Bikes not starting, please help!

I just bought a 1982 Yamaha Seca XJ750 and it ran great until I got home. I turned the bike off and when I tried to turn it back on it wouldn't start. I talked to a friend and he mentioned it might be the solenoid gone bad. When I press the engine start button nothing happens. I'm charging to battery now but I don't think that is the problem because the dash lights turn on when I turn the key. Do you have any suggestions on what the problem might be and how I can tell if its the solenoid or not? And also if I do need to buy a new solenoid could you please let me know where I can purchase one, I checked some parts shops in my town and they don't carry any for motorcycles. I'm a newb to motorcycles so please use lamens terms!

 

I had to ask these. But some one just has to......


You by chance didn't turn off the bike by selecting either of the off positions of the kill switch on the left control pod on your handlebars?


Are you holding the clutch lever while you're trying to start the motor? Is the transmission in Neutral?

 

i have a seca turbo (xj650) so hopefully this might help..

few things to check, first of all, when pushing the start button do you hear your fuel pump humming?

when i try to start it, it has to be in neutral, and have the kickstand up, or have clutch in & kickstand up.

regardless of how i'm trying to start, i always hear the fuel pump.

with it in neutral and kickstand up, it should fire the pump and starter..

if nothing happens you can check fuses, wiring harness (maybe it bounced loose), the kill switch for the bike can become less-than-functional after the years.

turn key on, flip kill switch on, you should hear the 'starter relay' kick over. You'll hear a 'click' that's not from the kill-switch.

if all is go and still not starter, solenoid / starter / possibly bad connections at the solenoid / starter / somewhere else.

Hope this helps!

 

Could also be a simple fuse blown or a bit loose.A cheap 12volt tester is a must for the bike owner.Lot of plugs between igntion switch and starter motor.Had the same problums myself.Some simple testing should find the fault.Good luck

 

maybe some bikes are different... but all my kill switches have been on the right handlebar, by the throttle.

umm, i dont think his bike has a fuel pump... Im pretty sure thats a "turbo only" thing.




Like they said though, is it in neutral? try puttin the stand up... ect.

 

Welcome to the forum! Nice to see we've got a new member from the PNW. Wink's right about making sure all your "safety" ducks are in a row when trying to start the bike. If all that checks out and still no cranking, you can short across the solenoid with a screwdriver to see if it's that. (WARNING: Make sure the bike is in neutral!)



If that works, then you may want to walk through this How-To. It will help you determine if the solenoid is actually bad, or if some other component is causing your no-start problem.

On a side note, don't forget to add yourself to the community map and edit your signature line with what type of bike you're riding.

 

Why are we using a rusty screwdriver? I've been using a shiny, cheap 1/2 inch wrench-- just some mental floss.

 

Rusty screwdriver is used to keep from burning pits in a shiny new one.

 

Don't think that just because your Dash Lights come on that the Battery has enough juice in it to turn a Starter Motor.

The Dash Lights need need 12Volts and almost no Amps.

The Starter Motor needs 12Volts and almost 20 Amps.

Charge the Battery and bring the Battery to an AutoParts Store and have them determine its Reserve Cranking Power.
I've seem Brand New Battery's ... (Not set-up right) ... have little or no depth to them but read 12 Volts when the Meter is applied to measure its Voltage.

Do as the preceding posts suggest and try shorting across the Primary Posts of the Solenoid. If the Starter don't spin ... it could be the Battery!

 

Hey thanks for all the feedback, you guys are awesome. I look forward to learning more about my bike so I can help others some day. I fixed the problem though, it turned out it was just the battery. I took the battery off and hooked it up to the charger overnight and when I hooked it back up this morning is fired right up! I'm excited, this is my first bike, I got some other questions but I will start them by adding new topics, Thanks again everyone!
Matt

 

Not to be an alarmist, but you may not be out of the woods yet. My question is why, after a ride home, was the battery dead? It should have been charged up. I suggest that you start the bike up, hook a digital voltmeter to the battery, and take a reading. You should be making around 14.4 volts at an idle. You may have ended up with an almost dead battery because the bike was only only running off the battery before. If that's the case, you may need to change your alternator brushes, etc.

 

Alternator Brushes!

Check the Alternator Brushes!

 

Might not at idle. The manual calls for 14.5 +/- 0.2 @2000 rpm.

 

and where might I find these alternator brushes and what do I do when I find them, lol.

 

Search:

Alternator Brushes.

They are under the alternator cover and need to be at least 10mm in length or they don't make constant contact reducing the voltage to the charging circuit.

If they are under specs ... replace them.

 

okay I will check them tomorrow. if I do need to replace how much am I looking at $$?

 

The point about the rusty screw driver VS a small box wrench is literally the POINT. We have 2,600 + members and many lurkers - guests here, and somebody will fire up their "new" XJ just to run it up the block, or around the house, and they will need that screwdriver in their pocket in case the bike stalls, and eventually, somebody will dump the bike on wet leaves or gravel and get a screwdriver in the belly.

Let's avoid that and suggest a box wrench or small metal object.

 

How about a remote starting switch and alligator clips.
I can't find mine.
So I do use an old spoon I have for something I can't remember needing it for.

 

Or, they could plow into the back of a semi trailer at 120mph on the freeway.

 

Schmuckaholic - - Thanks for sharing


I've seen remote hand held starters that clip on + and the little "trigger" wire, but not to cross the whole current. Would one of those handle the current of our little starters, or would you have to somehow jump into the 2 small wires on the solenoid?

 

If your solonoid is toast or you have a break in the hot going to one of the small terminals( the other goes to your starter button and when pressed goes to ground I beleive),jumping the 2 small terminals or taking the other of the 2 small wires to ground is not going to work. Thats why carriying something to make the connection from hot to the starter is needed to turn it over. I would think one of the hand held buttons would get rather hot if not melt down jumping across these to start it.

Some one at one time had a nice dynamic drawing showing all of the circuits on here and how some of them operated when switches were switched.

 

That was me and here it is.

 

Great Drawing Gamuru, Thanks for the re-post.
I could not find that sucker !

 

ok i am have some problums my 1982 xj750j-b the starter is spinning but it is not truning over the motor

 

Starter clutch may be slipping due to wrong oil in your engine. Search Starter Clutch in here and you may find your answers.

 

^ that is the easy (and hopefully correct) answer. The oil you use needs be rated JASO MA or be marked JASO MA compliant. Anything else will be too slippery to allow the starter clutch rollers to engage.

It could also be because of a starter that needs to be rebuilt (spins too slowly),

or a weak battery (spins too slowly),

or corroded electrical connections (spins too slowly),

or (this one is less-likely and hopefully you would have noticed it already) fuel leaking into and filling the crankcase (hydrolock, or partial hydrolock, preventing the crankshaft from being able to turn easily).

or worn starter clutch rollers, or cracked starter clutch roller housing (starter clutch slips, needs rebuilt to remedy, cases need split to rebuild).

Go through each possibility in the order given. If you get to the last option plan on also replacing the alternator chain guide while the cases are split.