Xj650 Maxim, won't start with starter button. Oil light on.

So, a guy in a town near by was selling a 650 Maxim for $50 and I was lucky enough to contact him first on marketplace (this bike might cost my marriage, ive got a whole top end of the xj750seca I'm working on on the kitchen table )

Anyway guy said he needs to move and getting rid of it, said he got it free and had a garage work on it and redo all valves, piston carb etc in 2019. He said he rode it once for 70 miles and since that it basically sat.
That's for the bike history

He said she had no spark last time he tried to start it.



Ok so first thing I did was drain oil (it stinked of gas...), put some marvel mystery oil into spark plug, let sit overnight, next day I put fresh rotella, manually turn the engine a few times.

Hooked up battery booster, turn key on, neutral light is on, but as soon as I press the start button, the oil red light comes on. Doesn't crank.

I did a spark test by boosting the solenoid with a screwdriver, cranks but no spark.

Been lurking a while, looking for some similar issue, saw something about the side stand safety switch, tried to clean it up, but didnt work.
saw something about disconnecting a blue and white wire, so I did that and bike won't crank from button, but when jumping from solenoid, cranks with spark, put some starter fluid and it started right up (didn't hooked up any gas yet) headlights work, signals work.

Anyway, I'm waiting on some parts for my seca, so in the meantime I'll be learning about electronic for that bike, if anyone has an idea of what could be at fault please by all mean let me know!

One thing that suck with this bike is that all the plastic connectors are extremely brittle, even being the most delicate possible, the white plastic shatters between my fingers, so I'm scared to try disconnecting relays to clean them.

My seca apparently been working on with no fuse box no safety switch of any kind so I didn't have to worry about that, I will for that one!

 

$50 bike that runs is crazy, great find.
Wife who allows motorcycle parts in the kitchen even greater find.

Yes this can get ugly but I think it has to be done.
Don't worry about damaging any of the terminal blocks.
XJ4ever sell them individually and replacing them is fun once you know how.
Len has a special tool which probably works real slick.
I have done it with paper clips, here's a tip - double up paperclip wire and clamp them in vise-grip pliers.
With 2 paper clip wires it is stronger to pry the tabs on the terminals.
Do an inventory of what you need and you can rebuild the harness.
Make sure you pull the 3 white wires apart coming from the alternator, this will melt the block and the wires if its not regularly cleaned up.

Once all the wiring connections look good then its probably a solenoid relay.
Try the one from your Seca.

 

Indeed! I married her after knowing her for only 4months, instantly knew it was a great find!

$50 and a clean Title! Couldn't believe it

Definitely going to try that, thank you!

 

A real one, for sure. MY marriage has survived degreasing parts in the dishwasher.

 

Haha yeah well soon I may need to put my seca cylinder block into the oven to try and remove the cylinder sleeve maybe I should wait till she's out of the house..

Just fixed the issue btw, for somebody having a similar issue, starter solenoid was bad, switched my seca sol and started straight up with spark from started button. Gonna keep cleaning all electronic connections.

Next carb cleaning, shim clearance check and hopefully I can finally ride Something!