start button delay before firing

Hi xj community. This summer I experienced longer and longer delays whenever I was pressing the start button on my 1982 xj750 seca and turning of the starter. This fall the delay turned into eternity. I jumped the 2 solenoid screws and the bike turned right away. I changed the solenoid for a Rick's Motorsport's and that seemed to fix the issue. But the next day nothing happened again as I pressed the start button.
I love my bike but this issue is beyond my comprehension. Help please!

 

Battery. Have it load tested.

 

Startermotor brushes?

 

Also a likely cuprit.
Replacing your starter motor brushes w/ pics

But I would not jump to that conclusion just yet.
The starter switch or the killswitch may also be at fault. Dirty contacts, or poor solder joints will cause intermittent faults.
Ensuring that the battery is good is the first step in diagnosing any electrical problem.

@Juniorglide Please edit your signature to reflect which year, and model of XJ you have. That way it's never in doubt no matter haw far into a thread your posts are.

 

Jump the solenoid a few times from cold to check it isn't the battery. If it isn't, then indeed it could be the starter button (my guess), the kill switch or the safety circuit. To check the kill switch get it running, then "wiggle" the switch without turning it off - if the engine doesn't stumble then the kill switch is most likely fine. Without checking, I'm not sure if your model has an earth to the start button/switch cluster - so it could be this - actually, the oil light should come on when you press the start - does it, every time?

 

Thanks. I will try all that and get back to you. There is no oil light, the electronic display ( the 'Atari') has all the 'problems' lit up until it starts.

 

Thanks. I will try to get to the back of the switch, inspect and clean it and then check the battery (Yuasa AGM 3 years old-tendered all winter long)