All boxed and ready to go.

Jesus, that cat in the background looks like mine!

All for about $170AUD to ship the thing internally. The fun bit is getting it from Japan down to Melbourne, but I think I might have it sorted. We'll see.

Update from Japan

A little closer now...

I've got an engine!

1993 SR400 399cc of oil-leaking goodness.

Woooooo!

It'll be a while before it arrives but here it is...

It'll be a while before it lands - quite a while actually, as it's still in the frame in Japan, but I think I've nutted out a working shipping option. I'm told the engine itself is in need of a rebuild - but it still has compression and still runs.

The trick will be for it to keep running after I'm done with it.

I got me some books...

And I can't read a word of Japanese. But they're fun anyway. Ordered from Amazon Japan.

A Microfiche! I've already tracked a coupel down, but It can't hurt to have a physical copy...

It's interesting to see how visual the Japanese guides are compared to our Haynes or Clymer...

Although I'm missing out on a wealth of information by not speaking Japanese I still think they're worth taking a look at. I can't have enough photos when I'm pulling stuff to bits. The first book in the pic would be the most useful - mostly about engine based things and performance hot ups. The second cover would be the least useful as it shows really basic things like adjusting brake cables and so forth.

And the case splitter works too!

The flywheel puller works a treat...

Yoshimura Japan

I'm doing some more research on SR engine mods, what to aim for with the rebuild, parts suppliers and all that kind of thing. As it turns out engine part supplier and designer of large green dinosaurs in Mario games, Yoshimura, are now selling a slip-on exhaust for the 03-08 and FI SR400. An interesting design...





Hmmm. Very "interesting". It looks like it retails for around $700, which, although it might shock a few people, is on par with other slip ons. Although I wouldn't like it on my bike I'd still be curious as to what is inside it.

Yoshi also sell other engine components on their website - cams, pistons, carbs, valve springs, cam chains and digital tach/temp gauge/shift indicator/stopwatch/clock/geiger counter. Interesting!

Website is here - Yoshimura Japan

Crank Hunting

Good news - I might be onto a SR400 engine. I'll have to see if it actually all works out but it's a bit of a double edged sword. On one hard it'll have a better designed head for oil flow, but I will have to change the crank for a 500. And here comes my friend Matt with a spare rooted bottom end he has. He needs the layshaft from it and I need a crank...

There's no vertical movement in the crank, which I'm told is a good thing? Doesn't look real flash though.

And it begins...

So we'll see how things go. It's great fun doing this inside my room. I've got the radio, the internet within arms reach which is important for my level of ability. (None). God. I'm such a product of the 21st century.

New Project!

I don't have the money or the space for another bike project, but I'm still getting the hankering to start breaking things and paying other people to fix my mistakes. Rather than continue working on bikes in the yard the plan is to start smaller, with just an engine, and work away on that in my bedroom.

I picked up an engine stand from Hanks Engineering for $43.00 delivered. (If you've got a MIG and bits of scrap metal around Stew Ross has kindly provided the plans to build one yourself here.) So this is where I'll be working...




Notice something missing?

I'm hunting around for all the peripherals at the moment (I've always borrowed other people's manuals) but the real test is proving to be the engine itself. It seems the days of $500 engines are gone, with Vic Wreckers and Scotts Motorcycles wanting around $1100 for a complete 400 engine. I've got an ad up on the forum, on the SR500 clubs website the and have also tried Find A Part, all with no luck.

I'd be able to get a reasonably-priced 400 engine from Japan quite easily, but I want to keep trying to find a 500 first - just because the smaller niggly thing like cam chain tensioner set up are the same that most English-speaking engine builders have dealt with. I know there's not a huge difference between the 400 and 500, but I'd like to get answers to my stupid questions in English rather than worry about googletranslate. Very much be thanking you.

So the hunt continues, I'll start doing some research into getting a donk from America or the Fatherland. If anybody knows of an engine being sold for around $500.00, drop me a line!