Need Help: Bike was running, now it won't start

Hey, I just bought an 82 XJ650 Maxim. First off, I love my new (and first bike), even though it's causing me some trouble. The guy I bought it from was vague on the maintenance. He said he only owned it for year or two and put maybe 1000 miles on it.

So here's my story for a little background on the problem. The guy I bought it from started it and drove it 10 miles to my house after a test ride. No problems. Then, I started it up later that night no problem to put it away. A few days later, I go to start it, and tt doesn't start. I kill the battery from trying over and over. After I have the battery tested at Advance Auto and charge the battery up, the bike starts after messing with the choke and a lot of starter button pressing. The bike reeked of gas, but it ran around town pretty good.

A few days later after not riding, it starts up after doing the same choke adjusting and etc. Still smells like gas. I'm driving it maybe 2 miles down the road, and it dies at a light. The battery was dead. I got it jumped and barely made it back home. The bike wouldn't go over 3000RPMs without dieing down. So now I bought a tender and got the battery all charged. I now notice that 3 of the 4 rubber intake boots (by the air filter) aren't even connected. :roll: I wonder how this dude was riding this bike.

Anyway, I can't get the damn boots to stay on. I bought some non-oem generic clamps that don't really work too well. The boots are so gassy that they slip around. I tried duct taping for a quick fix to see if this was the problem, but the bike just won't start now. The battery is fully charged, plugs look clean, but are wet and smell like gas. Besides all this, when I was taking out a plug, the hole got stripped and now I think I have to re-thread it before I can even try anything else. Oh well. I'm new to this haha.

So how the hell do I stretch those boots out so that they can cover the gap between air filter and carb? This would be the cause of my wet/gassy plugs, ya? I know I have to start with cleaning the gas off of them to make them dry. I'm just going by the workshop manual as best as I can here, but I'm thinking a) Get boots on tight, b) re-thread the one plug hole and clean/dry plugs. If that doesn't work, then I'll c) check/replace the air filter. Then if that doesn't work, I'll d) go for the carb cleaning. :? Am I on the right track? Thanks guys. I look forward to joining the XJ community!

As an aside, I also noticed that my exhaust has a rust hole that let's exhaust leak out. Is that a big problem? I'm thinking a soda can wrapped really tight around the pipe will do the trick. I'm going to paint the pipes flat black, anyway. Some bar tape should cover up any soda cans.

 

Welcome to the world of XJ's. If you plan on enjoying your bike for a long time then you will have to be methodical in it's restoration. After all it is 30 years old. Safety issues such as brake lines, brake shoes, master cylinder, caliper and pads need to be renewed. Also tires, check for side wall cracks and age. Now that we can stop the bike when we want to it is time to make it go forward. Pull the carbs and do a complete restoration and cleaning. Once that is done, then bench sync, and wet set the floats. Make sure that you have check for valve clearances and corrected the shims as required. Then vacuum sync the plant and colortune the plugs. You will find, like most of us here, that by trying not to to all that is needed upfront just ends in frustration and will end up being done in the long run. There are many folks here who can assist in how to's and many write ups. One member has a valve shim exchange program that just will cost you postage and XJ4Ever has all the parts and know how. Winter is coming and restoring the bike would be a great winter project. Also the rubber boots not connecting, there is a bolt on the air box that may, when loosened, let the box slide forward. It is just behind and below the mounting bolt for the tank. Anyway, hope this helps ya...

 

The tires have good tread and are overall healthy, as are all the cables. My front brakes hardly work though. The front lever barely moves, and the brakes apply maybe 5% stopping power.

As for the carbs, I was hoping I wouldn't have to clean them, but I'm sure it's inevitable. A carb overhaul will be a good thing for me to learn though. I've got that carb thread bookmarked for later use, plus a few books by my side.

Hopefully that airbox will move for me. I still can't understand how this bike ran while it did with those boots leaking gas and sucking in all that extra air...

Thanks for the help, Bruce.

 

Trust not how they look, check their age. Rubber brake lines should be replaced every 4-5 years. There's a date on them (see http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4 ... lines.html ), take a look and I bet it's from the 80's. If the line has gone bad you'll not have safe brakes. Consider you have no brakes now (i hope you're not riding now that you know that), you probably need to replace the lines and do a Master Cylinder rebuild.

Here's a good summary of what you have to do when you get a 30 year old bike. Remember, you have to make up for all the maintenance that wasn't done over that time, so to bring it back to fitness will take time and money. Then you'll have a helluva machine.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=43470.html

 

QUIT TRYING TO RIDE IT.

If it's peeing gas, it has probably polluted the oil (gas in the sump.)

Thirty year old disfunctional brakes are not something we trust our lives to.

Tubeless tires over 6 or 7 years old are not to be trusted either. (Tires have date codes too.)

You're going to have to park it and properly "recommission" it before you hurt it or yourself in the process.

 

Yeah, you're both right. I'll take the time to fix it up before I ride it again. ha The cables need to be replaced anyway because I put new handlebars on. And thanks for that link to the guide there. That's a huge help!