NOT STARTING...PLEASE ADVISE!

im using a car battery aswell, new plugs trimmed leads,and i cleaned and stripped carbs down,and they are fine, i aint getting a spark now,but ill look later. thanks dave

 

I am going thru the exact same issue..cleaned carb..realised frm other thread tht missed something took carbs again n cleand the bowl passages, has iridium plugs...lets see what i can do today.

 

I would check the gas for water. Drain EVERYTHING and try some new gas.
A weak battery can cause a no start. Jump it off with a car.

 

timing--- check coil resistance, pick-up coils for corrosion,cracks,poor
resistance or too much.
timing chain--- hows the tension?
these things need to be checked just to eliminate them as a prob.

 

I've been running myself crazy trying to figure out why my bike wouldnt get any roar at all to it when trying to start it. After checking and double and triple checking the timing the pressure the fuel the spark I couldn't get anything. My spark plugs were fairly clean and hadn't been used much but after seeing enough problems here with that I bought new plugs for under $10 put them in and sprayed a 2 small shots of starter fluid through the carbs then tried starting it and it fired within 10 seconds. This site is amazing and such a small thing like that meant the world to me!!

 

Just got my hands on 82 xj550 Maxim 8'100 miles, same problems, replaced needle and seats because gas was leaking through air cleaner and mixing with oil, must bench test before installing ( place carbs on work bench, hook up gas line and check for leaks from any of the carbs) saves alot of time . Hope this helps..

 

A lesson in never assuming anything.

Just stripped/cleaned/rebuilt the carbs on my '81 XJ650.
It has been running fine all year, but then suddenly refused to start at all.
Pretty obvious when I dropped the bowls that paint particles from a recent tank respray had clogged things up.
After re-assembly and re-fitting the carbs it still wouldn't fire - not even trying.
I then replaced all four plugs and checked resistance of the plug caps - found one to be well out so replaced it. - Still nothing.

This morning I found a piece of clear pipe and checked fuel level on carb no:1, thinking it would be spot-on (as they all had been previously).

No - hardly any fuel at all.

I had assumed that, since I've had these carbs in bits a few times before, I could re-assemble them without resort to the manual. Well.... obviously not, as it looks very much like I've put the floats back in upside down!

Oh well, we live and learn.

Nige

 

Thats because the floats look more right upside down than right side up. I personally have not done this, "AHUM" more than 2 or 3 times myself.
Remember if you cant laugh at yourself you don not get to laugh at others and if there is blood you have to turn away before laughing its only polite to do so.

 

It's all fun and games til someone gets hurt...............then it's hilarious!

 

Hello all,
Didn't want to start a new thread for this, so here are my issues:
I have a 1981 550maxim, I've had it for 4months as a daily driver and been replacing stuff intermittently here and there as I have the money. Over the warmer months in Ga it ran quite alright, but as it started to get colder I've had to use starting fluid to get going in the morning and then it would run fine. Now, as its gotten below freezing the bike won't start at all. I don't have a garage or anywhere else indoors that I can keep it. However, I'm convinced (and I could be horribly wrong) there should be a way to get things running in this weather.

The carbs are clean and well working, the petcock valve works well, the carb boots are in poor shape but not doing poorly. The plugs are a bit sooty but produce plenty of spark.

Update: A bit of starter fluid and some time with a 500f heatgun did the trick for getting it started in 25f weather. Now, onward to replacing the valve cover gasket. Any suggestions of things to do along with that?

 

Have you ever cleaned the Enrichement Circuit on the Carbs? A properly functioning enrichment circuit (also called "choke") is the KEY to cold starts. But I think even with a properly running motorcycle, below freezing is pushing it. If you kept it in a garage at like 50°F, then rolled it outside in the high 20s that would be one thing, but I know I had trouble starting mine near freezing when it's sitting out all day.

But it's unseasonably cold in GA isn't it? Maybe you should get a ride where ever you are going for next couple of days until is warms up ;-)

 

Have you tried boosting the battery AND a shot of ether ??
If you twist the throttle at all, you get no fuel.
That works for me. I also live on a hill. Bump starting is easier than dragging out the charger.

 

TimetoRide, what do you mean "If you twist the throttle at all, you get no fuel."?

Manbot13, right now I've got a broken choke cable to begin with, so I'm holding the choke lever on the carbs, then reaching over, spraying ether, and jumping the solenoid with a pair of pliers because that too has failed. I believe that the enrichment circuit is fine, however I'm going to check it out as I change the valve cover gasket.

 

Dude, you need to s l o o o w down a it. Bad enrichment cable, leaky valve cover gasket, need to use ether to start it, and you have to short across the starter solenoid with pliers to get it to turn over?

Any way you could get some help sorting some of this out?

The valve cover gasket can wait but the enrichment cable would get you a long way to solve your cold start problem.

I wish you the best!

Loren

 

Welcome to the site Spoonman,
You should start a new thread that will address all your bike's problems.

At cranking speed, the engine vacuum is lost if the throttle is twisted open.
Fuel is sucked thru the Pilot and Enrichment (choke) circuits differently than the Main jet, which relies on a venturi effect. (a simplified explanation)

And rear brake check when you get a half hour to kill.

 

SpoonMan:

Start your own Thread.

It sounds like you have a few obstacles to overcome before you get that bike to running the way you want.

Remove the broken Enrichment Circuit Cable and bring it in to a Bicycle Shop (Bicycle), ... and have a NEW Cable made-up while-you-wait.
Or, buy the Parts and make you own.

Next, ... Quit trying to start it until you have the "Main Ingredients" all in working order.
Cranking a Bike that lacks some element of running right just serves to put your Starter Clutch in jeopardy.

Start your OWN Thread.
Let the boys get you straightened-out, ... one thing at a time.

Take your time and write it up.
We'll try and get you squared away.

 

Further to my previous post, I've now fitted the floats the right way up... much better!

However, I've noticed (not for the first time) that the idle adjustment is absolutely critical to starting - or not. It's also - on my bike at least - very,very sensitive. I once whiled away a couple of days trying to re-find my original setting after playing around with it.

I've also noticed that it vibrates out of tune on the move, so have put PTFE (plumber's) tape on the threads to keep it where I want it.

For guidance, mine was set at fifteen and a half turns in (from the thread engaging). Alas, when I re-set it at that after the carb clean, the bike wouldn't start, so I ended up backing it off about a full turn before it fired.

I've now balanced the carbs with dial guages and this too involved further adjustment of the idle screw.

Let's see if it will start easily tomorrow?

Nige

 

Hey guys, I got an 82 xj550r and I can't get it to start. Recently I changed the battery and cleaned the carbs. Still can't get it to start normally. It only starts when its pushed and its in second gear but then dies when I stop accelarating. Anybody know what the issue might be??

 

to repost to sickle44 in your page 5 post..... lol, havent made it to 7 yet... i work at a part store. part of it is young ignorance.... part was you on the plug. if you tell them you want iridium plugs from a cross reference, thats what they will give you... the higher plugs run hotter... i always reccomend to people to STICK WITH OEM!! with the exception from going from a plat to a double plat.... as for me.... Ive only been told that the small jap motors only like ngks... and thats all i will put in them. i had a problem one day and borrowed some bosch plugs from a buddy.... shoulda just pushed it home. lol

 

I have A 750 Maxim, I cleaned the carbs and got the bike running. It ran for about 30 seconds at 4000 Rpm, Then it shut off and when i cranked it over again I heard a pop And saw a Puff of smoke. Im not sure where the smoke came from. Now the starter doesnt crank over as fast as it did before. It still Cranks but not near as well as before. Did I screw something up? Please Help!