to the wiring diagram I can find for the XS400, it has no clutch switch. Meaning that you need to be in neutral to start the bike. That's fine when you are getting going from a parking lot, but what if you stall it in an intersection - you'd have to fiddle with the thing to get it in neutral so you can hit the starter instead of just pulling the clutch and starting it. So, did the XS400 come with a clutch switch or no? I have one (not hooked up) on the XJ550 front end that's on my bike. I'm trying to decide if I should try to wire that in or if I should just bypass the neutral switch. How dangerous would that be? (bypassing the neutral switch)

Alright, that would make sense, I'll check that out.

I have a 1982 XS400S w/XJ550 front clip (it came to me this way). When I hit the rear brake the headlight dims and the turn signal indicator (in pod, not the turn signals themselves) lights up dimly. What does this mean? I would assume there is a short somewhere?

No problem and good luck. Let us know how it turns out when it's all running perfect, I love my little 400.

Huh, maybe the 82 is different. That or maybe my bike received more XJ550 parts other than the fork before I got it (doubt it).

An an XS400? My 82 SOHC XS400 doesn't care about battery voltage. The battery in there is dead (the bike had a really bad short when I got it, drained the battery flat and I haven't replaced it), I just kick start it and it goes fine.

Agreed. You will need to replace the boots and use clamps before you will be able to get the bike to run properly. The boots you can get for $30-35 on eBay new, the clamps you can just use large radiator hose clamps, $1-2 each at any parts store. It'd be the best $40 you could put into that bike.

Definetly sounds like it's leaning out. Are your carb boots in good condition?

You might have been looking at info for the Special (which has a SOHC engine and 6 gears) whereas your Maxim has DOHC and 5 gears. Something to think about. Just be glad your bike isn't a cruiser like the VLX, 4 speeds...

Good to know that worked for you. Know you should check your owner's manual and see what the minimum octane fuel is suppose to be. It's also possible that if the minimum is 87 and you filled up with "87" it might have been lower. I've heard of a few stations getting in trouble for selling lower than advertised octane fuel these days.

It's worth the extra $0.50 or so to throw in some 93 octane just to see what happens I'd say.

Sounds like engine knock, what octane fuel are you running? If it isn't premium, try that. If the problem goes away, that's what it was.

My little 12v compressor maxes out at (supposedly) 250psi, but it struggles to get a racing bike tire up to 100psi. Running it straight through a basket ball needle to atmosphere I don't think it gets more than 10-15psi, but it always works really well.