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  • Bike shuts off in gear....

    Hey guys, its been awhile since I posted. The bikes been running fine for awhile, so it makes since that now the weathers finally nice, that it starts acting up. The bike starts up fine, warms up, then when I go to put it in gear, it acts like its not getting any fuel and then shuts off. I cant restart it for awhile after that. I wait about 10 minutes, and it will start up fine agin, i put it in gear, same thing...ive checked the fuses and the tci box connection. What else should I check?
    79 XS11 special "Loki" - homemade 4-2 exhaust, pod filters, rebuilt forks with progressive springs, tkat fork brace, progressive shocks, rebuilt all brakes and MC's, rebuilt carbs with #142.5 main and #42.5 pilot, a custom front and chin fairing, and a handmade set of saddlebags....

    09 YZF-R1 " Toothless"

    04 Buell XB12R "Butterfly"

    "I had a name at some point, a birth-name, but now everyone just calls me Wolf...."

    Wolf
    Moto Militia MC

  • #2
    Is your clutch fully disengaging when you pull the lever? That'd be the first thing I'd check.
    1979 XS1100

    Comment


    • #3
      im not sure...ive never had a problem with that before... i think it is...how would I check that?
      79 XS11 special "Loki" - homemade 4-2 exhaust, pod filters, rebuilt forks with progressive springs, tkat fork brace, progressive shocks, rebuilt all brakes and MC's, rebuilt carbs with #142.5 main and #42.5 pilot, a custom front and chin fairing, and a handmade set of saddlebags....

      09 YZF-R1 " Toothless"

      04 Buell XB12R "Butterfly"

      "I had a name at some point, a birth-name, but now everyone just calls me Wolf...."

      Wolf
      Moto Militia MC

      Comment


      • #4
        Pull the clutch, put it in gear, and if it dies....
        "The Hooligan" XJ1100, Virago Gauge Pods, Screaming Eagle Mufflers, K&N Filter, hand made rear fender, side covers, and solo seat, round bar conversion, small headlight, tail light, and cat eye turn signals, chip fuses, rewired the right way.

        Pics: http://s1236.photobucket.com/user/ya...?sort=6&page=1

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        • #5
          well thats what is happening...then i cant restart it for awhile...sometimes it dies immediately, then other times it sounds like its only running on a few cylinders, runs for a few seconds, then dies...
          79 XS11 special "Loki" - homemade 4-2 exhaust, pod filters, rebuilt forks with progressive springs, tkat fork brace, progressive shocks, rebuilt all brakes and MC's, rebuilt carbs with #142.5 main and #42.5 pilot, a custom front and chin fairing, and a handmade set of saddlebags....

          09 YZF-R1 " Toothless"

          04 Buell XB12R "Butterfly"

          "I had a name at some point, a birth-name, but now everyone just calls me Wolf...."

          Wolf
          Moto Militia MC

          Comment


          • #6
            Common problem what you are having when the wiring harness running under the shifter gets wet. Did you just wash the bike?
            2H7 (79) owned since '89
            3H3 owned since '06

            "If it ain't broke, modify it"

            Comment


            • #7
              That's weird, does it feel like it's trying to go when you put it in gear? To adjust the clutch: follow the clutch cable down to where it enters the right side case, pull off the round cover held in place with the 2 screws, then you should see the arm your cable end attaches to. There is a screw with a nut on it, that is the adjuster for your clutch disengage. Make sure there is plenty of slack in your clutch cable for the adjustment. Loosen the lock nut on the adjuster screw shaft, then turn the screw in until it just barely makes contact with the clutch basket inside, back the screw off 1/4 turn, then tighten the lock nut. After that take the slack out of your clutch cable until the clutch hand lever is adjusted correctly. There is a source on here to download a repair manual for your bike with pictorials to help you. A lot of times when a bike sits for a while, the oil will run out of the clutch disks and they will sort of stick together. If your clutch is in adjustment then it will do exactly as you're describing until you are able to break the disks loose.
              "The Hooligan" XJ1100, Virago Gauge Pods, Screaming Eagle Mufflers, K&N Filter, hand made rear fender, side covers, and solo seat, round bar conversion, small headlight, tail light, and cat eye turn signals, chip fuses, rewired the right way.

              Pics: http://s1236.photobucket.com/user/ya...?sort=6&page=1

              Comment


              • #8
                I had just washed it...
                79 XS11 special "Loki" - homemade 4-2 exhaust, pod filters, rebuilt forks with progressive springs, tkat fork brace, progressive shocks, rebuilt all brakes and MC's, rebuilt carbs with #142.5 main and #42.5 pilot, a custom front and chin fairing, and a handmade set of saddlebags....

                09 YZF-R1 " Toothless"

                04 Buell XB12R "Butterfly"

                "I had a name at some point, a birth-name, but now everyone just calls me Wolf...."

