my bike can not start

Hi,
I have a 1983 yamaha maxim xj 550. I bought this bike from my old boss after she had it in her garage parked since 2006. After few tries at trying to turn the bike on i figured that I need a good carb clean, so I spent time in cleaning my carbs. I pulled the carbs of the bike and disassembled it completely and dunked them in carb cleaners. I put the carbs back on and tried to start the bike and have gas leaking our of the carbs when I try to start the bike. I am unable to start my bike now. I guess the bike has not been running since 2006. can anyone tell me what do I need to do to start my bike again.
thanks

 

Did you set the float levels?

 

It sounds like the floats may be stuck if fuel is pouring out like you say.

Visit the CHURCH OF CLEAN!!!
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14692.html
^^^This is perhaps the most important article on the website. Read it in its entirety

Cleaning the carburetors isnt even the start of cleaning the carburetors. First you need to check the valve lash. Then you need to make sure those carbs are SURGICALLY clean. Perform the drop test on the slides while the carbs are dismantled. You need to check the condition of the pilot screw orings, float needle seats and the throttle shaft seals as well.

Once the carbs of perfect(This will take you 5 or 6 attempts) you need to set the float levels on all four carbs. NExt you can start the bike with the YICS tool in place and Vacuum syncronize all 4 carbs to match cylinder 3. You can easily build a manometer yourself(google it). Lastly you may need to adjust the pilot jets on all 4 carbs using a colortune sparkplug. You can buy one new or used or find a member who may be able to help you.

 

When you talked about cleaning your carbs and put them back together, you didn't say a word about the carbs butterfly shaft seals, did you replace them?

If not, that would be a good reason your carbs are leaking.

A bike needs more than clean carbs to start and run fine. You should check the compression on every cylinder and measure the valves clearance. I'd be surprised everything is perfect in there.

 

thank you so much, now i need to find out what does valve lash mean, drop test etc. I am new to bike fixing, owning and bike terminology etc. I did find a video on youtube that tells/talks about float levels, could you confirm that this is what I need to do? video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ogUMEpK ... video_user
thanks Adis

 

Float levels will need your attention later for sure, but I think you should focus on the compression test and the exhaust and intake valve clearance first.

Finely tuned carbs will be useless on a low compression engine with out-of-specs valves.

 

Sorry, it's the "clunk test" not the drop test.
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1640.html
The vacuum piston should make a clunk noise if you drop it into the carb body. Its the big brass piece with the diaphragm


THIS thread has a link to every important thread about owning or maintaining an XJ bike.
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=27544.html

Dont forget to read the Church of Clean, its a thread about rebuiling and tuning your carbs properly-
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14692.html

 

Valve clearances first.

How to: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html

Part Deux: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29209.html

Mikuni basic breakdown: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=31061.html

It's peeing gas because one or more carb floats isn't working properly.

Float levels: http://www.xj4ever.com/setting%20fuel%20levels.pdf

If you submerged the carbs and they still had the throttle shafts and butterflies in them, you may very well have killed the throttle shaft seals. If you didn't "break the rack" before, you'll probably need to now.

GET A SERVICE MANUAL. Getting this bike up and running will take some actual work and a bit of a learning curve on your part. Nothing horribly complicated, but it will require some patient, serious effort.

 

Update:
so I pulled the floats our again and noticed that one of the floats was not retracting as good as the other 3, so i cleaned it etc. by the way I did not dunk the floats in carb cleaner ( my bad for not saying that earlier). While I had carbs our of the bike I poured fuel in carburator and they did not leak, my carbs were not pissing even when I put them on the bike.
After installing the carbs on the bike I could run the bike and tried turning it on, it turned and seemed that it wanted to start. I remembered watching one of the videos on youtube of a guy spraying carb cleaner in the carbs so I sprayed mine and I could get the bike running for about 8 -12 sec, while running I sprayed carb cleaner into the carbs and that made the bike run real hard, but I am still not able to have it run on its own on gas etc. what do I do? am I missing something, or is it time to take it to a shop and have this done by a shop guy? what do you think.
thanks Adis
p.s. hearing that thing run was so good today, i really want to fix this bike now.

 

I've seen a youtube of a guy spraying carb cleaner on the carb boots, (post carb) to see if the boots were leaking air.
If the engine revs higher that means the carb cleaner is enriching the mix, which proves the carb boots are leaking.
I'm assuming that's what you were watching.

