Help! Bike won't start

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RoughneckRico

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Hi guys and gals,

I have a 1984 XS400 that recently stopped starting. I'm no mechanic, but know how to use a wrench.

When I Press the Ignition button, all that I hear is a mechanical turning sound probably the starter. It sounds like the starter is turning fine, but it doesn't seem to be catching or starting the bike.

Anyone experience this problem and know how to fix this?
 
Simple things first....and I've done it, so not being smart:

Assuming the starter is spinning the engine fast enough (maybe you shouldn't assume)

1) Is there gas in the tank?
2) Is the petcock turned on?
3) Is the petcock working?

If all those things check out, spray starter fluid in the carbs and crank it, if it fires, you are not getting fuel. If it does not fire, chances are it is not getting spark

- then you have to chase down those issues, but first things first.
 
1) The tank is full
2) The petcock is on
3) Petcock is working

Friend of mine seems to think it might be my reduction gear? But he says he can'T tell unless he splits the engine.
 
With these bikes its generally the simplest things that go wrong. Most only rebuild the engine strictly because they're OCD. Pull the plugs and check for spark.
 
did you spray starter fluid into the air intake yet? Could just be dirty carbs. Pull your plugs see if theyre wet after you've tried to start

charge your battery also, sometimes it's just that

ive never heard about anyone having problems with reduction gears, but 99.9% of people on the forum have had dirty carbs
 
RoughneckRico said:
... When I Press the Ignition button, all that I hear is a mechanical turning sound probably the starter. It sounds like the starter is turning fine, but it doesn't seem to be catching or starting the bike ...
Click to expand...
It sounded to me like you were describing a starter motor which turns but no longer connects to the engine.

IF this is the case, the easiest (no wrenching, just pushing) way to check this might be to try and push start the bike by letting the clutch out in 2nd gear with the ignition turned on. A downhill slope would allow you to do it yourself. Personally, I would make the OCD guy who wants to tear your engine apart push you uphill.

The second thing you could do is take the starter off. If the business end spins both ways, then you have found your problem (it is supposed to be a one-way engagement).
 
OCD !!! That could be me :D We can't tell everything that could be wrong here. Find a multi-meter, and check battery voltage, if voltage is under 12 volts, you could jump it, with a Not running car's 12 volt battery since you have a 84 model, I assume that yamaha got rid of the kickstarter, so if your assuming that the carbs are clean, a steep hill. A guy I met at the VA with 30 year old bike, He gets his wife or someone to .... Nevermind, someone is going to get killed on that thought.

next step ???If the battery is truely fine, then its the carbs. Reduction gear? is that like a clutch gear for the SOHC's?
 
Except that the problem seems to be a good battery activating a starter which spins nicely but is no longer connecting to the engine.
But if it starts with a push then this will prove the broken connection without taking anything apart.
Once you prove it, you will of course finally have to take the broken assembly apart to fix - but nothing else.
 
MechNewb said:
He said he got good spark though. If the starter wasn't connecting to the engine and the engine wasn't turning over, no spark would be created.
Click to expand...
Hmm. He did say that, didn't he?
When he said the starter was fine but it wasn't catching, I fixated on it being something simple (per Corruptmind). Sometimes those of us seeking simplicity can be OCD too. :laugh:
If by "it" he meant the whole bike, and not just the starter not catching, then, being an xs400, it must be carbs ... :shrug:
 
Lou Ranger said:
Hmm. He did say that, didn't he?
When he said the starter was fine but it wasn't catching, I fixated on it being something simple (per Corruptmind). Sometimes those of us seeking simplicity can be OCD too. :laugh:
If by "it" he meant the whole bike, and not just the starter not catching, then, being an xs400, it must be carbs ... :shrug:
Click to expand...

Yeah the starter not connecting was the first thing I thought of as well but spark rules that out.

Well Roughneck looks like you've got spark, and battery is fine since its cranking over.
Can you tell if it's getting fuel? Are the spark plugs wet? Possibly fouled?
 

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