Karranir

Are those Raask rear-sets for a XS650, or? Where did you order them from? Were they a direct fit? Thanks!

I fully charged the battery with an external charger and tightened down the terminal, and now everything is fine. Bike starts with the lights on no problem. I guess I should really take some steel wool to all the ground connections just to be sure. I was gonna take it out for an hour or so and hope it doesn't decide to die on me. I'm sure the light unit is compatible, it's made for CB750s () and I'm pretty sure my wiring job is correct. I mean, I used crimp-on terminals and everything is nice and heat shrunk, so there's no short there, I'm positive of it. Can anyone think of anything else that might have caused the problem that I could try to correct? Kinda scares me that it works now haha. Anyone have any suggestions on a side mount license plate bracket? I really want to eliminate the rear fender entirely, now that I have the light mounted to the back of the seat. I have the current bracket flipped upside-down so it doesn't interfere with the tail light and it looks like absolute shit.

I just wired a set of LED tail lights to my 78 XS400E. Just removed the old tail light and spliced in the wires for the tail where there used to be 3 wires meeting. Not a problem with the key on and the engine off. Works as a running light, lights up bright with the brakes applied. And then I go to start the bike. Starter clicks, the bike dies completely. I go to unscrew the negative terminal on the battery and the moment the screwdriver hits it, there's power again. Any ideas...?

I figured this would get a lot more views by the appropriate people here rather then the wanted forum. I am in desperate need for a working ignition switch for a 1978 XS400E for less then the 190 Bikebandit wants for a new one. If anyone has any ideas, or a (confirmed) working part laying around, please let me know! (Or any ideas on other years that would be compatible?)

Nobody has any more suggestions? This is driving me crazy! I wish I knew how to use a damn multimeter, I've just sort of been poking around the wiring, making sure everything is plugged in, etc... To recap, with the bike running, the headlight and tail light won't turn on (everything else will though). With the key all the way to the right, the accessory/parking light setting or whatever, the headlight will come on. No brake light either way. What could this possibly be? Does this still sound like the relay to you fellas? Should I try doing what bznchris did here and see if the headlight will come on? But I don't get how it could be the relay when the tail light won't come on either. Baahhhhh! I'm gonna keep cleaning connections and checking the wiring, bah.

Yeah, doesn't change with the engine running. Won't come on at all unless it's on the accessory setting (the key all the way to the right). I guess I'll monkey around tomorrow and see if maybe I shook something loose. It was working fine until half way down the road, so here's hoping. I just don't get, with my limited knowledge of wiring and such, how this could be possible. It seems anything is. Also, I found more XS400 parts at a local salvage yard then I've ever friggin' heard of. Just strewn about in boxes, labeled by manufacturer, type of part, and engine size. They had probably a hundred bikes in the basement, in various states of disassembly. I saw a couple XS models. Going to bring my gauge cluster in soon, so the guy can be positive the one he's selling me will work. There were a few similar, but he doesn't want me to think I'm doing 35 when I'm doing 70, that sort of deal. The fella /gave/ me a nut and rubber washer deal hoping I could fix my gauges, but no-go since there's a chunk taken off the bolt it threads onto. The guy actually gave me a part, hoping I wouldn't have to buy another one from him! Really impressed with them. They have a separate new/NOS parts store too, where I managed to find UNI bulk filter foam.

The mystery deepens... So with the key all the way to the right, all the lights work. With it in the middle, at the running position, none do. Problem at the key...? What does this meaaaan?!

Could you show me where this is on a fiche? Is it the $70 relay assembly... Edit: Just found out that the brake light doesn't turn on either now, as well as the headlight low/hi. Does this help anyone figure it out?

Two more questions, didn't wanna start ANOTHER new thread. Can anyone suggest a way to make a XS400 feel a little more... stable? It's not like it's a scary shake, it just feels like there's gotta be a way to make her feel a little more stable on the road. She turns just fine, no shaking in corners, it just gets unnerving when you add in a heavy wind. And my headlight refuses to come back on. It was turning on and off, then just gave up. All the other lights are fine. Assuming the fuses look okay (I really need to replace the old box like everyone else has...) where should I start looking for a short? My tachometer shakes like a bastard so I'm thinking it might have to do with the high beam indicator light or something? I really know nothing about electronics, any help on where to start looking for the issue would be really appreciated. Going to a cycle junkyard tomorrow! Hoping to find a seat in good condition, mine is pretty ratty. Anyone got any suggestions on things I should look for, things that would be OK to take off an old bike that are prone to failure? Can I replace just the tach or will I need to snag an entire cluster?

Those actually look a lot better then I would have thought. Clubmans might have to come later if they are going to present that much of an issue. More importantly, where'd ya get the tail light and turn signals? The tail light (at least what I can see of it) looks really good, I want a tail light recessed into the back of the seat but I feel like one separate would be more visible.

Hurf durf I dunno why I didn't even think of the possibility of it being a throttle cable problem, but that's a really good tip, I'll check it out tomorrow and definitely lube it. Just another item I need to buy for this damn bike. I can't wait to get the balancer in (JC Whitney hasn't shipped it yet, and come to think of it, Z1 Enterprises hasn't even sent me a receipt or even a confirmation e-mail for the carb holders so I'm kinda scared...) because I think that will really solve a lot of problems. Maybe I can even find someone with a ColorTune I can borrow, but I kinda doubt it. Also, pictures, ratty ass paint job and all:

She turned right over after awhile on the trickle charger! Hooray. Got new NGK caps while I was out, so I could install the BP7ES plugs I had bought, since they have a solid post. The caps look way better and somehow it had two completely different caps already? One was blank and one just said 'made in Japan'. Who knows, another mystery of the XS400. I want to replace the fuse box, I'm just not sure how I'd go about it. That seems a little daunting without any sort of direction or instruction. Before I put it away, I gave it a little gas (rev'd to like 4k) and... it stuck there, until I hit the kill switch. I've never had this happen, so it was a little confusing, and now I'm wondering what it could be? The carbs are likely dirty as sin, I've got a synchronizer on the way and was going to wait to mess with them until I get it. I hate working on the same part in pieces. But wouldn't a clog in the carbs cause it to run lean and putter down? Or could it maybe have made something stick? Even if this never happens again I want to do everything I can to make sure it never does! Thanks again guys, everyone here has been a huge help (even if just in the archives) in making fixing this bike up a really enjoyable experience.

So last night I messed with the clutch adjustment as per instructions elsewhere on the forums, and got it somewhere a lot more comfortable. Since my rib is still busted up and the doctor said I still can't ride until the end of the month, I took it around my drive-way to get a feel for it and see if that's where I'd like it. I pop the clutch on accident, and the bike dies. No big deal, I'll hit the electric start, which has worked incredibly faithfully so far. This time there's just a click. The bike is warm, and I kick start it and it fires right back up, happy as can be. I turn it off in the garage, electric start only clicks, but the kick start fires it back up once again. I park it in the garage overnight, and now the electric start will click and sound like it's trying to turn something over, and the kick start does nothing. Any suggestions? I'm thinking that maybe the previous owner hadn't ridden it much since the battery was replaced, and since I've been starting it and going under a 32nd of a mile and then putting it back in the garage I've killed the battery from not giving it time to charge. It's on the trickle charger, but was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on anything else it could be.

This video shows a XS400 with flipped handlebars, is this a terrible idea? Any suggestions on clubman bars for the XS400?