AS for your bike, the carb cleaner test implies that the electrics are ok, so I'm thinking its still a carb issue, so once you've done the valve clearances and the compression test, clean the carbs again and check floats levels
while the jets are out, just check the numbers on them make sure they are spec... I found some ugly surprises (ugly for my wallet)

And you're using the choke yeh?

 

So you're going to completely ignore the above advice; which, if you'd follow it, would solve your problems and instead continue to screw around squirting carb cleaner at it?

The way you're going at this will not work.

Get a book, and do the maintenance outlined above. You haven't even properly wet-set your float levels yet from what I'm hearing; let alone gotten the valves in spec so that there's any HOPE of setting up the carbs.

Screwing around and poking at it the way you are will get you nowhere.

 

bigfitz

You beat on that comment, I was just writing exactly the same thing...

 

Adis, I was in your same boat when I picked up my 82 550 Seca. As badly as you would like to hear her run you are going about It all wrong. You may get it started screwing with it the way you are, but you will never be able to hop on and take it for a ride. It will be unreliable, sluggish and more likely cause more harm, requiring more work.

The best thing you can do for your self is listen to bigfitz. His advice has greatly helped me get my "new" xj up and running. Although as you will find this is only the beginning with these bikes.

Do your self a huge favor man, follow their steps and save your self some headache. If you are too lazy to do that work bring it to a shop. Even that will be hard to find a competent person who will work on this old of a bike.

Good luck to you.

 

This. My bike didn't run when I bought it, so I cleaned the carbs. It ran, but hella rough, and only for 10 secs at a time. Finally took the advice of the wizards on here and got my valves in spec and it started and ran on it's own. Set the float levels and it ran better.

I'm not here to brow beat you, but being ignorant to the bigger issues will get you nowhere.

 

I would need at least two hands to count the number of times I had to redo my carbs before I got them right.
This is not an old chevy, it is a high performance engine that is tuned to 'race prep' specs. You gotta go the whole nine yards to make it run great, or else you will keep having issues. And no mechanic that you would be able to find does the kind of quality you need to properly rebuild XJ carbs.

If you take some time and do the carbs properly, it will be well worth your effort.

 

Special_edy

Why talking about cleaning carbs at this point? This is clearly not the priority!

 

Adis, first, welcome to the forum!

I was not a bike newbie when I joined, but I was definitely a bike repair beginner.

The first advice I took was check the valves, as it sounded intense to have a good reason to open the engine. I got to play with carbs on old corollas in my college days, but the valve shimming was much more fun.

My carbs were okay, and I messed with them a year later, but the difference I got after replacing some shims was night and day!

See my signature for forum posts to help you also
vvv

 

Don't let these guys scare you into attempting work you lack the skills to complete properly.

I am by no means a mechanic, and definitely not a motorcycle mechanic. However I have kept my '81 GoldWing with over 176k miles on it running like a sewing machine. I was also able to resurrect an '85 XJ700N that had been sitting for three years. I'm no professional, however I keep my bikes running just fine, without compression tests, without valve shims or a lot of other in depth work.

A few things to think about though.

Did you have the boots to the air box back on? Or were you trying to start it without them? Without them it will pull to much air and not have enough vacuum to draw the fuel. I learned this the hard way.

Also make sure you have clean spark plugs and good spark. It takes far less of a spark to ignite carb cleaner than it does to ignite gas.

Make sure the petcock (fuel valve) is working properly. Check the fuel lines too to make sure they are clear. Also gas goes bad, so if it is not new fresh gas it's not going to run.

Start with the simple stuff before you go tearing off the head to get at valve shims. This forum is just chock full of elitists who love spending lots of money and time taking their bikes apart and putting them back together again.

Folks like us though, we would rather ride than wrench.

The carb system on the 85XJ700N is one of the most complicated, most finicky and just down right pain in the ass systems out there. Until you remember that it's still just a carb system. Also, contrary to what the majority of folks on this forum will tell you you DO NOT need the special tool for syncing these carbs. In fact you don't even need to do anything beyond bench syncing them.

My...er my old lady's Maxim runs smooth and strong. Purrs like a contented kitten at idle, pulls strong through all five gears and cruises at highway speeds smooth as silk. All I ever did to the carbs was clean them without splitting them up, and bench synch them.

The YICS system does the rest for you. That's what it was designed to do. Those who keep mucking with theirs are the same ones you hear saying " I'm almost there but I just need to tune it a little better".

Now I know I will probably be crucified for this post but I really don't care. Four years and soon to be starting a fifth with this thing running like new is all the convincing I need that some of these guys just love to hear themselves talk.

