LaXcAt

i recently got a 94 xj600 from a friend but i cant seem to get it 2 start. i have cleaned the carbs/fuel system. i checked spark with a timing light. i tried spraying liquid start in the air box but still no luck. the bike turns over but wont fire. i tried w/ and wo/ chock, petcock @different positions. i was wondering if someone could help me out maybe take a look @it for me. this is my first bike so its prob something minor. ill give u a couple bucks if u can fix it.

my steps to starting it

choke
fuel on
put it in N (light comes on)
key 2 on
run switch to on
press start button.....

wwplayboater

take out the plugs clean em and make sure they are good then try again without the choke... you may be getting the plugs a bit too wet.

LaXcAt

i cleaned the plugs but still no luck, it seem to fire once and than nothing.....

skr00zloose

pull the plugs, stick them back in the wires, and (without touching the plug!!) lay the end of the plug against anything grounded on the bike, and kick the motor over. you should get a fat blue spark, if you don't get a spark, or it's weak, replace the plugs.

also, if it's been sitting any length of time, the gas may be bad. drain the tank, loosen the float bowl drain screws and let all the old gas out. tighten the float bowl drains back up, fill the tank with fresh gas, and try again. when gas sits for a while, all the volatile stuff in it evaporates, and it makes it real hard to burn. if you smell the gas in the tank, and it smells like varnish or laquer thinner, it's definately bad.

LaXcAt

i replaced the plugs, i drained it and put new gas in, when i open the bowls gas comes out but it still wont start......any other ideas

skr00zloose

you said you cleaned the carbs, did you physically take them off, take them apart, and clean ouit all the jets/ orifices?

LaXcAt

yes i took them off the bike and cleaned all the parts

skr00zloose

did you check for spark like i mentioned?

LaXcAt

yes i did what you said the spark looked good, i also tested it with a timing light.

skr00zloose

well, a timing light only tells you that the timing is on or not, and that you're getting some sort of a fire thru the wires, but that doesn't really mean that you're actually getting a good spark. you can't be checking the actual ignition timing if the bike's not running.

you have to have 3 main things for a motor to run

compression

spark

and fuel

and it all has to be timed properly.

if you've been thru the carbs top to bottom, checked for spark and found good spark, the next step would be compression, and valve timing.

find, steal (kidding), or borrow a compression guage, and check the compression. check all the cyclinders, and see what numbers (in lbs) you come up with.

easy, and basic, way to check to make sure you have at least SOME compression is to pull the spark plugs and stick your thumb over the hole, and turn the motor over, it should pop your finger off the plug hole.

when you pulled the carbs apart, did you pull the main jets AND the pilot jets out and clean them? you should be able to see light thru them. the pilot jet orifice is very very small, so it doesn't take much to clog them up, and they control the idle/slow speed circuits of in the carb.