Good Mods?

its great to be part of this i have an 82' xj400 or xs400 maxim with no mods are there any good cheap mods that can be done to help it look and run better?

also, what are some of the most popular mods done on the 400's

 

The best mod to do first is a restoration mod...that is, get it running right first. Once it runs good, you can customize it....probably not to run better...they run pretty good to begin with, but look better...but that's a personal decision.

Mirrors, paint, handlebars, seat...those are some common and relatively inexpensive mods that people do.

Most people go for either a bobber or cafe racer look...I didn't.

 

i don't want to do a bobber or cafe myself it runs has about 8k miles on it don't know much about it before i got it other then fluids any service that i should check into ?

 

I've been told this a million times check all the valve clearances, swap any out of spec valve shims and proceed onto the carbs. Clean 'em up real nice and begin a bench sync also make sure your floats are all synced up too with the "clear tube" method. I'm sure someone will let you know what I might have skipped on, buts that's the basic procedure to get it running like new. After that the sky's the limit my man.

 

The best mods to do on any old Jap bike are to improve the suspension, braking and ergonomics. The OEM suspension and ergonomics were designed for small riders and are now both fairly old. Upgrading your fork springs to Progressive Suspension units (will probably need to check their tech specs for the proper diameter springs as the bike may not be listed in their quicky make/model selector) and replacing the rear shocks/springs with new/heavy duty units will greatly improve the ride and handling. Upgrading the braking by replacing the pads/shoes with new units (with improved compounds) and replacing your OEM rubber brake hose with stainless will improve braking. If your handlebars are the old "buckhorn" type, replacing them with new "superbike" bend bars will be much more comfortable. You can also get bar risers to reposition the bars if they don't fit in your comfort zone. Bolt-on windscreen (get a 4-point mount) is easy to do and makes wind buffeting much better on longer rides.
Generally, bolt-on mods are fairly inexpensive and easy to do on all bikes. Just depends on what end result you are looking for.

 

Solid advice.

Get it running 110% THEN think about "performance" mods; IF you still feel the need.

Meanwhile, bring the rest of the bike into the 21st Century with rebuilt and upgraded brakes; upgraded suspension; and other creature comforts like more comfy bars and new foam in that 30-year old seat.

As far as what bike you have:

In 1982, Yamaha was selling THREE different "XS"400s here in the States.

The XS400 Maxim and XS400 Seca have DOHC motors with shim-over-bucket valves, just like a "half an XJ" motor, which is why this forum is for you. Those bikes also had YICS, CV carbs, and a monoshock rear suspension. Your Maxim is one of these. (These bikes should have been called "XJ's" except there was a 4-cylinder XJ400 sold elsewhere in the world.)

Yamaha also offered the XS400 "Special" in '82; it was the last vestige of the old SOHC, twin-shock XS400 that had been around since the mid '70s. UNfortunately, this bike is the only one the aftermarket seems to know existed. So you need to be careful shopping for "XS400" stuff, aftermarket-wise.