The XR400 Thread - Page 352

Stretch67 · 12-10-2012, 01:17 PM

Yeah, too bad there's no easy way to renew the pivot hole. I once worked on a friend's '82 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim, and its brake pedal pivot had a grease fitting. Handy. Doing so may have cost Yamaha a dollar. Too bad the bean-counters win when it comes to these things nowadays.

I took the rear suspension link and shock loose today (with the exception of that pesky swingarm), greasing everything with Mystik JT-6 Hi-Temp waterproof grease. All the pivot bearings were in remarkably good shape considering this bike's heavy use. Honda must have actually greased those parts on assembly.

My '87 XL250R has factory-installed grease fittings on those pivots, but it appears the bean-counters won when the final design for the XR4 hit the CEO's desk.

I was wanting to install a grease fitting for every pivot, but then realized I'd never be able to drill through the bearing races. The link, shock, dogbone, and associated parts in which the zerk fittings themselves are installed are cast aluminum... no problem. But for the grease to be able to get into the bearings themselves, a hole would have to drilled into the races, which are hardened steel, which would merely laugh at my drill bits. So I simply slathered grease on everything and reassembled. (Sigh)

I do like the XR4's removable subframe. That makes it a lot easier to access things back there. My other trail bikes, XL250 and DR250, don't have removable subframes, and it gets to be quite a puzzle to get things in and out of there.

XR4EVER · 12-12-2012, 06:10 PM

Don't know if anyone is watching, but I figured I'd share some more XR footage from over the summer. Shaky footage, but you get the idea....

Olas · 12-12-2012, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR4EVER

Don't know if anyone is watching, but I figured I'd share some more XR footage from over the summer. Shaky footage, but you get the idea....

That trail looks perfect for the XR. Hope I get to ride it sometime. How big is the trail network around that area?

XR4EVER · 12-12-2012, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olas

That trail looks perfect for the XR. Hope I get to ride it sometime. How big is the trail network around that area?

PM sent.

JimmieA · 12-13-2012, 01:28 PM

I know this topic has been around awhile. I have most of the stuff needed to do this. I am missing the one way bearing and the crank shaft extension. I have to drill a new bolt hole in the tranny for the starter, there is a tab there for this. The one way bearing can be purchased new from Honda. I may need a different shifter or bend it out a ton. I need to build something to mount the battery. Does anyone sell the extension for the crank seperate?

I wonder if people who have done this could contact me using e mail
stillrn at gmail dot com to tell me the ups and downs of this, their experience. The biggest issue I have is the bike is a bitch to start, maybe I should just purchase the Edelbrock carb and be happy!

Thanks people. Love my XR400R but it doesn't get much use.

Ed@Ford · 12-13-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmieA

I know this topic has been around awhile. I have most of the stuff needed to do this. I am missing the one way bearing and the crank shaft extension. I have to drill a new bolt hole in the tranny for the starter, there is a tab there for this. The one way bearing can be purchased new from Honda. I may need a different shifter or bend it out a ton. I need to build something to mount the battery. Does anyone sell the extension for the crank seperate?

I wonder if people who have done this could contact me using e mail
stillrn at gmail dot com to tell me the ups and downs of this, their experience. The biggest issue I have is the bike is a bitch to start, maybe I should just purchase the Edelbrock carb and be happy!

Thanks people. Love my XR400R but it doesn't get much use.

It's been a LOONG time since I looked into e-start for the XR....but I recall the crankshaft extension was to eliminate the need for a crankshaft change from the XR400 bike to the ATV crank...then along came the crankshaft extension, which was a double taper cone doodad to somehow allow the XR bike crank to be used....and in fact, this bit was the only totally NON honda part...except of course for the battery box and cables etc...

Am I all wet here...or just an old fart with a bad memory...............????

tbarstow · 12-13-2012, 02:25 PM

You are correct, and the company in the UK that makes them has one left in stock. It was priced at about 50% of what I bought my XR for.

DrLewall · 12-13-2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch67

C'mon in, m' brother!

Stretch is pretty "industrious"..maybe we can get him to make us some crank extensions!

JimmieA · 12-14-2012, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbarstow

You are correct, and the company in the UK that makes them has one left in stock. It was priced at about 50% of what I bought my XR for.

Do you have the link? What is the price?
Does anyone know what material this piece is made of? Does it have to be hardend steel like a crank or can it be softer material? Anyone know a CNC machinest that would make one of these for me? I looked at the transmission casting, I would have to drill a hole in the tab for the second starter bolt, any one know about this, like how deep is too deep?

Ed@Ford · 12-14-2012, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmieA

Do you have the link? What is the price?
Does anyone know what material this piece is made of? Does it have to be hardend steel like a crank or can it be softer material? Anyone know a CNC machinest that would make one of these for me? I looked at the transmission casting, I would have to drill a hole in the tab for the second starter bolt, any one know about this, like how deep is too deep?

I'm willing to bet this little devil will be $$$$.....a precision conical taper on one end....the other end a precision INTERNAL conical taper....precision in that it needs to extend the crank that has a flywheel/alternator magnets that spin 10,000 RPM...with NO runout whatsoever

Wilson9068 · 12-15-2012, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmieA

Do you have the link? What is the price?
Does anyone know what material this piece is made of? Does it have to be hardend steel like a crank or can it be softer material? Anyone know a CNC machinest that would make one of these for me? I looked at the transmission casting, I would have to drill a hole in the tab for the second starter bolt, any one know about this, like how deep is too deep?

