akronevan2 Posted May 6, 2010 Posted May 6, 2010 Hi, I am a new member here and I need help. I don't know much, if anything, about bikes. My clutch lever was almost at the top of its range so I tried to adjust it out to about midrange and after I adjusted it (at the clutch adjuster), it barely made a difference. Do I need a new clutch? The bike only has 3994 miles, so why would it need a clutch?! Is the Maxim the same as the xs 400e? I downloaded the manual but some stuff doesn't sound right. Please help me! Any and all info you have would be great. I just want to give my first bike the attention and love that it needs.
Moderator drewpy Posted May 6, 2010 Moderator Posted May 6, 2010 Hi, I am a new member here and I need help. I don't know much, if anything, about bikes. My clutch lever was almost at the top of its range so I tried to adjust it out to about midrange and after I adjusted it (at the clutch adjuster), it barely made a difference. Do I need a new clutch? The bike only has 3994 miles, so why would it need a clutch?! Is the Maxim the same as the xs 400e? I downloaded the manual but some stuff doesn't sound right. Please help me! Any and all info you have would be great. I just want to give my first bike the attention and love that it needs. you have the dohc xs400, there are sohc variants and tbh they only have the word yamaha on them that's similar!! If you go to the top of this section there are downloads you can do. ( pioneer has them all but most peeps CBA looking) there is a maxim one there, i know coz i supplied it!! clutch looks like is usually adjusted at the engine first and then handlebars last. get the manual, have a read and if you have any more Q's post a topic. to the YOC
akronevan2 Posted May 17, 2010 Author Posted May 17, 2010 Alright sorry it has been so long. I played around with the clutch adjustmentsat the top and bottom, but it didn't make any difference. I know the previous owner had used it as a learning bike so the clutch is probably shot. I'm going to order one today from Midway Yamaha, the brand is called "Factory". Is that a good brand or should I look for something else? On a side note, I have found an 80 xs 400 special II for $300, but it hasn't been started since the early nineties. Let me know what you think of that too.
Moderator drewpy Posted May 18, 2010 Moderator Posted May 18, 2010 did you try the clutch cable, that can run dry and take a while to return the clutch!! get it oiled up or renewed $300 for a bike! get it for $200 and you can use for parts if no good
akronevan2 Posted May 18, 2010 Author Posted May 18, 2010 did you try the clutch cable, that can run dry and take a while to return the clutch!! get it oiled up or renewed $300 for a bike! get it for $200 and you can use for parts if no good I hadn't thought of the cable idea so I'll give it a try. The other bike is a 1980 xs 400 special II so some of it wont go together, but good idea otherwise.
akronevan2 Posted May 24, 2010 Author Posted May 24, 2010 So I put a new clutch in it and so far so good, however I ran into a new problem! After riding for about half an hour it stalled out. I checked the fuel and it was all good. I started it back up no problem. Rode it about a half mile and it did it again, after I came to a stop while using the front brake lever. I made it home and after pulling in the drive it stalled out again. I did another oil change today before my ride and it smelled strongly of gas. I could smell gas after the ride as well. What's going on with this now?! Also, the battery has been dead every time that it sits for more than a day, and it's brand new. Otherwise it runs well. Please someone help me!!!!! Could it be the regulator? Could it be the carb? Oh and what's with the the petcock having only 3 positions (ON, PRI, and RES). I noticed that the only one where fuel comes out is PRI.
akronevan2 Posted May 27, 2010 Author Posted May 27, 2010 Any ideas? Should I go to a different forum? Is this place dead?
HoughMade Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 The petcock is vacuum operated. When the bike is not running, fuel should only come out on prime. It should not come out when not running in any other position. First, I would check your carb floats to make sure that the floats are set correctly, moving freely, and there is no schmutz on the float needle or seat. Only way to do this right is with the carbs on a table, not on the bike. Your float should block fuel from spilling into the carb regardless of the petcock position. It is possible your vacuum petcock could be letting fuel leak down when the bike is off, but then you should see fuel coming out when it is in the "On" position and the engine is off. If it does not come out, does not seem like a petcock issue. As for the stalling, get that fuel leak issue resolved first and that may solve it. It could be that the engine is flooding out. However, if that is not it, check the vent in your fuel cap. If it does not vent, fuel will not flow correctly and after a bit of time, it will stall. As for this place being dead, it is not a heavily trafficked board, but there are enough knowledgeable people here to get an answer. My suggestion is to post a new topic regarding a specific problem, citing the problem in the thread title. For instance, "82 XS400 Stalling- help!" and people will look at it and answer. When a thread starts with onle issue and then adds different ones later people who had nothing to add about the first issue generally will not check back in. Good luck!
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