Yamaha XS400 project bike

Side cover

I really like the checkerplate side cover. Good luck with your rebuild. I am ASME IX tig welding certifyed [refinery carbon steel pipe welding] and wouldnt want to be rideing your chopper.
 
Last edited:
Since the whole point of this build is to build a custom bike for under $500 I went diving into my scrap, spare parts I refuse to toss and garbage...
02-20-115.jpg

02-20-117.jpg

02-20-116.jpg

and found this. I kid's bicycle that my oldest daughters stripped to build their little sister her first 2 wheel bike. I wanted the shock.
02-20-118.jpg

After a couple days of figuring it out I had to finish the battery box before I got the seat all built. Have to finalize the cover for the seat and keep going on what ever hits me next...
02-27-117.jpg

02-27-113.jpg

02-27-119.jpg

02-27-118.jpg
 
Did'nt get a chance to finish the seat up due to half my day spent helping my old man out on his water well rig. Crazy bastard had knee surgery last week and he has been out roughnecking since Sunday. I DID get the tripple tree figured out. The KZ305 stem fit perfect in the lower tree of the FT500 I'm using. Lower is welded to the stem and now I have to get the upper reammed out a bit to fit.
 
Seat's done. Just set together placesd aside till I start shooting paint. Think I have a free full day tomorrow to see what else I get built. The it's gonna be a while till I can work on it again. Gotta head to FT Bragg later this week for a few days.
03-06-11.jpg

03-06-112.jpg
 
I was able to cut out several braces for the frame today. Was able to tack on about half of them. My crap 110v welders are no longer gonna cut it. To add insult to injury, back to work tomorrow 12hr midnite shifts till thursday am. Them gotta load up the cage and off to FT Bragg. Back just in time to go back to work. This thing is gonna sit unfinished for over a week. Stuff like this drives me nuts.
 
Waiting on a few parts and such I started to figure out what I could as it comes to routing the wireing. Frame is at a stand still till I get my trippple tree back from being bored out.
03-22-114.jpg

Since I had little to do I cracked open my free can of paint and shot a few parts i could.
03-22-118.jpg

03-22-113.jpg

03-22-117.jpg

03-22-112.jpg

With that much done I killed some more time messing around with a DOT Fulmer Trooper lid I had around.
03-22-115.jpg

03-22-1110.jpg
 
I hope to take a half hour wendsday and shoot a second coat on the parts hope the tripple tree gets done to fit the new stem. This weekend I'm hoping to get alot done and maybe some art on the top of the tank.
 
Torn down, pulled motor...
03-27-1110.jpg


Triple tree's back and bored out for the new stem...

03-27-112.jpg


Frame ready to be taken to Dad's shop for a date with bigger welders.

03-27-11.jpg


$210.51 in the build now with the steering bearings paid for and ordered.

Front 19" tire and a set of turn indicators yet to buy.
 
Maybe down the road.As well as better turn indicatiors & a few more upgrades if I feel the need. Right now I'm at two weeks to get it done and running for a $500 and under build show. It's a bit cramped, it's still just a lil 400, but its not as bad as I thought with the mid controls with the seat hight where it is. It's a hard tail, I'm not expecting comfort and handling much more than a loaded cement truck.
 
Today wired most all of it up, with a barrowed battery fron one of the other bikes. The one i used for mock up ended up being dead, will grab a new one this weekend. Down side is rear tire fender had to come off to get the dead one out. That being done, I cleaned the carbs and installed them. Some gas line and a beer can of fuel I went to fire it up. 15 minutes later it RAN! Ran well too. Sounds cool for a 'lil 400. All the parts I messed with day should be all painted by the weekend and if I can pick up a few things, maybe a running bike by this time next week.
 
I'm not a cruiser guy or for that matter a chopper guy but I love it when I see some one with enough skill to turn a pile of crap into a sweet bike and thats exactly what you have done here. Kudos to you Sir and for less than 5 bill incredible.:worship:
 
I NOT a Chopper guy by any stretch, but I had to give it a shot. I wanna get it done and parked in the corner, get some riding in on the FZ and start on my 81 CB750 project bike. It was my FIRST street bike ans I wanna do someting special with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top