My Yamaha XS400 twin won't start

From Norwich, 1 post

This is a message to anybody who may be able to help me. I have recently purchased a custom bike, in bits off a mate and am currently assembling it. It has come with a Yamaha XS 400 twin engine was in bits I have now wired up the engine sorted out everything which it needs, but there is a problem. The engine is very hard to turn over using the kick start and i mean abnormally hard, also when the clutch is pulled in the kickstart then has no force or seems like it has no connection to the engine it just limps around. I sthis the gearing or is the kickstart no connected properly? Any thorts would be greatly appriceated.



Thankyou



P.S The engine has good compression and doesnt seem seized up

From Ithaca, NY, 1 post

this will sounds ridiculous but it sounds to me that you hooked up the 'kick start' to the gear shifter...can you actually get the engine to turn with it? My XS400 has no kickstart, just electric, and I have yet to see one that has a kickstart.