XR400 in pieces
JayC
enough. It's been doing selfless duty as the kickstand for my GasGas
125, so to get it torn apart, I had make another stand. I sacrificed
an old bed frame I had laying around, and welded up a standard-
configuration bike stand (w/ plywood top). The GG went on my old
wooden stand, and the XR was moved into the work-zone on the spiffy
new metal one.
I've been playing around with my 125s for so long, I completely forgot
what it was like to hoist an XR400 up onto a stand. Ohmyfukingawd. I
think my kidneys are still on the garage floor, and I'm back to having
an 'outie'.
I took off the tank, plastic, exhaust and subframe, then extracated
the shock and linkage - the shock spontaneously blew up a few months
ago, so it needs to be fixed. I'll have to send it off somewhere,
unless I use it as an excuse to learn how to do a shock. Last thing I
wanted to worry about with the XR. When I took off the exhaust
header, 3 of the 4 studs had stuck nuts, and the studs backed out of
the motor. Pffft - PB Blaster be damned. As luck would have it, I
actually know of a hardware store that carries metric studs!
I broke out laughing looking at the machine after stripping the bike
down. Man, that poor thing lived a hard life. I suppose it isn't too
unusual, being that I learned to ride on it then just kept going -
almost 10 years of simply horrible abuse. Remember when you were
first learning to ride and all of the biffs your early bikes had to
withstand, not to mention what your second and third bikes had to go
through after you started riding faster? Well, my XR got all of it,
and then some. The bike is a symphony of welds, spray paint, and
cosmetic rust. It sort of has that "crushed beer can" look about it
(kind of the same look I'm going for with my pickup truck). The
drivetrain, however, is still a creampuff - at least it was last time
I took it apart, and it STILL has the best fork action I've ever
ridden (even though the slider bushings are long since worn out).
I don't exactly know what I'm going to do with the beast. I DO know
that I'll never ride it again, but I don't know if it's really worth
selling either. A new frame/subframe would make it a gem, but I'm not
springing for that, and I don't think I have the heart to part it
out. I was just going to leave it around as an emergency loaner, but
since the shock blew up, I have to put $$ into it anyway even for that
- figured I might as well go through it and get it fixed up. Maybe
I'll just pull out the welder and spray paint again.
OTOH, the motor would be fabulous in a golf cart.
JayC
dsc-ky
Maybe you should give it to me... so it can live on as the proud beast
it once was and should be again... :)
Tiago Rocha
it die the most horrible death...
My 94 RM125 is in ICU for about two years now. When money permits, I
will resurrect it. It only needs a shock, a piston, a cylinder, a
clutch basket, a wheel spacer (that I lost, don't ask me how, I lost a
part off a non running bike that never left my bike shed) and assorted
cables. Maybe the front tire cracks aren't that bad and it will hold
air again... <g> Too bad my car, my other bike and my house often gets
in front of the dearly RM when money have to be spent... Last week I
just replaced the entire front suspension of the pos car...
Jay, ride your bike! What about a grocery runner? Add some bags to it
and use to buy bread 'n milk...
-- Tiago
JayC
> and use to buy bread 'n milk...
Grocery runner? Sheeyit, I haven't been to a grocery store in 10
years. Perhaps I should get my wife to start riding it?
I was thinking about putting my XR4 on the road this summer to off-
load some of my 13MPG pickup commuting tasks. I should still be able
to sleaze a license plate, though I'd have to do some light
accessorizing first. After doing the math, however, taking into
account fixup and reg. fees, insurance, etc., it just wasn't cost-
effective. Having the shock explode was the nail in the coffin for
that plan.
As far as "just riding" it goes, not to be a wimp, but after spending
time on my 125s and 250X, frankly, I'm just never riding a 300 pound
bike again. Not that it's bad to ride, but I almost always tweak my
back somehow-somewhere catching the weight. Since switching to bikes
that weigh roughly the same as me or less, my back feels great! Hell,
even the future of my CRF (@ 40# less than the XR4) is getting
questionable... although it DOES have that magic button that I love so
much.
JayC
Whelan - '02 200exc (x2) & '04 MTD 38
> ridden (even though the slider bushings are long since worn out).
really? the best?
