XJ550 starting problem

My dad’s friends XJ550 has been of the road for 1 year and a half due to a starting problem. He thinks it may have some thing to do with the solenoid as the bike would start sometimes then other times not. So to have any chance of starting it you had to tap the solenoid to get it to start, but this didn’t all ways work So he then replaced the solenoid with a new one and still didn’t work so he but it down to a bad connection and got as far as tracing the wire down to the battery and all the wires where fine there. So he laid it up in his shed and is know looking to getting it back on the road. So any ideas as to what might be?
It does tune over and there is a spark so could be timing or something like that I really don’t know, we will be seeing him this Thursday so need to get as much info as I can for when I next see him.

Thanks AL

 

Sitting that long you will probably need to clean the carbs. Plenty of info on here on how to do that. You will most likely also need a new battery. These bikes are really hard to start if the battery isn't fully charged. Check all the battery connections for good connection. Take them off and clean them. Don't just assume they are good because they look good. Check all the grounds too.

Make sure to check the rear brakes for delamination. I had a set delaminate just sitting in a box.

 

Adding to that... timing is basically never an issue on these bikes. The timing is electronically controlled and either works or doesn't. Ignition problems will typically manifest as missing spark on the 1/4 pair of plugs, or the 2/3 pair, as each of these pairs has an ignition channel that's mostly independent of the other channel.

 

I would break out the old multimeter. Check the ignition coils. Also check your TCI, your kickstand switch and fuses. For my bike I replaced all the spark plug caps since mine were original. I also discovered corosion on the TCI and cleaning that real good took care of my starting problem.

Also update your profile signiture with the year and model so we know what your riding.

 

I'd start with the old air, fuel, spark requirements and figure out which of the three is insufficient or excessive. Check for spark, check condition of plugs (wet, fouled, clean/dry, etc). Try starting on Prime. Try starting with starting fluid. Narrow down what doesn't seem to be working correctly. I'd bet it's fuel that's the problem, but, seeing as it was working up to a point, you may now have two problems: one - whatever laid the bike up in the first place, two - gummed up fuel throughout the fuel system now from sitting.

 

Maybe drain the float bowls and refill with fresh gas?

 

A Bike don't need to sit for too long before it'll refuse to start. Especially, a bike that didn't get laid-up right before pulling the Rip Van Winkle.

If the Fuel Bowl Drain Screws weren't pulled and the Gas evaporated, ... 99 out of a hundred times the Carbs are going to need cleaning.

I've seen Carbs that only sat over the Winter, have stuck Pistons and caramel-coated Fuel Bowls. Depends where you live and what they blend into the Gas you get.

You probably are NOT going to get that 550 running without some carb Cleaning and some other tune-up related Maintenance.

You can do a few things to figure-out where you stand.

Look for a Rodent and vermin free air box.
Charge the Battery or provide a new one.
Check Compression.
Check for Sparks.

Try to make it start on Starting Fluid.
Pops; backfires, ... "Wants to go". Fuel delivery related issue.

Nothing.
Ignition related.

You can't bring-along a Magic Wand and say "Abra-cadabra".

You can acquire a copy of the Workshop Manual.
That would be the first thing you should get to help make that thing go again.

 

Maybe I'm missing something here.
Do you have trouble cranking and getting the engine to turn over, or do you have trouble getting the engine to fire?

All that talk about solenoids has me thinking that it is a matter of turn over????

 

I say you were lucky.

Even with putting Sta-Bil in the Fuel, ... you still have to FOG the Engine after youve Shut-Off the Fuel Supply and run the Engine until it dies from Fuel Starvation.

I think the idea is to "Drain the Bowls"