my XJ750RJ seca won't start.

So today it got up to 54 degrees. I figured "good day to ride"
Vroooom. go off for a few hours. I returned home and figured I'd do a bit of work on the bike.

Decided to swap the rusted forks for the ones on my spare parts bike, which were in great shape.

So while jacking the bike up the block of wood i was using slipped and bike bke almost fell all the way to the ground. i'd say i caught it about 8 " before hitting the right side. I braced my self and picked it up. it was on it's side about 8 to 10 secs.

I went to work on the front forks. Got the job done. everything looked great. I still have to bleed the system though. But I figured I'd go ahead and crank the engine and move the bike a bit.

Then....It cranks over and over, it seems to want to fire a few times and nothing. battery get's drained from trying so much. I used the choke, then I didn't . I held the gas a bit and nothing. I checked the plugs and they were dry. So no flooding to my knowledge.

My question is. what could be causing the engine to not start?

I was maybe thinking that the bike had a override if the brake master cylinder was empty. Since it is. But I don't think the bike is that sofisticated.
Then I was thinking, maybe it won't start because the bike fell to the side? But it wasn't even a hard drop like it hit the ground or anything like that. Someone told me maybe the gas drained from the carbs or something got moved around in the tank when it fell and clogged the fuel line. But the bike wasn't down for too long and I did not try to start the bike until 30 min to 45 min after I finished swaping the forks.

Can anyone help or have any ideas? :cry:

 

No, the bike isn't that sophisticated. Did fuel leak out of the carbs when it tipped over? Check the airbox. I had the same thing happen and I got a good bit of fuel on the ground (because I have pods).

Tap each float bowl lightly with a hammer or something to try to reseat your float valves. Also, check all of your electrical connections. If the plugs really were dry, it sounds like you lost your spark somehow.

Let us know what you find.

 

Fuel did spill out from the tank, but I'm not sure if any came out from the carbs. It's possible. I did not sit around to check being that it was only a few seconds.

Later on today I will tap the float bowls, like you said, and check the air box. What am I checking for on the air box?

 

Try the prime or reserve position on the petcock and see if that helps. Sounds like you are not getting fuel into the carbs for some reason

 

I meant for you to check for the smell of fuel in the airbox to see if it spilled out from your carbs. Likely it's all evaporated by now, but the odor should still be there in the paper element.

 

Re-charge the battery and check for spark, check fuses and ignition wire connections. Shoot a little starting fluid in the airbox.

 

Ok, I checked the airbox and yes it smells like it had fuel there. So, fuel did spill out from carbs.

I'm charging the battery as I type. I did get it to turn over a few times though and it seemed like it wanted to start, but then the last bit of energy from the battery was drained.

I also tapped the fuel bowls a bit. I placed the petcock on the reserve position. I will try to cranck it in a few hours and let you all know how it went.

Man it's pretty windy outside and cold too.

 

Be Careful when charging the battery. Make sure the water level is up to the line and don't overcharge.

 

can I just jump start it with my jumper cables and my truck battery? i have a tricle charger and that thing takes forever to charge.

How long should I leave the petcock on Prime? Should I try to start the engine while on prime?

 

On prime for a minute or so. You can jump it from a car battery with the car not running

 

Ok the idea with prime is, If you are correct when you say you pulled the plugs and they were dry. Right. It sounds like your not getting fuel for some reason. The petcock on prime bypasses the vacuum part of the petcock. If it runs you can place it back into the run position and see if it continues to run. I have done this before try to start the engine and figured out there was not enough fuel in the tank for it to work in the run position.
If you don't want to try that you can always spray some starting fluid into the air box and see if it fires up. Good Luck either way

 

Thanks guys, I will have to try again tomorrow after work, it's cold, windy and dark outside. I want to get the bike going so bad. It has me all worried. It figures, I make it look all pretty and now it won't run, LOL

 

VROOOOOOM I got the bike running again! Whooohooo.

So I tried the prime starting and it worked, soon after I moved the peg to regular and it still runing. Aparently when i droped the bike the carbs got drained and thus made it hard to get it started again. After priming it and cranking it's back to life. THANK YOU guys so much. What a great bunch.

Tomorrow I will start bleeding my anti dive and brake system.