'81 xs400 suddenly won't start

damnedbear

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Hey all!

Thanks in advance for your patience and advice, I'm very green when it comes to bikes! I bought an 81 XS 400 this week that had been kept in working condition, my first bike, I was thrilled to start riding and learning. It rains the day I bought it so I thought it was a good idea to put off my first ride until the next day. I couldn't stop thinking about it though so I went out and started the bike that night, went over and started it before work the next day, fired right up no problems.

When I came back from work though, I couldn't get it started and I tried and tried until the battery ran down. I could hear the starter turning over but no fire. I put the battery on a charger overnight with the same results the next morning and ever since. There's gas in the tank, I can smell gas when I try to start so I'm assuming there's gas in the bowls, lights come on and starter turns but no luck. I'm going to run home on my lunch break and pull the spark plugs out to have a look and test them for spark, if they look good what do I check next?

Is there any chance I hurt something trying to start it so many times?
PXL_20210928_230355053.MP.jpg
 
Check your fusebox.

If you have the old glass fuses, the clips that hold them get brittle with age and lose tension, leading to mystery electrical problems.
 
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