Why wont bike start?

Was doing a few things to my 83 xj750jm, took off exhaust system because i wanted to clean it and put on new turn signals. When i put it the exhaust back on the bike and started it, it started right up, ran for a minute then the bike started to smoke some of the cleaning products and then it shut itself off. i cant get it to start back up. Starts for a second with ether but then shuts off. Please help. So confused.

 

Did you have the exhaut plugged with rags n leave em in when you put the exhaust on?
I NEVER did that once on a quad... Lol!
Otherwise for some reason your not getting fuel.

 

I had paper towel stuffed in but i took em all out

 

Try petcock on pri setting, maybe carbs are dry from sitting?

 

if starting fluid makes the bike run than it sounds like a lack of fuel issue.

and how much fuel do you have in the tank?
if your fuel tank is low on gas could be you just have to set petcock to reserve

fuel filter?

vacuum hose connected?


just want to get the simple things out of the way first

battery run low? charge the battery.

CHECK your oil level incase your carbs drained into the crankcase

 

If thing above checks out try opening a drain screw on carb bowls see if you have fuel in carb bowls
centerstand the bike.
connect a drain hose to one carb bowl open drain screw let fuel drain with petcock on prime. see if you have fuel flow down to the carbs.
if fuel flows freely. close screw, remove hose, put gas away.
see if bike starts.
if bike starts switch to run see if it still runs.


How about a little history on the bike?
what have you done to the bike for maintenance?
when was bike running last?

 

Im an idiot! The day it was taken apart i forgot the gas level was in reserve territory. Thanks for the reply, thought i left a towel in the exhaust

 

You aren't an idiot.
An idiot would check the gas, see that it's low, and still wonder why the bike won't start.

 

so did you get it running?

 

Sure did. Sold her. Going to look at a 94 cb1000 and a 2005 fzr1000 tomorrow

 

Oh, how sad... Get rid if a nice classic so you can go a million miles an hour and get a speeding ticket...
Each to his own lol!

 

Did you remember to tell the new owner that is out of gas?

 

I filled it up for him! And my bike had a great engine but it was really rough cosmetically. He wants to chop it and make a bobber (good luck) and the fz1 is pretty fast. Ill be honest tho, doesnt quite give me the fiz like that old maxim.