Yamaha XJ900 , stood for few months and its time get back to road

[MikeRider]

Hello,

I'm rookie rider and got it as first motorbike.

I bought my Yamaha XJ900 [1991y] early this year and made a few trips [ aprx 400 miles ], then it stood for a few months.

Fuel is there [ aprx 33% ] and i have charged battery, it spins but it doesn't make the engine running.

What else can be done?

Thanks.

[dynax]

take out the spark plug and see if fuel is getting through, then while the spark plug is out see if you have a spark, if both those check out and are okay then it should fire unless something else is amiss, but there is no reason it shouldn't go after such a short period of time, i have left my CG longer than that and it fires up on the first press of the starter

[iangaryprice]

Have you got the fuel tap on prime!

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Worth adding some fresh fuel just to make sure. I've known some engines refuse to fire with old fuel.

[caveman]

first and foremost....welcome

I would suspect the battery, just because it's charged doesn't mean it's any good.

I would be asking how old the battery is and how flat was it before it was charged.

If you have a multimeter then check the voltage before and after cranking the engine to see how the battery recovers. If not then a simple test would be to put the headlight on, if the light goes dull after a few minutes and doesn't stay as crisp then the battery is duff.

The better the battery, the better the spark

[fastbob]

take out the spark plug and see if fuel is getting through, then while the spark plug is out see if you have a spark, if both those check out and are okay then it should fire unless something else is amiss, but there is no reason it shouldn't go after such a short period of time, i have left my CG longer than that and it fires up on the first press of the starter

 

Plug ? It's got four of them and although it's air cooled I bet the middle two are hard to reach.

[Stu]

if its stood then the chances are the carbs will be gummed up

[WD-40]

Could also be water in the fuel. It collects on the bottom of the tank and in the carb bowl so when you go to start it you're trying to start on rain water instead of fuel

[MikeRider]

first and foremost....welcome

I would suspect the battery, just because it's charged doesn't mean it's any good.

I would be asking how old the battery is and how flat was it before it was charged.

If you have a multimeter then check the voltage before and after cranking the engine to see how the battery recovers. If not then a simple test would be to put the headlight on, if the light goes dull after a few minutes and doesn't stay as crisp then the battery is duff.

The better the battery, the better the spark

 

Actually the battery was kinda good condition (12.4) but after some time of trying it dropped to 11.6-5v so I charged it to 12.5-6v levels.

It's basic Halfords motorbike battery but I purchased it brand new together with the motorbike.

It stood like three months. I guess to start with the petrol first but will it make it any better on PRIME ?

Thanks.

[caveman]

I generally charge batteries to around 13.5v which after charging settles down to 12.8ish. If you consider on a running bike that a battery is generally charging around 13.5 - 14v (or around that). If a battery drops below 12.4 after charging then I would consider it weak and would offer poor starting.

Just cleaning the electrical connectors at the battery, starter motor and starter relay can make a world of difference, you will be surprised just how much voltage is lost due to high resistance caused by tarnished electrical connectors.

If I have a bike that's stood for a while and is a stubborn starter I drain the float bowls and allow then to refill, this will also check that the fuel filter isn't blocked. I then pull the plugs and give them a quick clean with a wire brush (checking the condition and gaps while they are out).

I also warm the plugs before I put them back in, just to rule out any cold start issues...any hey presto! it works!

I generally only use prime if I have emptied the carbs of fuel and never leave it on longer then 10 - 15 seconds. If the needles are stuck open then you can flood the engine if prime is left on, and in some cases end up with it in the crank case.

If everything worked fine when it last run before leaving it stood, then I would expect it to work again.

[MikeRider]

If I have a bike that's stood for a while and is a stubborn starter I drain the float bowls and allow then to refill, this will also check that the fuel filter isn't blocked. I then pull the plugs and give them a quick clean with a wire brush (checking the condition and gaps while they are out).

I also warm the plugs before I put them back in, just to rule out any cold start issues...any hey presto! it works!

 

 

I have got the petrol released from carburetor.

It looks pretty disgusting.

Would it idicate the faulty fuel filter working ?

Thanks.

[Guest Swagman]

That looks like either stale fuel or water mixed in it let it stand for half hour and see if the liquids separate, if so in either case drain all the fuel and renew it.

[caveman]

That looks like either stale fuel or water mixed in it let it stand for half hour and see if the liquids separate, if so in either case drain all the fuel and renew it.

 

Float bowls generally have a little bit of crap sitting around or settling in the drain screw areas which come out when they are opened, Fresh fuel tends to look almost clear and the older is gets the more yellow it goes,

I would agree with Swagman, drop the fuel and get some fresh before checking anything else as that looks a little nasty.