I had a hard time with the thing at first because I came here looking for advice. And did my best to follow it. The harder I tried to follow instructions the harder it was to get the damn thing to run. I finally gave up and just went with what I knew, and what I could see in my hands.

I get the distinct impression that you have never worked on a bike before, so even if you got yerself a manual tearing into the heads for valve adjustments straight out the door is prolly a BAD idea. That is how perfectly good bikes end up as parts donors.

Do what you know, what you are comfortable with. Beyond that find someone local who knows a little more than you do and is willing to help you.

There is some truth in what you've been told though, spraying it with carb cleaner is not going to get you anywhere but more problems.

A word of advice for the more experienced folks. Try to remember how intimidating some of this stuff was when you first started. Try to understand that the fact that YOU can tear into the engine on your bike is not justification to insist that every beginner needs to do the same thing right away.

Many people have insisted that GoldWings will not run with single carb intake systems on them. Try telling my GoldWing that has been running for over nine years with a single carb system on it that it won't run with a single carb. There are people who say Bumble Bees can't fly. There are people on this forum who will tell you an XJ bike with a YICS system won't run right without a carb sync.

And then there are bees, motorcycles and people that PROVE differently.


In any case good luck with your bike, be patient, don't get in over your head and one day it will run.

 

A whole lot of bashing the people who really help people out...

Sure you don't NEED to do anything these guys say to get your bike running and rideable. They are simply getting you the best settings for optimal performance. Which is very noticeable when you do it your way then listen to the advice given here.

I'm like you I would much rather ride than wrench. You can tell by my paint job, lack of rubber on foot pegs, and other non essential visual stuff.

The longevity of your bike like a car, is specific to the way it was made. So to say your lack of maintaining your bike has worked for you doesn't mean it will for all bikes. I have had a truck with 5k miles blow a motor. Simply made imperfect.

It is your opinion but with 60 posts here, I'm sure you have gained plenty of information from these guys you just bashed pretty good.

By all means bring it to a mechanic, I just said good luck finding one that is good with these bikes. I have a guy who specializes and only fixes 90's and older bikes. Just for backup for stuff I can't or don't have time to do.

Just my 2 cents. Good day mate.

 

A compression test doesn't require any "skill", unless you consider removing the gas tank, removing the spark plugs and unplugging the TCI requires skills.

Actually, you just need to know what to do before doing it, and forums like this one helps a lot in this manner.

 

for those of you that think you don't have to check/adjust the valves regularly. all the carb fine tuning/adjustment in the world will be for not if the valves are out of spec.

CN

 

Valves DO need to be checked regularly or the motor will simply self-destruct. It's a required maintenance item.

Anybody giving advice to ignore basic maintenance absolutely doesn't know what he's talking about and should not be taken seriously.

 

HI all,

First, thank you all for your help in giving me the much needed advice. having said that i know very little about engines and also do not own a lot of tools that I see on these pictures and instrucitons that bigfits52 has posted (thanks bigfitz52, and I am not ingoring your advice I very much appreaciate it but I am a little excited by having this bike and I just had to try it). I have come to conclusion that i really need to take this bike to someone who can fix it up for me, or go to a shop and see what they would take to get this done. i was hoping this project would not cost me tons of money, I was really hoping that I could do this on my own. Growing up in Bosnia in the early 90's i watched my neighbor work on his MZ 250, fixing carb, pulling alves, checking clearneces etc. That is where my love of motorcycles comes from, dreaming of one day owning a bike and fixing it. While he was working on his engine i would push the bike up the hill and ride on empty. The bike I have hasnt been working since 2006, last time it was driven daily was in 1996 and i want to make it my DD.
thanks

 

Ok maybe I came off a little rougher than I meant to. I certainly didn't intend to bash anyone.

My point that someone with no mechanical inclination at all is likely to create more problems than they will fix, even with manual. If the jump into a project that is to big for them.

Also, without having the actual bike in front of you, you have no way of knowing exactly what does or doesn't need to be done to it. Sure you can make some informed and intelligent guesses, but sending a complete novice into the heads is NOT good advice, at least not in my opinion.

People have been telling me for so long how things HAVE to be done, and how certain things will NEVER work. All the while my bikes are running perfectly doing things differently.

I also want to make it clear that I do indeed appreciate the advice and information I have found here. There is a wealth of good information, and experience to be tapped into from the membership here. That information just needs to be tempered with consideration for the guy who doesn't know one end of a clutch cable from the other.

