'86 WR400 rebuild

I think you're mixing up the pawl spring and the kicker lever spring. Not to side-bar the conversation, but I've used hardware store springs in my kicker lever, but can't ever find one stiff enough to really hold the lever in place. All the hardware stores around here seem to have the same set of springs, anyone else lose one, or have it die on them (one of my bikes it came out in pieces) and find a suitable replacement that holds the kicker fast?

A spring from another kickstarter might work. If you have one to measure, McMaster-Carr (best catalog for gearheads ever) will probably have one.

that husky main spring was originally designed to hurl rocks and flaming oil balls at invaders from a trebuchet I rekon....

Yeah, been lazy, one of these days will bring in the spring, digital caliper and see what I can find on M-C.My list of 'stuff I can get by dinension from McMaster Carr' will get long enough to spend 1/3 of an evening searching by spec.

Eurofreak, returning the thread to you, what's next?

what is the part number you are referring to?

16-11-084-01

The hardware spring is a little small- might work. I was on a trip to West Virginia for street and dirt riding for the last week. Will look tomorrow for another local source...I want to use the 400 this weekend for an enduro We're putting on. Rush, rush, rush!

Bike is running good! It will putt along at idle and has lots of torque. Still very wet here but it's gotta get dirty.
A bit loud but the torque and handling in the woods has me excited. I can crawl up slick hills. Left kick on this is a PITA-working on technique

left kick with the right leg off the bike is the only way to go. by the time you exhaust your self kicking it on the bike, its just as easy to slide off, lay bike sightly over, bars turned to right and get your right boot on it for a strong back kick. will work 1st kick when hot, 2 to 3 when cold. I watched a vid of a 510 rider fall off...struggle to pick the bike up...climb on and then give it 10 very ineffectual fluffy kicks with his left leg before he gives up and pushes the bike to the side of the track..wtf he was already off the bike fcs! I don't know.....

Without a rock or something to stand on I'm not kicking hard enough to light it some of the time-usually when cold. When warm it starts right up. This winter i will install a compression release unless I get pissed off and do it sooner. Wish it was as easy as an air cooled to install!

Well, I took all three bikes to the Kuggmugga Trail ride in southern NY. Three loops, grass track too. Took the 400 on a 12 mile loop and the grass track.
Ride report-
The grass track was fun, threw a lot of mud in the corners. Handles well, suspension worked well.
12 mile loop was an experience. Bars too low, vibrate like crazy!! Pipe makes me bow-legged, need to slim it up.
The rear shock was fantastic, cushy and well controlled. The front forks hammered me- lots of sharp edged rocks.

The motor. I was worried about stalling it because it is a bitch to start cold. I kept it in gears 1-3 just off idle and it never stalled. Tight to moderately open single track, lots of hills. It never let me down.

Mods to come. Flatten and raise the seat- too low for me. Higher bars, wider pegs, figure out how to minimize the vibes. A slimming diet is in order on the left side.
Unadilla in two weeks! Wonder if I can motocross the 400??

if you want to use it for motocross either stiffen the suspension or switch to CR XC forks and shock

check your swingarm bolt and engine mounts for tightness. also check the exhaust isn't hitting the frame somewhere... mine vibes a bit but it isn't a problem.

put more time on it and the pipe will disappear....

they don't stall that easy so go a gear higher and you will start to carry speed in the corners. you standing nxt to the bike to start it?? with your right foot?

just reread the thread on the kicking... when cold, I always give it two slow priming kicks before giving it a serious go with the choke. mine is jetted leanish and likes choke till it warms up a tad.

On starting, a dip to the left when cold will trip your carb float and flow new gas into the carb. You don't need to take it all-the-way down, just a quick dip, back up, and quick check that you don't have a hazardous amount of gas on your case before starting.

As you get older your leg only comes up half way and this is why they made milk crates , so people could start Husky's

at the start of the Harrow Vinduro, there are two milk crates at the start line for all the euro bike owners very handy...

You know that if you fit a deco to these suckers you can give them a couple of lazy priming kicks before you sink the boot in.

Thanks for all the replies gents! The deco will come but things will be busy for a while.
My hips don't work well so any kick is a chore. I have a crate to stand on. I have "dipped it". The quickest it's started was when I pulled the sparkplug and pushed it through a few times with the choke on. Two kicks cold and away I went. Warm she lights up quickly.

sounds like its rich on the pilot jet? maybe try 1 size down?? I hear you re the hips...im looking forward to my replacements...my father has had 3 done ..go figure