Honda XR400

Ohh... mikuni flat slide carb not a great idea. That motor responds to a pumper carb very well. Jetting/ Needle very important. But the flat side carb.. not so much. I had one on an XR400 and it wasn't great. 

I lengthened a mates XR400 Swingarm years ago.

Added 40mm ( if I recall correctly) to it, by making new axle holders / drop outs. Removed the originals, relocated the disc guard mounts, Caliper Carrier interface,( though, I think I made it to take a CR caliper carrier?)  and the Chain Guide mounts. I did Not retain the open end, quick release system and Snail Cam Chain Adjusters.  

After we sorted the spring and shock re-valving, he was rapt with it's improvement to the 400.

It was, a fiddly bastard of a job - that mainly being the removal of the original axle holders / drop outs. 

As for Staintune Exhausts - I'm the bloke that got them into Dirt Bike Exhausts. They, Sandy and Bert, only knew them as 'Chook Chasers', until I worked there, and made my own pipes for my CR/XR and RM/XR Hybrids, and convinced them there was money To be made from Dirt Bikes. They went too far with their Tractor Trailer set up ( and listened far too much to a 'Quality Expert' - really, a crook that had prayed on the OZ MC industry ) - I reckon that was a significant, unneeded Big Expense part of them going belly up. Bert left the partnership, but remained there for a time,  when I was still  there, and, I think, ultimately Sandy ( both  bloody genius's when it came to Manufacture and Craftmanship )  had the call / hankering to get back to the Family Farm business. 

Paul Verdouw  who worked there, has long since taken on  OZ Production of Stainless MC Systems, with his companies Verex Motorcycle Exhausts, and,  Mandrel Bending  Tasmania . I haven't seen him in decades now, but, he was, and I expect, still is, a Great Bloke, and a Superb 'maker' of things. Though, I don't think they do much in the way of Dirt Bike stuff nowadays. 

The 40mm extension was about stability, and even, cornering.

The axle slot, started at the furthest extension of the std SA, so, if  wanted , he / they  ( I did, I think, 3 or 4  of them ) could go back to the setting they used habitually as std. But, they Never did. 

The first bloke was a fellow that invested $$$$$ tilting at the windmills ( and I'm Not criticizing - I did that for many years with my 4t into 2t Chassis builds ) that were the 2ts, 'Bergs and then YZFs. 

He ended up with a Great bike, but at a LOT of expense. He threw Everything at it. 

I love XR400s, by the way. Well, XRs in general - bikes that could do so much. 

I really wish Honda OZ would bring back in XR650Ls - I'd snaffle one up in an instant, as I'd set it up as an ADV bike, to last me for the rest of my life. 2nd Hand? - people want too much for them, and, I want to start with a New Bike . But, the non import of them  is down to the ABS needed now due to legislation I'm told ......  I get perilously close to buying one from the US, every now and then. 

 I don't need nor want a bloody Land Yacht that is the modern ADV bike - I travelled much of Oz in the late 70s / early 80s on a DT175, then an XL185.So I have no problem with a Dirt Bike, and there's So Much / I have so Much, that can go onto the 650L.  I used the XL185 rego on a few of my Hybrids - I was even silly enough to run the plates on my Maico 320...... the cops never caught onto it!

I'm sure I've got a couple of the std 400 Axle Plates / Drop outs  on a shelf here somewhere - I know one set I used on a Race / Track stand set up for a bloke!

I loved mine that I had 15 years ago. The guy I bought it from did everything to it. 440, pumper carb, exhaust, suspension, steering stabilizer. That thing never stalled and climbed anything you pointed it towards. It was a bitch to start cold, and had no decompression lever because of the cam, but it was my favorite bike I ever owned.