Dutch XS400 2A2 Caferacer

[Hornix]

so many explanations.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Dutch

[Jack Crank]

Just picked up an xs400 this week and your build is friggin awe inspring man. Great stuff. So good in fact, that it inspired me not to cafe mine cause i could never do a job like yours. Im going street tracker instead.

Killer work, seriously. Questions for you would be

- how much was the seat?

- how much we're the rear sets?

- did you use the widest or thickest possible tire? I ask cause im worndering what i could fit on with no mods

- what was the trickiest part of the build? Looked like electrical from all the shots of the internals in the headlight.

Anyways sorry if you addressed any of these but i don't speak too much dutch man.

[drewpy]

Just picked up an xs400 this week and your build is friggin awe inspring man. Great stuff. So good in fact, that it inspired me not to cafe mine cause i could never do a job like yours. Im going street tracker instead.

Killer work, seriously. Questions for you would be

- how much was the seat?

- how much we're the rear sets?

- did you use the widest or thickest possible tire? I ask cause im worndering what i could fit on with no mods

- what was the trickiest part of the build? Looked like electrical from all the shots of the internals in the headlight.

Anyways sorry if you addressed any of these but i don't speak too much dutch man.

waht about a bobber?

tracker

my tracker

[Hornix]

Nice work Drewps

@ jack crank: Thanx for the compliments

I bought the seat here: http://www.rocket-caferacerparts.nl/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=64&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6&lang=nl

It's a Ducati Imola seat. Also available here: The rearsets are made bij the famous mr Raask in Sweden. Costed me about €200 but it's plug&play. I did this because I wanted to keep the rear diskbreak/ master cilinder. For my next project (SR500) I will buy standard tarozzi rearsets and figure the whole set up out myself. The tire is standard size. First I thought about getting a bigger one, but it's such a small rim. Wider tires on a small rim will make that the tire is mucht too round. It will result in awfull big chicken-strips Also the standard sizes give the best performance. I use Bridgestone BT45 and these are the #1 tires for our oldies. The electrics were not the biggest challange. I did some electronics at school years ago. The only issues ware a broken oilpressure switch and I mounted the 12v lead of one of the contact-breaker points against the casing, se I had no spark at one cilinder. The major chance I took was to sandblast the whole engine wile in one peace. I had to carefully close every opening in the engine block, otherwise the sand (actually glass pearls) would wreck the block in a few miles. And, not to scare you, the carbs.... I almost lost myself in the jetting. Learned that those CV carbs are crazy things once you change something about the setup. I was at a point that I thought about losing the airpods and going back to standard, but now I've found the setup I want. In a few days a big wish will come true: I found a set op XS250 spoke hubs so by the end of this winter, my grasshopper will have nice wire wheels. Me happy!!!

In the beginning I bought this XS400 to have something to do. I was done modifying my Kawa ZRX1100. But the building gave me so much fun that I instantly sold my Kawa (and saved my drivinglicense ) and now the XS is my new fun bike. Costs me about 3 euro's insurance/month and it's free of roadtax. It gives a lot of fun at legal speeds and when I go for a ride with my open Bell helmet and googles and park the grasshopper at a motorshop, there are always about 5 leather Ninja's standing around it asking questions about the building etc.

Keep us posted about the tracker!!

[drewpy]

Hornix, with those wires, you can get wider rims

[Hornix]

tell me about it Drewpy

what size do you have? without hitting the chain...

[Jack Crank]

I've actually already rejetted a CV carb on my Buell so I'm sorta familiar with that process, fortunately I have friends with knowledge.

Thanks a bunch for the knowledge man. Did the rearsets stop you from being able to kickstart?

Nice work Drewps

@ jack crank: Thanx for the compliments

I bought the seat here: http://www.rocket-caferacerparts.nl/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=64&category_id=10&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6&lang=nl

It's a Ducati Imola seat. Also available here: The rearsets are made bij the famous mr Raask in Sweden. Costed me about €200 but it's plug&play. I did this because I wanted to keep the rear diskbreak/ master cilinder. For my next project (SR500) I will buy standard tarozzi rearsets and figure the whole set up out myself. The tire is standard size. First I thought about getting a bigger one, but it's such a small rim. Wider tires on a small rim will make that the tire is mucht too round. It will result in awfull big chicken-strips Also the standard sizes give the best performance. I use Bridgestone BT45 and these are the #1 tires for our oldies. The electrics were not the biggest challange. I did some electronics at school years ago. The only issues ware a broken oilpressure switch and I mounted the 12v lead of one of the contact-breaker points against the casing, se I had no spark at one cilinder. The major chance I took was to sandblast the whole engine wile in one peace. I had to carefully close every opening in the engine block, otherwise the sand (actually glass pearls) would wreck the block in a few miles. And, not to scare you, the carbs.... I almost lost myself in the jetting. Learned that those CV carbs are crazy things once you change something about the setup. I was at a point that I thought about losing the airpods and going back to standard, but now I've found the setup I want. In a few days a big wish will come true: I found a set op XS250 spoke hubs so by the end of this winter, my grasshopper will have nice wire wheels. Me happy!!!

In the beginning I bought this XS400 to have something to do. I was done modifying my Kawa ZRX1100. But the building gave me so much fun that I instantly sold my Kawa (and saved my drivinglicense ) and now the XS is my new fun bike. Costs me about 3 euro's insurance/month and it's free of roadtax. It gives a lot of fun at legal speeds and when I go for a ride with my open Bell helmet and googles and park the grasshopper at a motorshop, there are always about 5 leather Ninja's standing around it asking questions about the building etc.

