SirBieber

Got a MAC 2 into 1 thats really quiet. Looking for more decibals and power. Anyone got any easy tips on removing baffles? Also anyone know an easy way to hardwire a headlight. This thing has been giving me such a headache.

I took it to a mechanic becuase I couldnt believe how complicated it was to light up one damn bulb. The headlight was not getting any power which I knew was the case. He said it was either the reserve lighting box next to the fuse box, or the headlight relay. However you can only tell which it is if you trace the wires, this is gonna be fun.

So i bought a new taillight to replace that huge one in the back. The new one only has one bulb and requires 3 wires instead of the orignial one having 2 bulbs and six wires. I rerouted the wires under the fender to the end, and hardwired 3 of the original 6 wires to the new taillight. The taillight works fine now, but somwhere along the way (dont know when wasn't paying attention) i lost my headlight. My bike also originally had a light to light up the license plate, and i have just taped that off. Along the way I also blew through 2 fuses but those are now replaced. Its not the bulbs becuase neither high or low beams will work. the headlamp light on the dash is lit up. I have noticed a 6 wire connection coming from the reserve lighting device next to the fuse box and battery. The headlamp light turns off when thats disconnected. Its pretty hard to trace the wires, the previous owner was an airplance mechanic that taped off bunches of wires together, and its hard to trance anything anymore. Any suggestions, troubleshooting methods greatly appreciated. I would take pictures but my camera was stolen yesturday. p.s turn signals, brake/taillight all work fine. just headlight is out. from what i remember the headlight only came on when the bike was actually running.

are u making your own seat or buying? Im lookin for a solo seat myself

Looking to get a solo seat, however everywhere i look (ebay, n 650 central) have solo seats, brackets, n springs, but no real instructions on how it would be installed. Not even the manager at the store there knew how people were installing the solo seats. Anyone with a solo seat and or instructions on installation pleaaase help me out. Here is the seat and parts they offer. click the seat section, its on the bottom

So I put my bike away for the entire winter and finally pulled it out today. I never owned a vehicle where I had to store it for an entire season so I never knew to put in special liquid if the fuel to prevent varnishing, or to disconnect the battery. When I started the bike I found out the battery was completely shot. I bought a new one, and they guy suggest and empty the tank, and start with fresh fuel which I did. Then I cleaned the carburetor once again very thoroughly, and I made sure the rubber connections to it are very very tight as to not leak any air. The first few kicks did absolutely nothing. (My electric starter doesnt work... I just hear something spinning freely and not catching but I'll save that for another day). Finally on about the 10th kick it started up while the choke was on and primed, gave it a couple minutes to warm up, and set the idle rpm below 2k. I rode around for a few minutes and was at a dead stop again, then my rpms just randomly shot way up. I adjusted the idle needle so that it brought them back down again. but then the rpms drop again and wont stay idle so i gotta raise them up a bit. I did some research and found that bad gas and air leaks can be 2 factors causing this, but I'm pretty sure I eliminated these possibilites. If any one has any ideas please let me know. I can post a video of it if I figure out how.

I replaced 2 of the connections of the solenoid and sanded down all other connections. I charged up my battery for a good 2 hours as well. I didn't have a voltage meter on hand so not sure what it reads. I pressed the starter button again just to see if it would do more than make a buzzing sound at the solenoid. It actually tried to start the engine again, and more successfully than ever (even though it didn't actually start it). So sign of progress there. I tried kick starting a bunch of times, and the engine consistently started and didn't stay on for more than a second or two. I finally just started kick starting with all the throttle I could, a got a loud backfire and it started. Its freezing out so I let it run for a few min to warm up. I put it in gear and with a full throttle I was going 5mph. If I accelerated slowly I could get a little more speed. It also died as soon as I pulled on the clutch. I can get it started consistently now if the choke is off, but I haven't had more than a 5 sec ride yet, out of the 3 attempts I gave it. It does stay idle without dying. It seems so strange that my bike was working perfectly until I parked it, and a few days later it just decides not to start. They only thing that has changed is the temperature by 20 degrees. Can freezing outdoor temperatures play any role in explaining these symptoms? Tomorrow I plan to get it started and let it run for a good 10 min to warm up before I try it again, plus whatever suggestions I get Thank you duaneage for the help

I tried to do as much reading from earlier posts as to not repeat other peoples cases, but I'm just not as knowledgeable in electrics to understand what was going on. For 2 weeks there were no problems starting up my xs400 or running long distances. Keep in mind, my electric start never worked.. when I pressed the start button something would just spin freely, and from earlier posts I guess something wore down. But the kick start until today has never failed me after 2 kicks. I also read that people had difficulty kick starting in the cold. Its getting below freezing at nights to give you an idea. I went to test the starter button just to see if it even did anything to try and start the engine, but instead today I just get a buzzing sound from the solenoid. I had a problem with the solenoid couple weeks earlier and found out I had a bad connection with the battery, and as soon as I fixed that it started right up. This time its still connected firmly and with clean contacts to the battery, and I still get a buzzing sound from the solenoid when I press the starter button. Nothing tries to start, just the buzzing sound. Any ideas? Please give simple instructions 3 days of potential riding on the line before I leave my baby for the season....Drewps I know you got an answer for me

