Moretto

Good thinking, but seller already mailed it. Got my answer on the Facebook by a guy in my country (surprisingly I found one). Thank You, problem solved. and the new one should be here in a week or two. All the best!

Done that even better, I found a suitable brass screw to fit the hole, but I would like to check the oil level from time to time! And I neeeeeed the stick lenght to do so!! No glass windows on XS 500, dude! Thanks for reply, anyway!!

C'mon people, please! Don't tell me I'm the only one with an old XS 500! Do I have to trade it for a Vespa??

Help guys!! someone stole my oil level plug/stick!! (Don't know why, I haven't seen another XS 500 here in my life!) I have ordered a new one from e-bay, but I want to ride my bike for this two-three weeks till it arrives. So please, if someone has the same, can You measure it for me? So I can use any kind of stick. http://img689.imageshack.us/i/plugc.jpg/ Thanks in advance!!

Hmm..no, no Millers as far as I know. Normally, we have all the "big names", plus a few suspicious "Made in Germany" (JLB or JBQ or something like that) bike oils, plus a number of domestic made...good for Vespa and Tomos 2T, but normally nobody uses them. I will try to get some good old mineral Castrol, if not, "Yama-lube" sounds reliable (who would guess!! ).

Thanks David, my thoughts exactly But, You never know...I had to ask

Hi everybody! I'm having trouble finding the oil I usually use in my '77 xs500. I have always used Castrol moto 20w50 (It was called "ActEvo" last few years). It is a simple mineral oil. The sevice guys suggested I change to Yamalube 20W50, which is a semi-synthetic oil.(surprisingly, cheaper then mineral Castrol). The old thing has been running for the past 30++ years on mineral, is it clever to shock it with synthetic now? What about clutch and stuff? Any experience? Thanks in advance.

Update: another issue for the European owners: Air filter (if You insist on original): 1H2 (Euro) model: 1J3 (US) model Needless to say, I had nothing in My air box, so I have ordered both. Spent 50€ on them PS..I think that Euro model is the same as the earlier US models

I tend to blame some of that to some previous owner. My bike is 1977, imported from US to former Yugoslavia in 1982, and had god knows how many owners before me. At some point in history, somebody had to tinker with it, especially in former Yugoslav "commie" regime, when importing parts was extremely difficult and expensive. My specimen, I must say, is surprisingly in original shape, considering everything. So original, that I abandoned the idea of making a cafe racer.

I did that, found nothing specific. So, I did my own search. The filter I have now, screwed on place, has a lot of Chinese or Japanese letters on (I can't tell the difference)...but no Latin script on. As I found a lot of paper elements for XS 500, it seamed strange and I guess some of previous owners mounted an adapter on, to use the tin filters. So I found this should fit: Champion F301/302/possibly 304/306 Mann MW66 Denso 115010-1760 Ordered the Champion, when it arrives, I'll let You know if I got it right. Btw, any User manual here for XS 500 (1977)? Plain "user" one, not Haynes. None listed on Yamaha sites, the bike is way too old..

Can somebody tell me what's the difference...or differences? I understood that 1J3 is US model '76-77, and 1H2 is an European, same year. There is a plastic rear fender on European model...but what else? I have ordered an oil filter for my 1J3, and got what was listed for 1H2, which is this: http://www.louis.de/_4064009555041105eacead441109eb4153/shop/shop_article_big.php?IMG=10050409_920_10.JPG&zusatz=1&TITLE=100506 from this site: http://www.louis.de/_4064009555041105eacead441109eb4153/index.php?topic=search&searchterm=10050409 But I need something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370428803675&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT normally, the latter one is 6 times more expensive.. Any other significant differences between US and EURO model? And please, does somebody know if there is some normal oil filter, like Champion xyxy, or Bosch xyxyxy, or Valeo xyxyxy...that replaces the original?? Thanks!

