I have been around for a while, mostly lurking through some rebuilds.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to ride my bike (XJ600, 1997, 4BR) for the last few months. I haven't had the time to troubleshoot it neither.
First off, the battery has been replaced. I keep it charged and maintained and I always read 12.8v+ with my multimeter.
I haven't replaced my starter relay, although I don't think that's the issue here. I've checked my starter motor (and brushes) and nothing seems off.
So far, it seems mechanical. I'll try to describe the issue from what I could gather.
Issues:
- I can put the bike into any gear just fine. It moves freely in neutral.
- If I put the bike into gear, the bike will "bump" into gears as if the clutch wasn't pulled. I'm pretty confident that the clutch is okay as it never slipped or stuck while riding.
- If I try to start the bike in neutral, the starter relay will buzz loudly. It seems as if the starter motor can't spin the gear since something is stuck. Insisting will heat up the relay and battery.
- If I try to start the bike in gear (clutch pulled in), a relay will click once and nothing will happen. It behaves as if the clutch was pulled in.
- I've had issues in the past when starting this bike: lunging forward with clutch pulled in, starter relay buzzing, starter motor turning over very roughly...
- Replace battery, make sure it is charged.
- Clean battery and starter relay contacts. Test relay for continuity.
- Check starter motor for wear or damage. Check that it turns over with jumper cables. It seems fine, although I can provide pictures.
- Rock back and forth to free gears. With some elbow grease, rocking the bike will make the relay buzz for a couple of seconds.
- Drop it into gear from neutral to see if the engine starts (shifting with clutch to avoid added wear).
- Jump starting the bike, bypassing the starter relay. Sparks fly but my bike won't turn over.
- Leaving the clutch lever pulled in for 24h, hopefully freeing a sticky clutch. I've also cleaned, lubed and tightened the clutch cable to no avail (although it pulls smoothly now
.
I'm at a loss here. As far as I'm aware, starter gear trouble affects older models.
I'm thinking I could start by adding a few liters of gas to the tank so the carb gets plenty for starting (I can't tell how full it is now).
I could also dump the oil and check for any metal shavings and indication of wear.
I'll also add that most days the bike would start up perfectly, and it's always been a smooth ride. The bike shifts and runs great for its age, the valves tick like they should (it's a noisy air cooled engine and that's part of the charm).
Let me know what you think, and safe riding!