XJ's are basically street bikes with sport bike motors in them. Hitachi carbs, YICS, tuned air intakes. These are comparatively complicated systems and far beyond the skill set a complete noob possesses. And to beat them over the head with demands that they tear into projects that clearly scare the shit out of them...not so great of an idea.

let them start with what they are comfortable with, let them start with simple things first. Get used to turning a wrench, get used to taking parts off their motorcycle and putting them back on again successfully. Let them build up some confidence before insisting they need to tear a head apart.

Yeah, that post last night was a little impudent and prolly nastier than it needed to be. It was heavy handed and did more harm than good. Just like some f the advice given here. I understand that it gets frustrating after giving the same advice over and over to every noob that comes through. But the noob that comes in tomorrow should not be made to suffer for the noob that came through yesterday.

Advice is never given. It is offered, it's up to the other person to decide whether to take it or not.

I do apologize for not being mindful of my tone while offering advice.

 

They're not that complicated; and the basic maintenance procedures required are well within the purvey of anybody who's "mechanically inclined" even if he's never touched a bike engine before. YICS has no moving parts, it's literally a series of interconnected holes in the head. Carbs need to be cleaned, have their float levels properly set, and be properly adjusted to the bike. Anybody that can read and follow directions can do it. If that "complete noob" is serious about riding a 30+ year old motorcycle then yes, some learning will be involved.

Valve adjustment is not some huge, complicated one-time "project" it's a required maintenance procedure. Every 5K miles. Again, totally do-able by anybody that can keep from hurting himself with the pointy end of a screwdriver. And something that anybody contemplating long-term ownership of an XJ needs to learn. (Including you, apparently.)

It would be much less helpful to withhold the advice necessary to get one's bike truly running well and reliable. If you want to run yours forever without checking your valve clearances, go for it. However science will eventually overcome opinion and you'll burn a valve or two. But please don't advise others to join you on Burnt Valve Boulevard.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will be riding.

 

Did you miss the word "comparatively"? I agree they aren't all that complicated. However compared to other systems they are. Especially to someone who has never worked on a bike.

Valve adjustment, project, maintenance...call it what ever you want to, to someone who's never worked on a bike at all it's a damned intimidating task.

As for what I need to learn...well you know what they say about assumptions right? Do I know how to do it? Yes, have I needed to do it? No. See I don't go looking for problems. If the bike is running like a sewing machine why f*** with it? When the bike shows signs of something being wrong I'll address it. But while it's running so friggin good I'm NOT going to go borrowing problems.

Not once did I suggest withholding advice. But dismissively telling someone they are never going to get anywhere unless they do it your way is just as bad.

As I said, pressuring someone into attempting a project/procedure/maintenance they aren't skilled enough, aren't confident enough, don't have the proper tools for...is just setting them up to fail and setting the bike up to never run again.

 

NO, it's not. Nobody's pressuring anybody; certain steps are necessary for continued success.

And if your bike has over 20K or so miles on it without a valve adjustment, your next post is going to be "starts fine cold, won't run once warm." Go ahead and burn a valve. Just don't advise others to follow you.

It's not "MY way." It's Yamaha's way. All one needs do is read the book. And then follow it.

That's all I've ever done.

 

Dude, it's my old lady's bike, she barely puts a thousand miles a season on it.
At no point have I advised anyone NOT to do valve adjustments.

All I'm saying is let them start with something that is less likely to cripple the engine if they screw it up for their first attempt at turning a wrench on a bike. To stop presenting it as step one for a noob. Start them off with simpler tasks to get them used to the idea of taking things apart. Let them complete a few easier tasks first to build their confidence, to learn what tools they will need.

It's comparable to throwing someone off a boat in the middle of a deep lake as a way of teaching them how to swim.

 

Adis's bike doesn't run anyhow, so it couldn't go a lot worse than now, right?

And I can't see what he could screw up while doing a compression test, honestly, unless he does it without asking what to do exactly.

 

Can it get worse? Really? It's not running, but the problem is likely easily fixed at this point. Maladjusted valves can lead to more than one serious problem. In the hands of someone who doesn't know what they are doing it turns into the birth of a parts bike.

I'm not saying he doesn't need to give some attention to the valves. I'm saying he should do a few other simpler tasks first.