1) So I saw a picture of the new '09 yzf-r125. The bike looks like its going 100mph when its not moving. I was very surprised to see that they made 125cc sport bikes. I'm used to seeing 125cc mopeds in India. Anyway it got me interested in comparing its specs with my '80 xs400. I'm very new to bikes, I got mine last month, but when I think of bike power I think of cc's. So my bike more than doubles the yzf-r in cc's, yet the top speed for both is very close. The xs400 @ 87mph, and the yzf-r125 @ 82mph (from a video I saw on youtube). I realize the xs is about 100lbs heavier, but what else makes a 125cc bike so incredibly fast? What would the diffrence in acceleration be? Here are the specs of both bikes from bikez.com 1980 XS400 Engine and transmission Displacement: 392.00 ccm (23.92 cubic inches) Engine type: Twin Stroke: 4 Power: 27.00 HP (19.7 kW)) @ 8100 RPM Compression: 9.2:1 Bore x stroke: 69.0 x 52.4 mm (2.7 x 2.1 inches) Valves per cylinder: 2 Fuel control: OHC Cooling system: Air Gearbox: 6-speed Transmission type final drive: Chain Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 182.0 kg (401.2 pounds) 2009 YZF-R125 Engine and transmission Displacement: 124.66 ccm (7.61 cubic inches) Engine type: Single cylinder Stroke: 4 Power: 14.75 HP (10.8 kW)) @ 9000 RPM Torque: 12.24 Nm (1.2 kgf-m or 9.0 ft.lbs) @ 8000 RPM Compression: 11.2:1 Bore x stroke: 52.0 x 58.6 mm (2.0 x 2.3 inches) Fuel system: Injection Valves per cylinder: 4 Fuel control: SOHC Ignition: TCI Starter: Electric Lubrication system: Wet sump Cooling system: Liquid Gearbox: 6-speed Transmission type final drive: Chain Clutch: Wet, multiple-disc coil spring Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 138.0 kg (304.2 pounds) 2) Ive been big into car tuning with my '98 audi a4 1.8t as its become a hobby. I'm wondering what modifications are possible, if any, to help with acceleration/top end of a motorcycle. Im used to just installing chips/ehausts/bigger turbos but i dont think thats possible in this case.

Does anyone know where to buy cafe seats, or are they all fabricated. I saw one seat on Mikes XS but its almost as much as I paid for the bike. Looking for a cheaper solution than $200. And if people customize them do they use the original seat insertions into the frame? I'm decent with welding if anyone has any dimensions on hand

Very nice

Meet Artax Jr., my cafe racer project bike. After letting go with my 'Playstation 3' fund, I bought him for $300 in the beginning of summer in a non-working condition. I took it to a mechanic to diagnose it for me and he said it was a complete waste of my time, but I was determined. I had to have it towed 30 min to my house. I knew nothing about motorcycles other than how to ride them and very little about engines. I gave him new oil, gas, spark plugs, and a battery, cleaned out the carbs, air filters, oil filter, bled the brakes, installed a new chain and clubman handlebars (all with much help from youtube and this forum!). Getting it started and going on my first ride was one of the happiest moments of my life. So far its feeling and looking pretty good. Feel free to offer suggestions or comments. Im leaving in 2 weeks because I despise NY winters, but future projects include replacing signals, mirrors and tail light, building cafe seat, and any easy or cheap engine work that anyone can suggest

Ive now got a large collection of you tube 'do it yourself' videos for tinkering with different parts of the bike. Anyway saw some tricks on getting all the air out, and brakes are stronger than ever. if it weren't for youtube and the yamaha club forums I'd be less hundreds of dollars because of a mechanic or it would still be the immobile $300 bike i got when I first started.

Its all stock, so I guess its using hydraulic pressure. Some people in this forum said their brakes became jittery if there is an air leak forming air pockets in the hose to the breaks. Mine is not jittery it just doesn't work. I read I can "bleed" the brakes to get such air pockets out if this is the case but not sure if that iss what I have to do. Nothing else today so I'll give it a shot anyway, if anyone has anymore ideas please share.

So I got new clubman handlebars today. I switched out my bars and everything works fine except the front brakes which were working fine earlier. There is dot 3 fluid in there. The brake feels like it has no tension when I squeeze it so maybe something came loose? There is a bit of a kink in the cable since the bars are so short, but I took off the brakes completely so there were no kinks and it still wont work. I'm very new to bikes so any help with simple instuctions would be very useful.

I was in the exact same boat. Bought an '80 XS400 for $200 looking to make a nice cafe racer restoration project. At first it would fire up with the choke on. If I took the choke off it would die before it idled, and wouldnt start right after for atleast an hour. I had a buddy come over and check out all the electricals, and it turned out I had a bad solenoid. He tapped it a couple times, and it gave out more juice and now it fires up regularly, still need to replace with a more reliable solenoid though. I would suggest going through all circuits/fuses