Starts but cuts out when in first gear

'82 maximum was having battery problems. I charged the battery and it everything went back to normal.

However, this morning when I went to go for a ride, the bike started fine, but cut out promply when shifted into gear. When put back into neutral, it started up again without me having to do anything.

I haven't replaced the battery but charged it. I didn't think it was the battery because the bike starts and runs fine in neutral. Just wondering if it's something else. I'm on my way out now to replace the battery....

I recently bought the bike and have really limited expereince. Any help would be great. Thanks!!

 

Put up the kickstand

 

You may have a problem with the sidestand switch. Because of its location, it's not unusual.

The bike utilizes a safety interlock system that prevents you from starting it in gear or riding away with the stand down.

This system consists of a neutral switch, sidestand switch, sidestand relay, clutch lever switch and the safety cutout relay itself.

A problem with the sidestand switch could cause the behavior you're describing, even if the stand is up.

A quick troubleshooting trick is to temporarily unplug the safety relay to bypass the whole mess, and see what happens.

 

Dont ask me how I know this

 

Yes, it was the kickstand. Thanks for the help!!

 

Quick question: was it cutting out when you released the clutch lever, or just when you put it in gear, even though the clutch was pulled?

If the latter, then you have a problem with the clutch switch or something associated with that signal. The safety circuit should cut ignition if you release the clutch with the bike in gear and the sidestand down.

 

gosh I love the easy fixes!!

 

In related trouble shooting yesterday I unplugged the whole safety relay. Now, that being said it really wasn't doing anything at all. My bike will start in gear, will ride with the side stand down, start in gear with the clutch not pulled in or not in netural. The only thing it may do is kill the engine if it gets dropped. So, should I bother plugging it back in?

 

Yes, because its all for your own safety but , its your bike you can do what you wish , but most everyone would tell you yes, its the way the bike was designed.

 

Ah, but it seems the people (I am as best I can tell the 4th owner of this bike) before me have disabled all the safety features.. but yeah I guess I'll plug it back in later today just for the engine cut off if I wreck or drop it..

 

It doesn't act as a "tipover" switch, unless maybe something's broken loose inside.

The sidestand/neutral/clutch interlock system as designed is a good idea; it's there to prevent disasters that could too easily occur by accidentally starting the bike in gear or riding off with the sidestand down. The sidestand is largely hidden by the rider's leg and foot when down, it's easy to miss the fact that it's deployed. Coupled with the geometry being such that it can lever the bike off its wheels in a left turn, disabling the sidestand switch is not such a good idea.

I highly recommend restoring all features of the safety/interlock system to original as-designed functionality.

 

The clutch safety cable isn't even on my clutch. And I guess I need to see if the other sensors are still there and or not by-passed. I also noticed in my hunting around yesterday and it never dawned on me somewhere along the line the removed the fuse box put blades in but wired it up directly not with a box. I'll take a picture today and get it posted on the site. So you'll get a better idea of what I am trying to say.

But in the current state the bike will start in gear, and will lurch forward when you do so. It will ride with the kick stand down. Caught myself once pulling off from a gas station her it drag. That is with the 'safety relay' plugged in. Maybe the relay is dead? it is electrical and over time will fail, just link anything mechanical over time it will just fail.

 

It's gotta be a pretty common problem, the previous owner of the XJ750 I drive now told me before I purchased it from him that he had disabled the clutch lever and kickstand safety features due to the bike randomly shutting down on him on the highways. Imagine driving 70mph or so and the bike just shuts off completely.. Yea I think I'd rather have it disabled if it's going to even have the possibility of doing that.

Even with all of that disabled though, I had the engine completely shut down on me once at 40mph, but I just instantly held in the clutch, switched to neutral started it back up, then switched back to gear while rolling, that ended up being the starter solenoid, replaced that 8 months ago and never had that happen again.

But honestly I can see how those safety features could be useful, but I'd rather have a low speed mishap than the possibility of the bike shutting down and the rear wheel locking at highway speeds.