Budget attempt at a start up

[HerbHartline]

Hey All,
I just rescued an 81' XS400 from scrap. It has good bones, but needs an enormous amount of TLC. Odometer show 13,000 and still hooked up. No keys, no title. Needs new switches, controls, weather damaged. So using the electric starter at this point is a not possible.

Before I leap in too deep with time and money, I want to attempt to get it started, and try to use the starter motor to check the motor health. It has compression, but so far, no spark, but has fuel capability.

What can I do to circumvent the kill and starter switch to power it up to see if she will run without replacing everything first?

Any help and guidance will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[lemonhead]

Top of the forum, sticky thread with the service manual. Download it and study your wiring diagrams.

Buy a new battery, it'll make finding other electrical gremlins easier if you don't have a smoked lead-acid brick in the bike. Next, trace all your wires back to connectors and grounds, clean them all really well. You should be able to use jumper wires with gator clips to spoof both the kill switch and the key switch where necessary. You might be surprised at how resilient old electronics can be, but then again, I don't know what your situation looks like. As for spark, check your points. My bike had a bit of crud caked between them. A little emery cloth cleans them up enough for testing purposes.

If it makes you feel better about the e-start, (from my experience) these bikes start much easier with a kick. Often times it takes one kick to get mine going, where it takes several seconds on the e-start to get a pop.

And finally, post some pics.

I bought my bike "seized" and rescued it from a raccoon-crap disaster-barn for $50 and now, with less than $350 wrapped up in the whole project (including the cost of the bike), I have a good daily driver. My best advice is to be patient and learn everything you can about your bike before diving into any projects. Get to know it in it's factory form, and, once you get it running and riding how you like it, then customize it.

Good luck.

 

[motoTrooper]

Also, if you're gonna be playing with 35 year old wiring, do yourself and the bike a favor and work in a warm area. Those old plastic connectors and wire will be happier and so will your hands and patience. I had to make my own key for mine too and disassembling the key switch is relatively simple. Cleaning and lubing the switch can bring it back to near new functioning. Making your own key is also relatively simple too.

 

[Sesty]

Moto, you offering room in your garage this winter???

if winter ever shows up that is...

 

[Wolfe_11B]

If you want to get the starter going with no switch, just jump the 2 terminals on the solenoid. Screw drivers work well for this. Wear a glove and don't touch the metal.

 

[rshutchinson]

If it is the kill switch itself and not the wiring leading in or out of it you can simply splice the two wires together to connect the circuit.

As for the starter switch you can bypass that by shorting the two heavier gauge wires on the starter solenoid together. One of these wires run direct from the battery and the other runs to the starter itself so you are putting power directly to the starter motor this way.

 

[HerbHartline]

Yes, thank you for confirming...I thought about using my bump switch I use for setting valves on my race car. I am always cautious before assuming such mechanical things crossover.

Thank you for the input, it is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[HerbHartline]

Thank you!!

 

[HerbHartline]

Thank you for all the input...I greatly appreciate it!!!!