Nysmanxs400

So, I've heard all around there are 2 types of bikers those that have gone down and those that are going down. As of yesterday I'm now the former. There I am cruising down my street going 30ish mph, when the soccer mom in a minivan pulls out to the right in front of me. I can barely swerve to miss her and there is a side street on the left I try to corner in to I lose traction mid-lean and now me and Maxine (my bike) are slidding. Not too far luckly about 3 or 4 yrds got a nice little elbow rash as I was able to get to my feet mid slide. And what does the bitch in the van do? nothing she was on the FUCKING PHONE! and didn't even notice. As for Maxine her handle bars are a bit off alignment, shifting pedel is bent, busted here headlight and mirrors. Not sure what's worse the fact that there wasn't much I could have done to prevent it or the fact that soccor mom didn't even notice how much danger she put me in. Ah well, that's all the rant I got in me now I've got to get going I'm burning precious riding daylight . . . what? you didnt think I'd stop riding

My bike is like . . . alcohol, I do crazy things when I'm on it and the only thing that helps when I'm off for awhile is getting back on.

My bike is like . . . my wife as long as I show her some attention and give her what she needs. I can ride her all I want.

Yea, we don't get a lot of rain and it's still summer weather here but we did have a cold front it was like 70F (brrrr). It rained once while I was on it didn't really notice a difference in the seat but it dried pretty quick when the sun came back out. I'm thinking the carpet will probably keep my butt warm during the winter, which in texas we call "feburary" it gets to like 50F or 45F might even have to put on a jacket.

Thanks, I'll try to let her warm up for a bit longer and i'll but some gas in for good measure today. I'm trying not to rider her too much since she's not street legal and missing the her front brake handles/cable. I turned petcock to reserve awhile ago then set it to pri for a bit when I looked up the correct setting for it turned it back to on. I feel like a noob (which i am) but what's an "Italian service"?

thank goodness because i love this site

So, went to start her up today and no problem starting even without choke (it was a pretty warm). She idled for a few min a little on the low rpm side around 1k or less so I opened the throttle and she cut off . . . odd. So, I started her a gain this time with choke, started no problem idled higher around 2k i eased off choke and rpms dropped, hit throttle and she cut off . . . odd. She hadn't done this before please tell me I'm just out of gas from having the reserve open the whole time (seriously i have lol) I'm hoping my little oil flooding hasn't damaged too much. Thanks in advance for the help. @drewpy, thanks for the help with the engine i printed out a service manual still looking for a owners manual for those pesky user questions like how to the petcock settings work

So, I show my pretty little "Maxine" to my buds and they promptly say "you should get rid of your seat cover", "You need to paint it blue or red". "You should get one of those windshields and saddle bags", "It'll really look good if you had those handle bars that stretch your arms and lowered the seat like a harley". Like a thousand suggestions/critiques about what I should change. Then finally one of my best buds pipes in and asks "So, what are you gonna change about it" to which I say "um, it needs a tail light so I'll add that . . .yea that's about it". They bust out laughing . . . am I the only one who's fallen in love with their bike "as is"? I like a bike that looks like it's been somewhere saw a few things dodged a few four-wheeled-cycle-killers. The P.O. used a piece of carpet to cover the seat it's literally carpet and you know what? I kinda like it and it's comfortable to sit on. It's black plastics and the paint is gun metal black so no shine, I love it. I love the feel of the handle bars (the fit me just right) no higher no lower, the pegs are fine. I serously wouldn't change a thing about it (besides the tail light thats missing). So, am I the only one who's bought an "as is" bike and like it that way or am I delusional. p.s. none of my buds on bikes (perhaps i need biker buds)

@drewpy, do you mean the numbers on the engine? (12R005486) Drained the oil today then filled it back up ran it for a bit, no white smoke

Drained the oil yesterday gonna put new oil in today and try not to over fill. My old oil smelled like gas, I'm guessing because the oil was getting into places it wasn't supposed to and should clear up. I'll fix that exhaust today I'm trying to take apart a little as possible, to avoid creating other problems. So, it's a DOHC? that'll help with picking a service manual. I didn't think it was odd at first with no kickstarter I'd only seen them on dirt bikes and ancient motorcycles, then i saw a 82 yamaha 750 with a kickstarter. It's not a big deal unless i keep killing my battery by having the lights on like i've done about 3 times now lol. Quick question, is it odd that my bike is easier to start cold at half choke than full? Thanks again for the advice.

Hello all, just found this forum about a week ago and already love it, got a brand new (to me) 1982 xs400. I call her "Maxine" I'll post pics later she the prom queen but she the prettiest bike I've ever owned lol.

Also, I noticed I don't have a kick start is that normal?

Thanks drewpy, I have put quite a bit of oil 4qauarts this week in it since it has that small leak, then started leaking major oil I was paranoid about it seizing. Just checked the sight glass (didn't know it had one lol) is completely full. Without a dipstick I was just best guessing the oil level since it didn't have a gas gauge figuered my oil light was my oil detection. Yesterday, I sealed the hole and put 2 quarts oil in guess I'll unplug it and let the oil drain to a normal level and keep an eye on the sight glass. Thank you again for the help. here is another Q, the P.O. said it needed an exhaust pipe gasket and when it runs it kinda pops white smoke out of it, how concerned should I be about that? it looks like i can just undo a few screws and replace it (is it that easy?).

Hello, everyone I've been reading this forum for a few weeks now. Kinda wish I found it before I got the bike but oh well. So, I've got a 1982 Yamaha xs400 it's gonna be my first bike. I say gonna because 1 I haven't taken the course yet and 2. It needs a little work to be street legal and road ready. I got the bike first because it was a really sweet deal old guy who works on motorcycles/atvs/ gocarts drives it to town and his mailbox (he's in the country) but wife says it's gotta go so he sold it to me cheap (to stop her nagging lol). Ok enough back ground on to the bike it's got a slight leak on what i believe is the rubber air cleaner joint (thats what the web says it is) not bad but not good. But then after a series of unfortunate events it started leaking oil heavily from the kickstand and chain traced it back to what I believe is the Air Cleaner assembly (agian the web says that) noticed a hole in the box. My first question is a "dumb" one, why is there "oil" in an "air" cleaner? And 2, the hole in the assymbly seems like it was desgned that way is there a plug missing? Bonus: Is the major oil leak cause for the major power loss and white smoke when reved up? Thank you all in advance for your help.