Cm 400 to cafe

[fast1]

  I have the pinched ones on Zara. The cheap ones are flat with no down curve and I actually prefer them. Less compromising of a riding position. Course I bought them 'cause they were cheap and didn't realize the benefits till after installation. CHEERS.

[Hortons Heroes]

Man I am now forwarding my next paychecks to dimecity. They have some really nice pieces.

I think I am back to getting clips ons because I can't beat that $40 shipped price.

Here are some more updates
original tail light and rear fender.


Cut down fender with the turn signals mounted and wired in the holes where the grab bar was.


Everything mounted and wired. The tail light I got from Roy in the hart. No plastic on it, the glass is super thick and it has a nice look after I cleaned off all the rust and rewired it. EDIT-exhaust taken off at this point.


I have 2 spare seats so one will be the original and this one has the passenger foam cut out and will have a case built over the rear to hold random stuff. I am not taking out the airbox and moving the battery so there is nothing to really put in there but a backup tool set.


I think these are the drag bars using the front pegs. I am still torn if I should move to the passenger pegs as rear controls.


clubmans


exaust is all off now and just trying to figure out what to do next.

[Sr.X]

Great to watch the progress on your project, I had a 1981 XS 400 dropped off in my yard in boxes.  My plan is to put as little money as possible into it and then ride it like I stole it. Right now I need a lower rear motor mount bolt and a shorty muffler. Want to run a capacitor on it and just use the kicker if that will work. The bars I have are black and have a small bend to them and they look good upside down , just have to see if everything will fit that way. Have some extra front brake stuff if anyone needs any, not sure what they are from and they can go to anyone needing them. Not sure if I will change the controls or not, see how things work first. Need the motor mount bolt first to see if it runs, carbs were done by PO who rides a very nice '83 Aspencade that he does all the work on. Will be watching you progress with interest.


   Later, Bob

[Hortons Heroes]

How shorty of a muffler?

I may go this route for my exhaust, the rest of the bike is interesting but not really the look I want. I like how it cleans up the rest of the bike from having the exhaust running the length of it. The fact that it's even 2-1 is pretty sweet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTOwK683aYE

[benwaechter]

I just watched that video. The exhaust is different, I would at least point it back underneath if I did it. If you didn't notice that guy is not running any air filtration at all. So I am wondering how long it took for him to dust his engine and plug the carbs.

Ben.

[fast1]

  Hmm. Some bikes look better stock than butchered. Those pipes will adios your top end in less than a season. They are longish with bends for a reason. You need at least some back pressure. My guess is it is not jetted for these mods. Be like a stock shovelhead with drag pipes, lotsa noise and NO power. CHEERS.

[Hortons Heroes]

Good to know fast1...is there a way to create back pressure with short pipes?

[fj1200]

I thought it sounded a lot like my stihl .056.   

[Sr.X]

Will measure the muffler next time I dig into my parts bin, agree with fast1 regarding drag pipes on shovelheads but who buys a shovel to go fast anyway.

Later, Bob

[fast1]

  To get the required amount of back pressure on those pipes you would have to choke the heck out of them with baffles. Then it would sound awful AND make no power.  Eliminate the crossover/ balance chamber and add shorty mufflers. If you leave the stock airbox intact jetting should not be an issue. The pistons on your bike not only go up and down together they fire together. This makes a smooth (for a parallel twin) running engine, however it is never going to have a deep throaty growl. This is why the bike in the video sounds so..well, crappy. CHEERS.

[Hortons Heroes]

That bike doesn't need any help being gutless so looks like I will go with the full length exhaust.

Would straight pipes (with baffles in) be good enough? I really appreciate the input.

[fast1]

 In a word, yes. CHEERS.

[Hortons Heroes]

Here are some more update photos.

Thought you would find this funny, my friends ninja in the back of my minivan...with one of my kids. It kind of felt like having a lifeboat.


Had a sprocket that had side to side play which turns out is REALLY BAD. One of the nuts of the sprocket bolts have come off without me noticing. Another nut was just spinning. You can see where we welded to build back up the slot where those bolts fit in.


Once I fixed that and put it back together there was still wiggle, I found little pieces (flakes) of metal and realized my collar had been worn down and cut in 1/2. I had a spare wheel lying around so I put in the new collar and still a bit of wiggle. Put in the extra spacer from the spare wheel and now rock solid. When the old collar was worn down and ripped off the spacer wore into the sprocket a bit so the extra spaces was needed. You can see the old collar and the worn down collar.


I couldn't find a torque spec in my manual or anything online for the rear sprocket bolts, do I just tighten decently firm and say that's good? Should I be thread locking the ends? Clearly I did something wrong last spring when I swapped the sprocket. I may not have lined up the bolts to that groove when I put it all back together in the spring but I am fairly sure I did.

This wiggle problem showed itself in the last week of my riding but still a little un-nerving to realize that the sprocket had that much play. Not a real update on the cafe side of the build but still something on the check list that is done. Hoorayy.

[Hortons Heroes]

More updates from tonight

Choke, dummy lights, ignition blah blah blah mounted high. Handlebars still mounted. Waiting for the clip on bars and the new dummy lights to come in to do more work in this area now


blurry but you can see the dummy lights hanging over the fork ears, the handle bars off, the choke is mounted in the handle bar hole so it's almost invisible. Starts to give the look it will have once the clips ons are on and the speedo is mounted low.


before shot of the seat pan, did some cutting to even the bottom line and will mount the foam sometime this week. More shots to come.


My soon to be view. The choke mounted in the handle bar hole and once I bore out the right hole I will mount the ignition in the other hole. Tallest thing on the bike should be those two points to the right and left of the speedo.


Some wiring to clean up and can mount the speedo once I build a bracket . The dummy lights will sit below the speedo as you look down on it. Bore out ignition hole then just waiting for the clip ons and dummy lights to arrive. Loving the look so far.

[Kaw-meister]

Ford used a cable drive electronic speedo system in the mid 90's. a small electronic gizmo on the trans that gave a pulse. I wonder if a person could utilize that type of unit to work with electronic tach.(same principle, mech rotation to guage)?