I'm new here and I have a question.

[TXbobber]

I bought my 1980 xs650 (that had been sitting for an unknown amount of time) and I've been tinkering with it to try to get it running. I've been working on cars for quite a while so I'm not new to motors, just motorcycles. So far I've determined the ignition coil and vacuum petcock are bad, so I've replaced the coil, plugs and wires and made a free flowing gas tank that is rust free. I also replaced the carbs with clean carbs off a running bike. After doing all this it still won't run.

The bike starts up but if I don't keep reving it it'll die. Also when I start it up even if it's in neutral the wheel spins and the bike lurches forward as if it were in gear. My friend says his four wheeler was doing this once when he got it out of storage so he towed it behind his truck while it was in gear to get the fluids warmed up and after that it would start up every time. I'm not sure how I would do that with a motorcycle..... Does anyone have any ideas about what the problem could be or if everything is just stuck together how I could get it unstuck?

I hope yall can help me with this problem.

 

[inxs]

- hi welcome
- check your battery and put it on charge
- if you cant free the clutch by rocking her with unreasonable ammounts of non-violent-violence you may have to resort to taking the sidecase off...so cross your fingers
- adjust clutch once free
- do a compression test
- adjust your cam chain, then your tappets, then your timing-ah an 80 so you will have TCI, electronic ign-no timing adjustment unless you modify the pickup mounting points
- check for spark and that it is sparking in the right sequence
- clean air filters
- check for fuel in bowls and cylinder
- should at least fire

- good luck

 

[TXbobber]

The battery has been fully charged. Once it gets drained I put it back on the charger. and the air filters are clean. As for the rest of what you mentioned... it looks like I have a lot to do. But the bike does start up, but as soon as it does it's like if you were to pop the clutch without giving it any gas, it lurches forward and dies.

 

[TXbobber]

I guess I should also mention that the bike goes into neutral and the wheel spins freely but when I start the bike the wheel spins like it's in gear and dies.

 

[weekendrider]

With the clutch pulled in, does it still die?

 

[TXbobber]

Yes it still dies.

 

[inxs]

- bad clutch adjustment ?
- gummed friction plates ?
- warped pressure plates ?
- uneven pressure plate spring tension ?
- crappy oil ?

 

[TXbobber]

I will check out all those things.

The previous owner said that it was running until they parked it and forgot about it where it sat under a breeze way until I bought it.

 

[weekendrider]

inxs I guessing b + maybe e. TXbobber may have already taken care of the oil change.

The carbs may have come from a running bike, but the symptoms sounds like blocked fuel passages in the pilot circuit. Have a go at them with areosol carb cleaner and compressed air. Pay peculiar attention to pilot circuit by removing the pilot jet and spraying from the jet side check the flow through the holes by the throttle plate/butterfly.

For the stuck clutch. Did it have oil in it when you got it? I assume this has a fresh oil change.
Put it on the center stand or block it. Start(e-start or kick?), in neutral pull the clutch lever in, while holding the clutch give it some gas and apply the rear brake.
Or put it against a wall start etc. etc.