'81 XS400 a good bike?

[GrandPrix46]

Found one local for $400, guy says it has ignition problems and doesn't run. Is the ignition a common problem with the 400's? Body-wise it looks to be in good shape (haven't seen it in person, though).

Any other common issues with the bikes? Thanks for any info.

[Bamper]

sorry can't give you more but after 10 min or so on google seems to be the points give a lot of trouble on those 400's. But for 400 you can't beat the price. You can also find kits on ebay to switch to electronic ignition.

[Guy_b_g]

I had a '78 XS400...loved it and had no trouble with it...got it for $200 as a semi-basket-case..and rode it for 3 years with no mechanical problems after I got it fixed up. Wish I still had it as a smaller brother to my 1100...gas is getting spendy (bet ya noticed)...

[Jerry]

I put over 40K on an '82 XS400, was a very good bike.

Common problem on these bikes is the TCI box. Mine also had problems (purchase price = $75.00) but had other problems. Cost me about $500.00 to get it in shape, new tires, battery, air filter, brake pads, chain...you get the idea.

Anyway, back to the TCI. The edge pin connector on the box has a history of poor solder joints. I took some time, un-soldered the joints using a wick wire to remove the old solder after it had been melted by the soldering gun, and re-soldered them. Bike ran fine after that until I sold it in 2001. Have heard of other 'failures' traced to the same problem. (BTW, this is less common on the XS - XJ TCI boxes but still pops up once in a while.)

Had only 1 other minor problem with mine, oil pressure sensor accumulated a layer of dust/grime that caused it to give a faulty reading. A good cleaning cured that.

The '82 was a mono-shock unit, think the earlier ones were traditional twin shock design. Same size rear tire as the later XS 11s, 130-90-16. I thought the bike handled very well for its size, much better than the 350 - 500 - 550 Hondas I had been riding up till that time.

$400.00 for a non-runner seems a bit high; I would offer him $200 - $250 range. However, I've been looking at the used bike shops around here, literally no used road bikes available, some dual-purpose and dirt bikes, and new road bikes. Cost of gas, I guess, So take the offer numbers with a grain of salt. Much depends on the over-all condition so a good look is in order.

[GrandPrix46]

Thanks for the replies guys. If I can get it for $300, i'll probably take it. It's hard buying a bike that doesn't run, because you can't drive it and have no idea what else may be wrong with it. I'll have to look up that electronic ignition, don't wanna spend too much since I still have the 11 to fix up.

gas is getting spendy (bet ya noticed)

Yep, cost me $6 to fill my virago with premium, when it used to cost $5 4 months ago!

[Jerry]

Rummaged around...here is a photo of my '82 XS 400:

[soccer4m]

xs400

Hi Grandprix...my son has the 78 model and my sister has the 80 xs 400. Both are pretty bulletproof with normal maintenance. The non running issue could be simple, since that model does not have points. Maybe as simple as the plug wire broken, they break very easy.......Check to see if it has spark with grounding a plug to the engine. The carbs are simple to pull off and clean. Valves are easy to adjust,,,all in all a great run around bike. The older ones had larger frames, but the 80 up run smoother. So, check the spark on both plugs, if you buy it get a service manual asap,,,, and good luck,,,,Mike in S. Diego

[DJinNH]

I had a maroon one much like the one in this picture back around 1980 when it was new. The bike ran great but I found that I wanted bigger in no time so I jumped to the '81 850 Special.



Don

[madmax-im]

I had a '78 XS400...I did the points myself...bought the bike for $200 and it had 31000 miles and ran really as good as you could expect it to....I got 70 mpg but anything over 50 mph and the parallel twin's vibrations make the rear view mirrors totally useless...go abt 60 miles and you'll be wanting to get off...not a good distance bike but alot of fun around town and commuting... Oh yeah it was Red and had a sissy bar on the back too

[lostsoul74]

I bought an 81 xs400 off craigslist for 120 bucks last year. Wouldnt stay charged and needed a stator, so I got another used one off ebay for 10 bucks, worked grate and only took 15 minutes to fix. I bought it for my roomate so I'd have a riding partner. But it was a bit outdated in style for our taste so it just sat there for months. Then looking at it one day, just decided to attempt my hand in modding. 110 dollars in ebay parts, 5 hours in time, and heres hte final result. I even through a suicide/jockey shift on it to get that whole 60's nastalgic look. just a 7 dollar threaded rod and clamp with a white door handle, ebay whitewall tire paint, and good to go. I chopped 5 links off the springs to drop her (rides like a hardtail, but softer then fender struts). cause she was so light weight and easy to handle, i just popped/slap stick the shifter when in proper rpm range (just go by sound). She litterally rode like a huffy being so lightweight and agile. Total investment 120 plus 120 = 240 bucks.