 

Speaking as someone who learned how to wrench on my 550 Maxim 20 years ago because I was too cheap to take it to a shop (back when a shop would probably still work on an 80's bike) I would advise the noob to take the advice of those who recommend proper maintenance as outlined in the service manual. In the years since, I have learned how to do all manner of maintenance on bikes ranging from Harleys to vintage two strokes to Ducatis (you think XJ valve trains are intimidating?) But that little 550 was my genesis, I started with a carb clean, then adjusting the chain tension and rear brakes, then synced the carbs (no YICS tool) then adjusted the valves, then rebuilt the front caliper. Little at a time, but I was glad I did it right (well, except for lacking the YICS).

 

Reaalllyyy... Well said.

Alrighty then. You're beginning to eat your own words.

POINT ONE: You don't "tear off the head" to get at the valve shims; you remove the valve cover.

TWO: I'm no elitist. I'm a single parent who just barely makes enough money to feed myself, pay child support and feed the kid that lives with me. I live 60 miles from work. GUESS WHY I RIDE MY XJ? Oh, and did I mention that I'm over 60 years old?

Itsherbike, A CHALLENGE: Check the valve clearances on your XJs, and report back. Check, not adjust, just check. Certainly you're more than capable of that simple procedure, it's not all that "intimidating." Then post the results.

You've never done it, and you're just talking "smack" so now back it up.

Come to think of it, mine are due on the '83. I'll post my clearances too.

 

None of the "simpler" tasks will get his bike running if the valves are far out of spec. It does sound like they are close enough to let the bike run, but burning a valve takes nearly no time at all. I agree with taking one step at a time, but step one needs to be valves so that step two doesn't lead to a top end rebuild.

Also, please use proper spelling. For some reason the use of "noob", and "prolly", does not provide evidence for the depth of knowedge that you profess to have. I'm sure that you are knowledgable, but your communication skills are at odds with being seen as knowledgable.

 

A compression test IS a simple task and would give some important information about that non-running engine. What's the point of spending time and money on simpler tasks if the da*ned engine is toasted?

 

If the valves are uber-tight, a compression test can cause undue panic.

If they have at least SOME clearance, at least you can find out if the motor is salvageable. If you want a true picture, they do need to be in spec.

 

I nearly forgot to mention why valves need to be checked on schedule. I've been spending my winter rehabing an '82 Virago for a friend. As delivered it would start and go down the road just fine, but had not been maintained properly. When I went to check the valve lash there was none. There was so little valve lash that I had to back off the adjusters four full turns. It's a miracle that none of the valves were burnt. While the XJ valve lash check takes a bit more time, it's no more complicated. In some respects it is easier to get the valves back into spec on an XJ than it is with the screw-and-locknut adjusters that the XV has.

 

You can do this. There are suitable substitutes for many of the specialized tools that are in the service manual. Both tools and the skills you will be learning are an investment that will cost much less than what a shop will charge you. I started wrenching when I was a preteen, because I was too poor to pay someone to fix my stuff. The only time my vehicles go to a shop are for warranty or recall work, and that's because I took the advice of people who encouraged me to learn how to do my own maintanance and repairs.

 

On carb synchronizing:

No it doesn't, and no it wasn't.

 

Bottom line, for me. My..er my old lady's 700 runs like a brand new bike. And until it doesn't I'm not going to mess with it.

 

That's an awfully ignorant opinion. There's reactive maintenance, preventative maintenance, and what you're prescribing - no maintenance. It's your life on that bike, not mine.

 

"In fact you don't even need to do anything beyond bench syncing them"
some day you'll realize you don't need to bench them if you do a running sync.

"And until it doesn't I'm not going to mess with it."
remember, there's no shame in pushing your motorcycle home.

 

I'll never have to push a motorcycle home. I have a trailer.

 

This thread has gone way off topic here. In terms of helping our fellow to be xj rider get his bike running.

Agree to disagree on maintenence procedures.

Back to Adis, I started where you are man. I picked up this old cheap bike thinking I could do a few quick things to get her running and on the road. While as like you, I quickly learned it wouldn't work like that. A bit of time diagnosing the issues and digging a bit deeper than an oil change and fresh gas you should be set to ride in no time.

Len or "chacal" as he is call here on the forum has everything you will need and trust me when I say his services are faster than any other online source. Not to mention he will make sure it is the correct part for your bike the first time.

Adis, if you aren't comfortable messing with the engine yet, bring her to a shop. Once you get it back, there is plenty you can mess with to "start wrenching" with, as you will see. Speedo may not work, inspecting brakes, etc...

Nobody is saying tear apart the motor, their just saying valves are a common problem and It would be a good place to start if you decide to conquer this task in your own garage.

 

Okay, so itsherbike, if he had a cut finger would you tell him to do the easy thing first, such as get some sleep --- BEFORE applying peroxide, or bandage, or stitches?

