Stalled in traffic and Won't restart....

I was riding home from work in heavy traffic when my '82 xj650rj seca quit. I pushed it to the side and attempted to restart and nothing but the red oil level light. I put it on the centre stand and checked the oil level and it is right in the middle of the sightglass hash marks. I checked the fuses and all is well. Any advice on how I might get this bad boy moving again? I'd had some trouble with a light drop from carb number 4 and am awaiting a few parts but this is nothing new and I have ridden all summer with no problem. Oil doesn't smell and I checked the #4 plug and it is not running rich...

 

Have you replaced fuse block...if not check fuses and wires close...how old is battery , is it serviced to proper level with distilled water? If battery is dead ie below 12v your charging system could have went south. A run down battery can cut out the ignition system TCI will quit working...just my thoughts

 

Side stand switch. Make sure it's clean. They can stick and a tiny bump will trip them, cutting power to the ignition.

Also, check that you have enough fuel.

 

Trailered it home... pulled the plugs to check for fouling, checked compresssion and turned right over, reinstalled plugs, and started right up.. On a related note 1982 xj650 seca for sale, no reasonable offer refused...

 

have you ever heard of a vapor lock with the xj's? possibly an oil sensor issue but it's never been a problem mid-way through the sightglass so not sure why yesterday would be a difference (I added enough to be above the lines just in case..) i'm stumped on it going from dead to perfect again just by removing and reinstalling the plugs....

 

Oil sensor won't cause it to shutdown, it simply turns the light on. The reason you got the red oil light when starting is its wired to light that up when you press start, its a quick test of the bulb to see if it's working. If you try to start it with the starter circuit disabled from some reason (i.e. side stand switch) it will just light up but the starter will not spin. Watch it next time you start it, it will light up even when the starter is working.

My vote is side stand switch as well, mine on the 82 is still a little goofy after cleaning it once and she left me coasting to the side of the road three times last week as the ignition would just cut out. Once I got to the side I had to cycle the kickstand a few times for the starter to spin again. Granted there are other parts that can go wrong with the safety system but the switch is the first thing to check as it's under the bike covered in all that roadgrime greasiness.

 

Blocked vent to the gas cap will do that.

 

Jay, I was in neutral with side stand up and down and center stand up and down in every combination, switch (plunger) was moving well though does look a little greasy. did you remove to clean or wipe it down?

 

Opened the cap to check I had fuel pretty early on in the process, where is the vent located?

 

If you were in neutral then the side stand switch doesn't come into play if the safety systems are working properly. Was the green neutral light on? If the side stand switch was acting up, I can definitely see it stalling the bike in gear but if the starter is not spinning in neutral you might have another issue.

I was able to peel the boot back on the bike, hose it down inside and out with brake cleaner, then spray the switch with Deoxit (electrical cleaner/lube) while cycling the plunger and it was good after that.

 

The vent is in the gas cap.
Gas cap repair

If it still didn't start after you opened the gas cap, then it's unlikely that a blocked vent was the cause (but cleaning the vent is not a bad idea anyway).

 

How bout my 750rj plus a grand?
I know you were joking, but I have to try!

 

I'd take $1500 and wish it a fond farewell...

 

remove the side stand relay and see if it starts and runs for you , or the black /white wire on the tci connector. both of these things will bypass the side stand relay and allow the bike to run