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Just a couple of random thoughts. The XJ has two interlocks to prevent the bike from riding off with the kickstand down and the bike in gear. One of these switches is down by the kickstand and has three wires going up to a connector that is just behind and under the fuel tank. The switches are known to go bad and replacements are no longer available from Yamaha. To bypass you need to remove the three wire connector and jump all three wires on the bike side together. I did a Tech Tip on this years ago but have not checked to see if it is still on the site. I used 1/4 inch spade terminals to slip over the blades in the connector and just added a wire connecting all three spades.
It is also possible to repair the switch, takes some care, but can be done. Topic for another post.
Other switch is in the clutch cable. The XJ has an additional pigtail that goes into the clutch lever assembly and trips a switch there. Track this cable to its bike-side connector and jump the bike side wires together to bypass. You may want to put a continuity meter across the lever side wires first to check the circuit is opening and closing as you work the lever. If you get an open - closed response you will not need to jump the wires.
The kickstand switch is far more often the culprit for a non-starting XJ. Since it looks like you have tried everything else, try the kickstand bypass trick and see if that helps.
The kickstand switch is a plunger type and has an o-ring seal on one end. That seal wears and lets dirt and stuff to get into the switch. Often the plunger can't return to its closed position; this activates the kill circuit. It might be possible to work the plunger by hand to make sure it is fully closed but the problem will reappear until the switch is repaired or bypassed.
NOTE: Bypassing the kickstand switch will let you ride off with the kickstand down. If you bypass the switch please take special care to make sure your kickstand is up before putting the XJ in gear and riding off!
Other thoughts on electrical.
The OEM battery cables are now 37 years old or more. Corrosion has built up between the wires and under the lug at the end of the cable. This will cause a voltage drop even if the battery connectors are clean. I replaced the cables on my XJ several years ago and was surprised on how much easier and faster the bike started. At the time I did not have a meter to check voltage drops, but now realize it had to be significant.
The ground wire is not a problem; make up a new cable or find one the right size at a local small engine shop. The positive wire has a pigtail on it that makes a replacement cable harder to find. Check with Yamaha to see if a new cable is available or, again, make one up. I finally bought an inexpensive crimper tool and cable ends on-line and have since made cables to replace the old cables on riding lawn mowers, ATV winches, and other applications that use smaller batteries.
Just a couple of random thoughts. The XJ has two interlocks to prevent the bike from riding off with the kickstand down and the bike in gear. One of these switches is down by the kickstand and has three wires going up to a connector that is just behind and under the fuel tank. The switches are known to go bad and replacements are no longer available from Yamaha. To bypass you need to remove the three wire connector and jump all three wires on the bike side together. I did a Tech Tip on this years ago but have not checked to see if it is still on the site. I used 1/4 inch spade terminals to slip over the blades in the connector and just added a wire connecting all three spades.
It is also possible to repair the switch, takes some care, but can be done. Topic for another post.
Other switch is in the clutch cable. The XJ has an additional pigtail that goes into the clutch lever assembly and trips a switch there. Track this cable to its bike-side connector and jump the bike side wires together to bypass. You may want to put a continuity meter across the lever side wires first to check the circuit is opening and closing as you work the lever. If you get an open - closed response you will not need to jump the wires.
The kickstand switch is far more often the culprit for a non-starting XJ. Since it looks like you have tried everything else, try the kickstand bypass trick and see if that helps.
The kickstand switch is a plunger type and has an o-ring seal on one end. That seal wears and lets dirt and stuff to get into the switch. Often the plunger can't return to its closed position; this activates the kill circuit. It might be possible to work the plunger by hand to make sure it is fully closed but the problem will reappear until the switch is repaired or bypassed.
NOTE: Bypassing the kickstand switch will let you ride off with the kickstand down. If you bypass the switch please take special care to make sure your kickstand is up before putting the XJ in gear and riding off!
Other thoughts on electrical.
The OEM battery cables are now 37 years old or more. Corrosion has built up between the wires and under the lug at the end of the cable. This will cause a voltage drop even if the battery connectors are clean. I replaced the cables on my XJ several years ago and was surprised on how much easier and faster the bike started. At the time I did not have a meter to check voltage drops, but now realize it had to be significant.
The ground wire is not a problem; make up a new cable or find one the right size at a local small engine shop. The positive wire has a pigtail on it that makes a replacement cable harder to find. Check with Yamaha to see if a new cable is available or, again, make one up. I finally bought an inexpensive crimper tool and cable ends on-line and have since made cables to replace the old cables on riding lawn mowers, ATV winches, and other applications that use smaller batteries.
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