                Wolf
                Moto Militia MC

                Comment


                • #9
                  Ok, what happens is the sheathing fills up with water and shorts out the splice of the pick up coil wires inside causing 2 cylinders to drop out when the ground is lost from the neutral light switch. Either wait for it to dry out or if you must ride it now, disconnect the neutral lite wire from the switch at the engine and attach it to ground. This will restore the 2 cylinders although the neutral lite will remain on in all gears, just be aware. The real fix is to waterproof that sheathing, there is a hole in it where the neutral switch wire exits.

                  Edit: Your spark plug wires or other wires might have also got wet, but if it runs fine until you dump it into gear, then the problem is what I first mentioned above.
                  Last edited by bikerphil; 01-19-2013, 01:50 PM.
                  2H7 (79) owned since '89
                  3H3 owned since '06

                  "If it ain't broke, modify it"

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Haha! Thanks for the tip bikerphil. The other day when I was monkey9ing around getting my case halves ready to split, I noticed my timing advance wire sheath was so brittle it cracked, I was planning on shrink tubing it to make sure it's protected, now I know the reason why I should.
                    "The Hooligan" XJ1100, Virago Gauge Pods, Screaming Eagle Mufflers, K&N Filter, hand made rear fender, side covers, and solo seat, round bar conversion, small headlight, tail light, and cat eye turn signals, chip fuses, rewired the right way.

                    Pics: http://s1236.photobucket.com/user/ya...?sort=6&page=1

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I posted this last summer about this problem... this is an easy permanent fix to the wet no-start problem. This plug is the only thing in common with the ignition and the neutral light...

                      http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37779
                      When the horse is dead, dismount.

                      Bagapotomus - '80G Attempted Rescue, '78 Engine, Vetter Bags and Trunk.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by bikerphil View Post
                        Common problem what you are having when the wiring harness running under the shifter gets wet. Did you just wash the bike?
                        Originally posted by airborneXS View Post
                        I had just washed it...
                        Ha ha.......I was going to say that but Phil beat me to it.

                        The connectors between the hard wires and the flexible wires for the pickup coils aren't insulated very well and water conducts electricity rather well.

                        Long story short, as long as the neutral light is on the pickup wires are being fed power but as soon as it's put into gear and the light goes out it grounds the pickup wires through the neutral light circuit. Killing the signal to the TCI.

                        Disconnect the wire from the neutral switch and it should run.
                        Greg

                        Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

                        ― Albert Einstein

                        80 SG Ol' Okie;79 engine & carbs w/pods, 45 pilots, 140 mains, Custom Mac 4 into 2 exhaust, ACCT,XS850 final drive,110/90/19 front tire,TKat fork brace, XS750 140 MPH speedometer, Vetter IV fairing, aftermarket hard bags and trunk, LG high back seat, XJ rear shocks.

                        The list changes.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by BA80 View Post
                          Disconnect the wire from the neutral switch and it should run.
                          Disconnecting the ground is what kills the bike (shifting into gear). Grounding the neutral wire (same as bike being in neutral) allows it to run. The neutral bulb has power to it, clicking the transmission into neutral adds the ground and completes the circuit. What this has to do with the TCI, I haven't a clue.
                          Last edited by bikerphil; 01-19-2013, 07:08 PM.
                          2H7 (79) owned since '89
                          3H3 owned since '06

                          "If it ain't broke, modify it"

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            It was the opposite in my experience but I have heard that grounding the wire works in other instances also. I guess it depends on what wire(s) are shorting.

                            What this has to do with the TCI, I haven't a clue.
                            The TCI is affected in that it isn't receiving the signal from the pickups. That IS where the signal goes and is read to fire the coils.
                            Greg

                            Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

                            ― Albert Einstein

                            80 SG Ol' Okie;79 engine & carbs w/pods, 45 pilots, 140 mains, Custom Mac 4 into 2 exhaust, ACCT,XS850 final drive,110/90/19 front tire,TKat fork brace, XS750 140 MPH speedometer, Vetter IV fairing, aftermarket hard bags and trunk, LG high back seat, XJ rear shocks.

                            The list changes.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Just disconnecting the neutral light wire did not work for me, I had to ground the wire to the case bolt to get it to run.

                              I crimped a new wire onto the end of the neutral light wire and pulled it through and replaced the neutral light wire and that solved my problems.
                              Nathan
                              KD9ARL

                              μολὼν λαβέ

                              1978 XS1100E
                              K&N Filter
                              #45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
                              OEM Exhaust
                              ATK Fork Brace
                              LED Dash lights
                              Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters

                              Green Monster Coils
                              SS Brake Lines
                              Vision 550 Auto Tensioner

                              In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

                              Theodore Roosevelt

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