Yamaha YZ400F

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Kickstand and muffler, you say? I'm having a hard time visualizing... :wink:

Originally Posted by FastDoc

I 'won' a rear wheel assembly including axle, adjusters, brake, nice spare knobbie, and sprocket for $99 deliverd on eBay. I think that was a really good deal. I'll mount the sand paddle on it for quick change overs. This will be fun!

A rear wheel assembly with sand paddle? That sounds great, but I'm having a hard time visualizing that setup...

Spud

[FastDoc]

Regular rim with a sand paddle tire mounted.

Spud I gotta tell you I think you should try your KDX out on some sand...

Once you get the hang of it it's so much fun, and in my area the ability to ride on sand opens up many more riding areas and trail that I used to avoid.

[SpudRider]

Some sand riding sounds like fun, Doc. I hope the crashes are cushioned by the sand. :P

Spud

[FastDoc]

Indeed they are.

Just ask Brother Roger! :roll:

I've had about 100 near-spills but was able to save it every time so far.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

A rear wheel assembly with sand paddle? That sounds great, but I'm having a hard time visualizing that setup...

Spud

X2.

I think that Spud is delicately hinting that it would be much easier with pics!

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

X2.

I think that Spud is delicately hinting that it would be much easier with pics!

Thank you, Weld. Yes, I was trying to elicit some long awaited photographs, but our hints are continually unheeded! :roll:

Spud :P

[FastDoc]

My bike has been in Andy's shop for 3 weeks and I am not happy.

All I needed was some seals replaced and the valves adjusted and he's had the bike forever. He keeps promising it back and I never get it. He's always waiting on a part. :x

He'll start one portion of the work. Order parts. Finish that and start another task. Then he'll order parts again. Each time there is a wait. And this goes on. :roll:

For some reason he can't look at a whole project and predict and preorder everything he'll need to get the job done.

To make it worse I told him what I needed done A WEEK before I brought the bike in! I even brought most of the parts myself!

In short I'm disappointed, a lot. I thought that since he's my friend he's do the job quickly.

I think he looks at it since he's my friend I will WAIT while he does other work for customers who are breathing down his back to get their bikes back.

On the other hand he does not charge me much, and often does little things for free and/or gives me free advise . On the third hand I do the same for him and his faimily from a medical point of view. It's the way friends are supposed to treat each other. :P

I'd thought that he'd be faster in the middle of 'winter' but he cuts his hours back so his workload is about the same. Also everyone seems to be riding all winter here so whatever.

the bottom line is I don't have my 400 and I hardly remember what color it is.

Last Sunday on the dunes I used Roger's KLX300 and we took turns on Hannibal, the mighty KX450.

[FastDoc]

Also I can't take pics of a friend after he biffs. That's mean. But funny though. Maybe I will... :P

[Weldangrind]

So, if I bring you back to Earth, would you be offended?

You live in a beautiful place, with more running bikes in the stable than any man has a right to, and you're constantly around good friends and lovely women. You shoot the coolest firearms, and you finish the day at Bob's.

Is that 400 issue still bothering you? Love you, man.

[SpudRider]

:wink:

Spud

[FastDoc]

Thanks for the ride back to Earth. I needed it. :wink:

I am blessed beyond belief, more than I ever deserved. :P

An update on the bike:

I went to pick it up today. When I test rode it I discovered some bolts were missing and it leaked cooland from a faulty connection . Andy was very apologetic for this. I left the bike with Andy. He'll fix it up in time for Sunday when we are all riding together. I'll simply leave it at his shop and we'll all go from there .

I'm a bit further into this bike than I thought I's be. The King Of Craigslist may have bought a bike he should have passed on. I should have caught the coolant leak and the fork seal leak and the bad headset bearing when I bought it. I thought for $1,400 how could I go wrong?

Well with parts and labor, even with Andy cutting me some slack it was $850 to fix. Add in the chain and sprockets I'm into this bike $2,350.

Just in case that's not enough of a misjudgement on my part Andy tells me the valve seals are leaking .

If the bike sits for some time, about 3 weeks in this case, it smokes on startup for a minute or two but then clears. To replace the valve seals is a lot of money so I'm thinking of just ignoring it or trying to.

Is there any harm in this strategy?

Are there any products to pit in the oil that work to stop valve seal leaks?

[Weldangrind]

Don't pour magic sauce into such a nice bike. If you continue to ride it with worn seals, the back side of the valves will cake with carbon / oil goo, but it will be less pronounced due to the heat that your bike produces, due to compression and horsepower. Next winter, take the time to remove the head and change the seals; it's not that hard, and it won't cost you much.

$2,350.00 is still an awesome deal for that bike. Just try to come within $1000 of that price in BC.

I'm pleased that you took my comments in stride (I knew you would). Just as steel sharpens steel...

[FastDoc]

Very true on all counts Brother Weld.

I appreciate when God uses the people He put in my life to correct me. I like it even more when His correction does not kick my ass, as it sometimes does. :wink:

I won't worry about the oil seals for now. It only seems to do it if it sits a long time, and hopefully I'll ride it so often it does not sit :wink: .

[dmmcd]

That is still an awesome price for that bike. I paid $2800 for my '06 CRF250 in 2008, and promptly had the valves replaced.

New valve seals isn't really that bad. I bought parts on eBay and sent them along with the head to Dave at MX Time (www.mxtime.com) which was recommended by ThumperTalk. He is a 4-stroke guru, and super nice guy to deal with. I think he cut the valve seats and put in new valves, seals, springs and retainers and all that for less than $150 labor. The valve kit itself was somewhere around $100 if I remember correctly, and it was a full Kibblewhite stainless steel valve kit that included everything.

Once I got the head back, I did all the reassembly myself, along with a high compression (13:1) Wiseco piston. I had the cylinder honed at my local shop, and the guy came back, handed it to me and said have a nice day. I asked how much, and he said it only took two minutes and wasn't worth writing up...

The thing REALLY rips for a 250. I think in a drag race it would easily beat my SV650 to 60 mph. I could keep up with my brother's CRF450. It's a shame I never get to ride it... My younger brothers ride it occasionally.

[FastDoc]

Thanks for the encouragement.

If/when I need to do the top end I think I'll go about it as you did. I'll do the assembly/disassembly work and farm out the detail work and the machining.

My bike has a ceramic cylinder bore. I don't know if it can be honed or if it has to be bored and sleeved and then prepared. I also don't know if I need to touch the piston and jug, although I figure if it's apart just go for it.

I think with a car it'sossible to replace the valve seals with the head still on. Use air pressure or a rope to keep the valves from falling into the engine and pull the old seals and replace them somehow. I guess the same does not apply to a bike, and mine has 5 valves too.