>
> I don't exactly know what I'm going to do with the beast. I DO know
> that I'll never ride it again, but I don't know if it's really worth
> selling either.
It's probably worth $2K in Idaho
-Joe
JayC
> > ridden (even though the slider bushings are long since worn out).
>
> really? the best?
Without question - best rock-eating suspension ever. Gold Valves.
> It's probably worth $2K in Idaho
It might be worth close to that here too - XR4s are becoming quite the
cult icon these days. I tore off the rear wheel, caliper, swingarm,
sprockets, and carb this morning before hopping into the shower - but
not before chasing my wife around the house with my greeeeezy hands.
The frame was developing a problem with the footpeg rotating up after
impacts such that the kickstart lever wouldn't clear it. I had to
bash it down on the trail a couple of times. I thought my welds were
failing, but it turns out that the problematic peg is on the virgin
side. I was thinking of welding in triangular gussets that would fill
in the open triangles in the frame under the motor (directly below the
swingarm bolt). That would reinforce the footpeg region and make the
frame solid as the rock of Gibraltar again. Then I'd paint it ferrari
red ;).
JayC
Tiago Rocha
> I was thinking of welding in triangular gussets that would fill
> in the open triangles in the frame under the motor (directly below the
> swingarm bolt). That would reinforce the footpeg region and make the
> frame solid as the rock of Gibraltar again. Then I'd paint it ferrari
> red ;).
why my XR400 is soooooo heavy?????..... :-)
-- Tiago
HellSickle
"JayC" <j...@sysmatrix.net> wrote in message
news:c6373aea-2707-4e54...@k13g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> As far as "just riding" it goes, not to be a wimp, but after spending
> time on my 125s and 250X, frankly, I'm just never riding a 300 pound
> bike again. Not that it's bad to ride, but I almost always tweak my
> back somehow-somewhere catching the weight.
There's a very easy answer to this one.
Don't drop the bike or get it into places where you might have to catch it.
In three days, I'm taking my 650L on a 250 mile ride thru the toughest
trails in northern Colorado. I slow way down when then penalty for failure
is big. If the bike is going down, I'll let it go. I've lined up a team of
seasoned professionals with strong backs to help me pick it up if it goes
down.
-Jeff-
XR650L_Dave
wrote:
Go with the 13-48 gearing.
You can still cruise at 60 with just a little buzz if you have a 130
or 140 rear tire.
I run 13-48 when I run a terrorflex, 14-48 when using a lesser tire.
If you're running some little 120-series tire, 14-48 is pretty good.
Dave
HellSickle
"XR650L_Dave" <spamT...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ff8d16b9-a5b7-4702...@z66g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> Go with the 13-48 gearing.
Close. I've got a 14-50 on now.
> You can still cruise at 60 with just a little buzz if you have a 130
> or 140 rear tire.
Quite a bit of buzz at 65-70, but tolerable for short springs. Any taller
gearing & the jump between 1st & 2nd gets unbearable on the trail.
> If you're running some little 120-series tire, 14-48 is pretty good.
I run 110/100 or 120/100 rears.
-Jeff-
JayC
So, leave it in the garage. Got it.
JayC
XR650L_Dave
I don't worry about dropping mine, but I sure as hell won't try to
catch it!
Dave
JayC
> catch it!
Believe me, I'm a big fan of getting out of the way. It's more of
when I get hung up on a climb or get in a weird position on some roots
or something and have to dab. I can't touch the ground normally, so
when I get a foot down, there's weight on it by definition.
Invaribly, I turn just the wrong way and * ping *...screwed for a
month. I still end up in the occasional weird position with the
lighter bikes, they just don't throw out my back. Oddly enough, I
haven't had any trouble with my CRF250X, even though it's kind of a
pig too - although it's seat is lower than my XR4, so maybe it's more
about the 'can't touch the ground' thing.
I just priced out a new XR400 frame and subframe. Yup, it's welder
time again...
JayC
XR650L_Dave
Sometimes I stay on the pegs so I can use them to 'jump off'.
Every weld makes the frame stronger, and what are welds but scars for
the bike...
Dave