CMOORE35

well i will be taking the carbs off today and rebuilding them, i will also check the timing, get new plugs, wires, ignition coils and give it an oil change as well. See if that gets her started.

I tried this tonight and you are right. it turned over with ease. So now that i know it's a hydraulic lock and the petrol leaking past the carb floats i will probably need to rebuild the carbs, correct?

Greetings and Good Luck. Is there a paint Job in the future? I like the colors and all but a custom paint job would be cool too.

Im going to be getting a honda 250 after the first of the year from a friend of mine. Just needs brake service and a new tach and it will be ready to ride. That will be my commuting bike around town while the Yam400 im rebuilding will be the show bike around the area. Can't wait to see some pics Kishan.

Lots and Lots of different tyres for different bikes. http://www.motorcycletire.com/merchant2/ would be a good place to start your search.

UDDATE!!! I got the info back from the DMV and found the name and last known address of the last recorded title holder. After a little searching I found a number to call and sure enough it was his mom's number. I called her and she gave me this guys number. After calling him i was able to find out that he was indeed the owner of that bike back in 89 and he sold it. Since it was never registered after him he is getting me a duplicate title and signing it over to me as long as i refund the money it takes to get the duplicate title. I should have it in another week. That part being over i am ready to roll up my sleeves, get greasy and dirty, and tear the bike apart to rebuild it. My goal is being able to ride it by the Spring 2012!!

thanks will try that tomorrow.

Some Garages that i know of in the States use a 30/30 acid solution to clean out rust out of the tanks. The bad news about rusty tanks is that once the inside is corroded a little it will almost always return. even if you line them that may last about 5-10 years but it will need it again. best thing to do is to buy a new tank when you get the chance.

thanks for the link and advise. this bike is a 78 model so sorry if there was confusion there. I think the engine is locked up on this as when i tried to kickstart it the other day it would take all my body weight to get the kick starter to move all the way down. Yes it was in neutral and the tires did not try to rotate when kicking it over. But there was no fire and it felt like it was siezed up inside. Anyways i will check out the link and keep ya'll updated on my progress with this project.

Just because you no longer own a yam doesn't mean you have to leave this forum. as i recall i seen some on here that own other bikes as well and there is a section on this forum for non-yam bike talk as well.

Hi all, I have mentioned before that i am working on a 1978 Yamaha xs400. I have done everything i could to get this motorcycle running but to no avail. I have decided that i am going to tear it all down and rebuild it from scratch. Before i get started i would like to ask a question that has been on my mind and would appreciate any responses. First of all I am planning to rebuild the engine. This motorcycle has only a kickstarter so i was wondering if it is possible to add an electric starter to it and would anyone have a manual to show me how to add one? If it is not possible to add one, could i buy a whole engine that comes with an electric start for this cycle and would it mount properly to the frame or would i have to modify the frame to mount an engine with an electric starter on it? Any help would be appreciated.

My dad was a harley man and introduced me at 9yrs old to a harley sportster. I went to sturgis with him one year which is a bike rally in south dakota and i was hooked ever since. my mother wouldn't allow me to get a motorcycle so I planned on getting one after i got out on my own. I had to postpone my dream of owning a bike for a long time cause i couldn't afford one and my credit was horrible. I basically put it on the back burner and taking care of what was most important to me. Now that i am in my mid 30s I finally realized my dream of owning a bike when I Finally aquired an old 1978 yamaha xs400 by trading a computer for it. My ex-wifes father is a Legion Rider and Harley Owner and knows a lot about motorcycles. He is helping me from time to time with this project. So far i cleaned the carbs, got a battery and charged it. Next i have to get a couple new spark plugs and possibly ignition coils.(if there is no fire with the new plugs). I gave it an oil and filter change. All that is left to do is put it all back together and try starting it.

:howdy: and

Well, thanks for the intro and

mat. I am new to this site as well but i am sure you will get tons of great advise and tips on your bike from here.

I find that the "Legion Riders" are a great group of guys that raise money for worthy causes. The American Legion is where this great group of motorcyclists come from and they are a national organization. I have a few good friends in the "Legion Riders" gang and i always donate to them since i know my money will be put to good use.

That is soooooo funny!!! I already emailed it to my wife hahaha

HOWDY Summer I too am new at all this and currently own a 1978 400 myself. It hasnt run and im in the process of rebuilding it for the next spring and summer ride in 2012. Welcome to the community.

HOWDY!! Im a noobie too!!

Hi and to the forum

to the club

Welcome to the club.

Rebuilding my 1978 Yamaha xs400 and was wondering if it would be possible to add an electric starter to it as it only had a kickstarter to begin with. If so where would i be able to mount it?

thanks everyone for the replies. If i can have patience with a wife and 5 kids i am sure that i will have plenty of patience with the project. The most frustrating part is finding and getting a title. Since this is a pre 80s bike it doesn't have a VIN number. And the only thing i have found out is that this bike was last registered back in 1989 in Nebraska. That is it. I am going down to the dmv tomorrow to see if they can run a title check on it to see if i can aquire it.

Hi everyone my name is chris and i am brand new here in the yamaha owners club. I am 37 years young and just got my first bike. It's a 1979 Yamaha 400xs. I aquired this bike by trading a computer for it. It doesn't run and doesn't have a title so my first step is to search for the title and hopefully find it so i can prove ownership and start my project of restoring it. All i have right now that shows it's mine is a bill of sale. I plan on striping it down to the frame and rebuilding it to like new condition. That is my goal at least. My father once told me that if i ever got a bike i should get one like this so i can tear it down and rebuild it. This way i know my bikes every detail and how to fix it. Since this is my first project bike i would like to ask the community if i may ask for advise and help from time to time. Any advise or help would be greatly appreciated since i am just a noobie at this. Thanks all. CMOORE35