Your advice is recockulous. If a person can't handle some (very easy) things on their bike, then they shouldn't mess with any of it before the bike is in perfect condition.

If the tire keeps losing air, and one is afraid to remove and replace, then he should not even bother with looking for a hole or adding fix-a-flat.

Your advice should be "if you can't handle the valves, then keep your hands off the carbs, and go to your local shop for the priority items. THEN, try your hand at something less technical"

 

yeah by all means, bully the guy into screwing up his ride so e more cheap used parts are available.

The knowledge available on this site is awesome, but attitudes suck donkey scrote.

 

I'll be honest in saying that I just glanced through this thread before posting this, so please forgive any apparently ignorant statements I am about to make:

From someone who LEARNED motorcycle repair and maintenance from this site, I can personally vouch for doing your own work. There are many benefits, assuming you have three helpings of patience and know when to walk away and call it a night.

When these bikes (or any bikes, for that matter) are not running we, as owners, end up pulling all of our hair out and end up bald and bitter. While learning to repair them, we get frustrated the first time, rush the job, and then get more frustrated and lose more hair for every additional time we have to take something apart before we learn to do the job right the first time.

The frustration and time spent not riding DO ultimately pay off when, at the end of the day, you spent thousands less than your neighbor who has a bike he took to the shop to get running AND you know what minor adjustments you need to do periodically that your neighbor-friend spends $100+ per season to have performed (for a total of about an hour worth of work, or less). You also can count the absolute awesome performance, sportiness, and comfort combination these bikes offer that is unparalleled by any modern motorcycle under $10,000.

I've successfully rebuild three XJ racks, adjusted carbs and tuning on 4 XJ bikes, two XV Viragos, and am working on an additional XJ and XV solely based off of the principles I learned from this site. Part of that IS regular maintenance. I might overdo it slightly, but generally I change my oil in my bikes twice a year - at the beginning and end of the riding season. I perform valve adjustments and carb vacuum syncs once per year per bike. Every other year I flush and replace my brake fluid on my bikes. I check tire pressures monthly and lights at least as often.

The way I see it, a motorcycle is a form of freedom that is unparalleled. Yes, you can drive a convertible sports car and have freedom and the wind in your face, but that doesn't come close to how a motorcycle feels when you scrape foot pegs in a turn or crack the throttle and take off past all other traffic - while getting nearly 50mpg no less.

The tradeoff is that you have only TWO tires keeping you on the road. You have only two brakes, not the FOUR standard on all automobiles. You are less visible to cagers, and more likely to get seriously injured or killed in a fender bender. Because of all of these reasons you MUST keep your bike in top shape. Nothing is more frightening than not being able to accelerate or brake when you need to - or having a wheel lock up out of nowhere (happened to me on the 550 when I forgot the cotter pin that stabilizes the rear brake drum and the brake shaft wrapped three times around the rear axle shaft). Do you really want to risk putting your life in the hands of someone else who isn't going to do a good job, or would you rather take your life into your own hands and KNOW that the job was done right?

 

So, original poster. How are you coming along now?

 

Hey Adis I'm in the same club as my bike won't start either. I must have 5 cans of carb cleaner laying around. I took the carbs apart but did't break the rack. I have 4 containers I put all the part in. I took the top cover off number 4, the diaphram with needle and the fuel bowl and placed them into the number 4 container. I did this for the other carbs. I must have used two cans alone on the fuel bowls as they have a retarded jet in them. All four fuel bowls have carb cleaner shooting out of them 20 feet. I have carb cleaner coming from front and back. When I put the carbs back on no start. Sorry Special_edy THE YAMAHA XJ 650 IS NOT A HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINE AT ALL. This bike is the most poorly designed bike I have ever seen in my 45 years. Oil filter that won't come off. Backwards petcock. Never had one that operated off vacuum. YICS. Carbs that are worthless. If your starter clutch goes out you have to tear the engine apart. Don't get the mileage quoted in this post. Once put 2 gallons of ethanol free gas in bike. Drove into country to get bike inspected. Almost got home when bike started sputter. I just made it home. Tank was empty. I drove 22 miles on two gallons of gas. This was before the bike decided not to start.

 

altlandf - - Your rant is not helping much . . .

 

lol I just got on him on another thread where a guy was trying to get a bike going and he chimed in with how worthless they are. If he starts advocating Harleys we will know he is trying to bolster their market share where they are once again falling out of favor depending mainly on brand not quality to justify a high price.