xs400j problems

[Ryder Desmarais]

I have a 1982 xs400j.. i have replaced the battery and the plugs and gone over some wiring and cleaning dirty connections but i keep having issues with the bike... I will leave my drive way and it shuts off and and wont start back up.. its not the carbs i dont think or the battery.. could this be a timing issue?
I can usually get it going again but it shuts it when I switch into gear sometimes.
(It will still turn over and have lights on but wont start up)
also any tuning advice would be great.

 

[Phoenix]

Man... You ask a broad question.
There are so many things that could be wrong. You have to trace back from the potential source of the issue all the way through the bike's systems.
It sounds like it could be the electrical, or even the fuel.
You say you don't think it could be the carbs, I would only venture to say that if your carbs have been thoroughly torn down and gone through, and your levels are set. (what I mean is the float levels in your bowls. Check with a clear piece of vinyl tube.)
Electrical... well... it could easily be something like a kill switch. The sidestand switches on maxims were the first to go by modders of the xj's (I know, because I did that first thing I got the bike, to eliminate it). It could be that the jarring of kicking the bike into gear could be enough to aggravate the switch and kill your bike. These are designed so you can't start your bike when the kickstand is down. But if it's turning over... man... Not a timing issue. Check the age of and actual strength on your battery, check the brushes on your generator, and check your carb sync. You could have a dirty carb, with some plugged holes, if you haven't gone over them in a while.