The procedure that seemed to work for the XR's we rode in baja was to push the kicker though the stroke a few times, then go one 'bump' after it felt hard, then give it a good, long push - rinse and repeat until it fired up. Don't touch the throttle at all. After falling over, we'd push it though the stroke with the throttle wide open several times, then do the same as above, but with the throttle wide open.
Got lots of horses around do yah? I'm 5'11 and I start the bike with it still on the side stand, if I do not have anything to put my left foot on (like my trailer)... I'm just too short even with a 32" inseam.
What he said! With the switch off (I have a Baja Designs add on) I kick mine with the decopression lever 4 or 5 times..set choke to full on, turn on switch. slowly kick start lever to where you feel hard resistance, use index finder to pull on decompress lever and you will feel it slight bump as the kick lever drop a little. Then kick it hard..if it does not start this first time, repeat proceedure and it should start 2nd kick. DO NOT TOUCH THE THROTTLE!...drop your choke to half way and let it warm up, abt 5 min..don't be in a hurry cause if you are, you will be in for many minutes of frustration.
i got it going but i did it a weird way. after getting it to tdc i would half choke it and kick threw as i gave it some throttle and it fired right up. my 250 had a easy procedure much like what drlewall said but the 400 did not respond to that. i belive a valve adjustment may be in my future. and yea i have to start it with it on the kick stand i cant get the full kick when im trying to tippy toe on my left foot. ha 32" inseam try it with a 28"
o yea while i got your guys attention. this bike has a Acerbis headlight/tail light and what looks like a aftermarket harness to make it street legal. one of the wire says "race prep" but i can not find any info on raceprep harness's or acerbis ever making a harness. i just need to find a diagram for this system so i can complete the system so i can register it. All i need is to find out what wires are what out of the handlebar controls. i suppose i can go thru it all with a meter and light but i was wondering if any one has any info one this system. it seems to be a very indepth harness with every thing you need for a street legal conversion but with out a wire diagram im kinda pissing into the wind. Thanks
the stator may not be up to par for the street..I suspect you have the stock stator in it and if so, it will not be enuff to power street leagl accessories like turn sigs, horn, brake lites etc..you may be able to get away with the stock stator, and thats a big MAY..good luck
o i know the stock stator wont work. judging by the brightness of the head and tail light compared to xr250 i would have to say this bike has had the stator upgrade. there is all so a large rectifire unnder the seat. here are some pics of the bike. sorry im very excited about this thing and it sucks i dont get to ride it will i go up north in two weeks!!!
thats WAY TOO CLEAN! you need to take it out and stretch its legs! A little dirt will give it more character!
Just got a cop to come by and do the inspection so now im street legal. i passed with a bicycle bell as a horn and non dot tires thanks to some 150 grit and a razor blade. I love Michigan I did find my horn signal wire and went out and got a 12v horn. problem is all my electrical is putting out 7v so you can hardley hear the horn. it doesnt matter any more now that i have my inspection but i would be nice to know how to pump that up to 12v so when i get my trail tech i can wire up to 12v if need be.
This maybe a stupid question, but I will ask any way. I am shopping for a good used XR400. How can you check the swingarm bolt? Is it something that can be check quickly while inspecting bike, or does it require some disassembly? Anything else to look for when looking at a used bike???? Thanks very much for the information. Pat. Oh, If you are on the Olympic Peninsula or in the Seattle area and have a good use XR400 for sale I'm buying.
I'm only 5'6" so starting the girl can be hard work but here is we go. Turn fuel on, turn choke on full, adjust the idle speed screw 1 turn, bring her up to TDC, pull in decompression lever so engine is just past TDC, Give it a good kick....don't touch the throttle & knock the choke back to 1st step for around a minute & then turn it off altogether. I have a piece of fuel line on the idle screw to make it easier, reduce the idle after 5 to 10 minutes. Only problem I have is my right leg, I broke it 2 years ago & have a pin, hurts like hell when it comes up on compression. I start it cold with my left leg, once warm it's ok with my right. Yes I did break it on the XR
To check the swingarm bolt, you have to unscrew the swingarm nut and hit the bolt out with a hammer. Not something a seller is likely to let you do. I've checked five different swingarm bolts, and none were very hard to get out. I wouldn't worry about it. Just have a big hammer and drift available when you go to work on it. General inspection is the same as any other bike. On a stand: check the wheel, steering head and rear suspension bearings for slop or notchyness. Spin the wheels to see if they're not wonky. Make sure control cables operate smoothly. Brakes: check the feel, and look at the rotors, calipers and pads. Check the suspension action. It should be smooth and damped. Fluid leaks: engine, oil lines, forks, shock, brakes. Air filter- take it out and check for gunk in the carb inlet. Electrics. Tires, brake pads, chain, sprockets: They're consumables. Just make sure they're good enough for the test ride and/or ride home. Don't forget tire pressure. Test ride. Does everything feel about right? Do you like the bike? Check for fluid leaks again after the test ride. Engine oil. Dirty is ok, sparkly isn't. The level should be right. Double check anything aftermarket for proper installation. Try to get take-off parts with the bike (especially the carb). Paperwork. Get a bill of sale and a clear title, registration and whatever else WA wants. Oh, and no, mine's not for sale.
most importantly above everything else! if it has a skid plate, remove it and look for a rusted through frame down there.
Luke and eakins, thanks for the info and tips. If all goes well I will be looking at two or three this upcoming week. Thanks again.
i started doing a turn on the throttle screw yesterday after relizing thats why it would stay running. what a big diifference on warm up it makes
I have another question about used 400's for you XR gurus. Should the front sprocket be tight on the shaft coming out of the transmission? I looked at a bike last week, the front sprocket wiggled on the shaft, there was also a rusty residue at the area where the sprocket interfaced with the shaft. To me, that did not seem correct. How should the sprocket fit upon the shaft? Thanks for your time. Pat.
That sounds typical. The sprocket is designed to float on the shaft. How much is a matter of feel. If you're expecting the sprocket to be rigidly attached to the shaft, it will feel like a lot. The sprocket should twist on the shaft, but not rotate very much- if that makes sense. Twisting corrects chain misalignment, rotation is the change from accelerating to engine braking. The shaft will rotate a lot, of course, even with the bike in gear. IMO, the splines should be lubricated, which will prevent the rust. They aren't lubricated at all from the factory.