Just to say hallo, after a few years trip to the maxi scooter world, I'm so happy to be back again with my "new" 1977 Yam XS 500. A bit of a Cafe racer style, but in very good and original condition. Hope to be spending time here on forums in the cafe section, not in technical. So hallo everybody, and it feels good to be back !!

I decided to leave it to a proffessional. He fixed the carbs for about 50$ US. Changed the gaskets and cleaned it, it was dirty, but everything else seems to be OK. It has only about 18500 km now, so he expected that. Guess I could do it myself, but ...as we say: give the baby to the mother, she knows best. I have another little problem. The clutch lever does not run smooth.When I squeeze it quickly for shifting, it's ok, but if I squeeze it slowly, like it stucks to something. Feels like the cable is rusty or damaged, so I put a new one and greased it.It doesn't solve the problem, so I think the old one was OK. Any experience on that metter?

Thank You! Veeeery useful info. I went through the german service manual, also helpfull piece of documentation, only for every word longer than 20 letters (like "hinterraderlagereinleitung".......something)I have to send a SMS to my friend in Frankfurt to translate it I have greased and oiled all the parts that needed it, on my surprise nothing was blocked, but the clutch lever dos not go smooth even after greasing it...have to check it some more

Finally found a manual! On a Russian website. A service manual in German language. I didn't mention that the previous owner had no manual at all. I was searching for a user's manual, but this is way better. You were right, the carbs don'seem so complicated...i guess I can do it myself.

Hi BrewTrooper. My XS 400 is 1988. It's a DOHC in almost perfect condition, with original 18 000 km, so one would guess that it sat a lot. It was leaking through the air filter casing, and for sure in the combustion chamber, but it didn't happen again. My guess is that it was some dirt blocking the float or the needle-valve in one of the carbs. I pushed it hard for two days...it seems OK now, even the choke works up to some point (goes off if i pull the choke full). The more I ride it, the better it works.. I am thinking of giving it a full service as soon as the weather goes bad...In my country(Rijeka-Croatia)..if there's no too much rain, it goes cold after New Year. Until then I was hoping to enjoy it for some time. The oil viscosity seems to be OK, and the oil level did not change, so I guess that the gasoline did not have enough time to leak so much..it was for a few minutes while I went to the shop, and as I mentioned before, it didn't happen again. Anyhow, I was thinkong about authorised service, because I am mostly concerned about sincronizing the carbs after cleaning..it takes manometers and some experience...i guess...but if I decide to do it myself, Your help would be most appreciated. Moretto(a.k.a. Mladen)

Hi there! My first problem is the choke. It is just not working. Cold or hot, the engine stops if i even touch the choke lever. Guess that the mixture is too rich, however, as I don't have any kind of user or service manual, I don't know how to adjust it.. A new problem came up today, as I parked in front of a store, I came out and there was gasoline under my bike! Tried to start it, no way. I closed the gas, waited for a few minutes, and it started on the last drop of battery power. After a while, it revs ok, no more leaking....seams ok now. Could it be dirt in the carb, under the float needle?? Can I clean the carbs myself? Its two Mikuni carbs..are they complicated?..I rebuilt my Vespa's Dell Orto, a few Fiat' s Webbers and a Opel's Varajet. Am I qualified??

Seams like I've got me a nice piece of work. Or should I forget about it and enjoy the 27 HP... Anyway, drewpy, You've been most helpful... Which translated german site are you talking about...if it's not a secret...

I just hope that the camshafts are not different...inlets and jetting shouldn't be a problem...thnx, Drewpy.

Hallo everybody. I'm new here, and I would appreciate some help. I have recently bought an XS 400 DOHC. As it was made for German market, it is reduced to 27 HP. Normally, this bike has 38 or 44 HP. Can someone tell me how was it reduced and how can I "open" it? Probably someone could know more on German forums (because they had a lot of bikes reduced to 27 HP), unfortunately, I don't speak German. Thanks in advance, greetings from Croatia.