Keep us posted about the tracker!!

[Hornix]

Indeed, I can no longer use the kickstart. In a few weeks I'm going to completely remove the kickstart assembly and put a nice alu coverup in the hole

[drewpy]

tell me about it Drewpy

what size do you have? without hitting the chain...

I used the standard width, without the chain guard, I recon you can go 130-140 width and use a rim that's safe to use that size

[Hornix]

I used the standard width, without the chain guard, I recon you can go 130-140 width and use a rim that's safe to use that size

Right now I have a 110/80/18 in the back. My other projectbike (sr500) has the same rimsize but Yamaha put a much bigger tyre on it: 120/90/18. Looks like a fat black sausage I think this tyre is to bige for the XS400, right now I have only 1cm space between tyre and chain. Between brackets......is it tire or tyre??

Don't know what I'm going to do. The front rim/tire size will be standard otherwise my custom fender will not fit any longer.

In the back maybe I'll put a wider one when the current tyre is worn. One thing is fur sure: the bike always handle the best with the standard sizes an bigger tyres are heavier

http://www.motor-forum.nl/forum/list_message/17569884#17569884

[Hornix]

Ladies and Gentlemen.....

We got 'm

Happy Hornix Happy Hornix Happy Hornix

@Drewpy: does the rear rim look familiar? It appears to be rather wide to me.

[drewpy]

Ladies and Gentlemen.....

We got 'm

Happy Hornix Happy Hornix Happy Hornix

@Drewpy: does the rear rim look familiar? It appears to be rather wide to me.

schweeeet!

I think it should be 2.15" front (from memory) and 2.5" rear

I'd get new rims and spokes anyway and treat the hubs to vapour blast and paint.

guess who's got 4 nos dampers for the rear hub?

[Hornix]

Ehmmm, Santa?

About those dampers, is it advised to replace them?

And how will they come off?

Looks like it is melted in the holes by a very precise japanese rubber melter.

can you post a piccie?

[drewpy]

Ehmmm, Santa?

About those dampers, is it advised to replace them?

And how will they come off?

Looks like it is melted in the holes by a very precise japanese rubber melter.

can you post a piccie?

they are buggers to remove, the last hubs i got,someone got them out (there is an extractor tool)and replaced with rubber bobbins.

part on ebay

unless they are really soft, I would'nt bother replacing them

[Hornix]

Thanx for sorting that out.

Funny thing is that on the cast wheel it appears not to be a separat item. Can't find a part number on cmsnl.com

For the wire wheel they're about €21 p piece. €84 per4, €100,- incl shipping

I think mines are fine. (and the gearbox shifts like butter)

Someone on the Dutch forum would like my rims to be gold Excels. Would that look nice??

[drewpy]

looks too moto for my liking, can't beat deep valanced shiny alloy rims

[Hornix]

Think you're right....

Found a pair of those rims you have on your XS400. So I cut all the spokes, the hubs wil be sanden in a few days and then I bring the whole bunch to the Wheel Wire Guy

Today I removed the kickstart assembly and put a nice little aloy cover in it. Pictures will speak for itself

And I was in the mood so I started the replace my forkseals and stansions. Here's the patient in the OR

what's the best way to remove those 30 year old rusty oilseals??

[drewpy]

I hope you have used thread lock on that srew, I wouldn't like that to fall out into the clutch

as for the forks. make sure you crack the allen bolts underneath the fork lowers (inside them actually) with the spings in place. you are trying to prevent the bar they're attached to from rotating. the best way is to use a air wrench, but a swift whack should crack it loose!

after that, take out the top fork caps then take them out of the fork clamps.

then its a matter of leverage and heat to remove the seals. I've sometimes had to drill a little hole and screw in a self tapper and pulled on that!

drewps

[Cynic]

I hope you have used thread lock on that srew, I wouldn't like that to fall out into the clutch

as for the forks. make sure you crack the allen bolts underneath the fork lowers (inside them actually) with the spings in place. you are trying to prevent the bar they're attached to from rotating. the best way is to use a air wrench, but a swift whack should crack it loose!

after that, take out the top fork caps then take them out of the fork clamps.

then its a matter of leverage and heat to remove the seals. I've sometimes had to drill a little hole and screw in a self tapper and pulled on that!

drewps

Hot air gun, kind of thing you use for stripping paint. NOT a blowtorch. With the heat gun you won't damage the ally but you will get it plenty hot enough for the seals to come out cos the ally has 'grown' or the seals melted a little. Works every time for me.

[Hornix]

I hope you have used thread lock on that srew, I wouldn't like that to fall out into the clutch

as for the forks. make sure you crack the allen bolts underneath the fork lowers (inside them actually) with the spings in place. you are trying to prevent the bar they're attached to from rotating. the best way is to use a air wrench, but a swift whack should crack it loose!

after that, take out the top fork caps then take them out of the fork clamps.

then its a matter of leverage and heat to remove the seals. I've sometimes had to drill a little hole and screw in a self tapper and pulled on that!

drewps

Goodmorning,

I've used thread lock (blue loctite) so the bolt will stay there. I losened the allen bolts at the bottem (they were not that tight) so now I have the fork lowers apart. I'll try the heat trick