I think the supplier you are after was a company called XR Stuff. Last time I looked they had gone out of business. I bit the bullet and bought a starter kit from them about two years ago. I still have the instruction manual somewhere I think. The phone number was 0161 4278887. www.xrstuff.co.uk. The crank adapter really is a piece of work.

tbarstow · 12-15-2012, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmieA

Do you have the link? What is the price?
Does anyone know what material this piece is made of? Does it have to be hardend steel like a crank or can it be softer material? Anyone know a CNC machinest that would make one of these for me? I looked at the transmission casting, I would have to drill a hole in the tab for the second starter bolt, any one know about this, like how deep is too deep?

If you really want an electric start XR400, go find a TRX400EX motor, like the blown up one in my garage, and rebuild it.

Luke · 12-15-2012, 04:29 PM

It's probably easier to replace the crank than make an adapter. There are a couple of used cranks on ebay now for under $100, and new weisco kits for under $300.

Ed@Ford · 12-15-2012, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke

It's probably easier to replace the crank than make an adapter. There are a couple of used cranks on ebay now for under $100, and new weisco kits for under $300.

All XR & TRX cranks are pressed together...right?...assuming one has a 100% good XR engine, wouldn't it make sense to press off the alternator end of the XR crank, and press on the "long starter end" of the used TRX crank?

But also, aren't there some extra little mods to the XR frame to get the wider "starter motor equipped" engine into it?

I've had an XR since 1997...wanted an e-start on it since 1998....and, as some would say, putting e-start on an XR is like putting a silk dress on a pig....but I still like the idea.

Ed@Ford · 12-15-2012, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR4EVER

Don't know if anyone is watching, but I figured I'd share some more XR footage from over the summer. Shaky footage, but you get the idea....

ooooh...my aching ass made it thru something like that in 1997 in CO on an XR250....only to end up hitting a pimple in the road, by comparison, and getting a nasty tib-fib fracture near Steamboat springs

12-10-2012, 01:17 PM	#5266
Stretch67 Mad Scientist Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Bent, but not broken Oddometer: 3,158	Yeah, too bad there's no easy way to renew the pivot hole. I once worked on a friend's '82 Yamaha XJ650 Maxim, and its brake pedal pivot had a grease fitting. Handy. Doing so may have cost Yamaha a dollar. Too bad the bean-counters win when it comes to these things nowadays. I took the rear suspension link and shock loose today (with the exception of that pesky swingarm), greasing everything with Mystik JT-6 Hi-Temp waterproof grease. All the pivot bearings were in remarkably good shape considering this bike's heavy use. Honda must have actually greased those parts on assembly. My '87 XL250R has factory-installed grease fittings on those pivots, but it appears the bean-counters won when the final design for the XR4 hit the CEO's desk. I was wanting to install a grease fitting for every pivot, but then realized I'd never be able to drill through the bearing races. The link, shock, dogbone, and associated parts in which the zerk fittings themselves are installed are cast aluminum... no problem. But for the grease to be able to get into the bearings themselves, a hole would have to drilled into the races, which are hardened steel, which would merely laugh at my drill bits. So I simply slathered grease on everything and reassembled. (Sigh) I do like the XR4's removable subframe. That makes it a lot easier to access things back there. My other trail bikes, XL250 and DR250, don't have removable subframes, and it gets to be quite a puzzle to get things in and out of there. __________________ IBA # 33113 Alaska 2007 Blue Ridge Parkway & Outer Banks 2009 XR400 Thread Index Stretch67 screwed with this post 12-11-2012 at 03:57 PM

12-12-2012, 06:10 PM	#5267
XR4EVER 919 excuses to ride! Joined: Aug 2012 Location: Post Falls, ID Oddometer: 402	Don't know if anyone is watching, but I figured I'd share some more XR footage from over the summer. Shaky footage, but you get the idea.... __________________ He is his own best friend and takes delight in privacy, whereas the man of no virtue or ability is his own worst enemy and is afraid of solitude. -Aristotle '01 Honda XR400, '04 Honda 919

12-13-2012, 01:28 PM	#5270
JimmieA Beastly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Eastern Canada Oddometer: 1,019	electric start? I know this topic has been around awhile. I have most of the stuff needed to do this. I am missing the one way bearing and the crank shaft extension. I have to drill a new bolt hole in the tranny for the starter, there is a tab there for this. The one way bearing can be purchased new from Honda. I may need a different shifter or bend it out a ton. I need to build something to mount the battery. Does anyone sell the extension for the crank seperate? I wonder if people who have done this could contact me using e mail stillrn at gmail dot com to tell me the ups and downs of this, their experience. The biggest issue I have is the bike is a bitch to start, maybe I should just purchase the Edelbrock carb and be happy! Thanks people. Love my XR400R but it doesn't get much use. __________________ JimmieA. Atlantic Canada. 2008 Honda XL1000V Varadero 2004 Honda XR400R

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: .
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

12-13-2012, 02:25 PM	#5272
tbarstow Two-wheelin' Fool Joined: Jul 2007 Location: Viva Lost Wages! Oddometer: 2,566	You are correct, and the company in the UK that makes them has one left in stock. It was priced at about 50% of what I bought my XR for.

12-15-2012, 04:29 PM	#5278
Luke GPoET&P Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Idiotville, OR Oddometer: 3,748	It's probably easier to replace the crank than make an adapter. There are a couple of used cranks on ebay now for under $100, and new weisco kits for under $300.