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So I've seen a lot of similar posts about issues but nothing that sums up exactly what she's been up to the last few months. This came out really long but it's necessary to articulate the craziness of the issue, I think (and yes, I'm new to this and have no tools or space to work on it). Some brief background: bought cheap off CL last year, mostly stored in my mechanic's garage but replaced magneto first and that problem was solved. Got it out again this spring, as soon as the weather stopped being quite so obnoxious in the Northeast, and found a different kind of problem. This bike runs great when she runs - take her on the turnpike for an hour and she's My Friend Flicka, but here's the kicka with flicka (my mechanic and I differ on the probably cause, he says ignition and I say carbs):
Driving along at about 30mph and bike dies. It's pretty fast but I had the chance to realize it was slowing down, gave it gas and realized there was no one home in the engine. Pulled over, pulled out my choke, it started back up and I continued on to my destination. I had been riding for all of 6 minutes. It's done that a couple more times and feels more like running out of gas than, say, dead battery (plus it starts right back up sometimes).
Now, the more pressing problem is that it's been doing this refusal to start in a couple of different situations, most notably after being driven and then sitting for anywhere from an hour to three or four. And there was a day when I drove it from store to store looking for something with no discernible issues starting or running, so it can't be an issue of heating up, because in town driving will certainly do that. So I let it set for an hour or two, go out to start it up and it'll wake up, run for a minute or so, and then slowly die. I can honk the horn, turn the lights on and off, and even use the start button to get it to crank. Sometimes it'll crank right over, start up, run for ten seconds, then die...you can actually see the RPMs dropping. And then it'll refuse to crank all the way for another 10 or 15 minutes. Sometimes it'll go over, more often it'll have to sit for an entire day, and then it acts like a puppy who has conveniently forgotten it's piddled all over your new couch.
I'm leaning towards fuel supply, but they checked the petcock and fuel filter and said they were pristine...for a 29 year old bike that's kinda cool, but they didn't do anything with the carbs, which I thought should be cleaned out, if not rebuilt. I've also gotten it to the point where the battery was pretty much dead but when jump started ran long enough to get me to the garage. Normally the battery is fine. I've checked for spark with no conclusive evidence, since the time I was able to test, the damned bike started right back up, and the very next time it happened I didn't see a spark but when I went back in the morning, it started right up and drove right home. Now when I go out to see if it will replicate the problem, it just starts right up, stays running, although a little low idle until it's run for a few minutes. Given the unpredictable and seemingly dual nature of this issue, does anyone have any opinions one way or another? I know it's not the stator but it's possible it could be the coils or the regulator, but it doesn't seem to be a matter of how long it runs (and therefore how hot it gets).
All opinions appreciated. I'm on the fence about keeping it or auctioning it off in the UK and letting someone else diagnose. But I truly love riding it when it's running and it's very nice looking...thanks y'all!
Driving along at about 30mph and bike dies. It's pretty fast but I had the chance to realize it was slowing down, gave it gas and realized there was no one home in the engine. Pulled over, pulled out my choke, it started back up and I continued on to my destination. I had been riding for all of 6 minutes. It's done that a couple more times and feels more like running out of gas than, say, dead battery (plus it starts right back up sometimes).
Now, the more pressing problem is that it's been doing this refusal to start in a couple of different situations, most notably after being driven and then sitting for anywhere from an hour to three or four. And there was a day when I drove it from store to store looking for something with no discernible issues starting or running, so it can't be an issue of heating up, because in town driving will certainly do that. So I let it set for an hour or two, go out to start it up and it'll wake up, run for a minute or so, and then slowly die. I can honk the horn, turn the lights on and off, and even use the start button to get it to crank. Sometimes it'll crank right over, start up, run for ten seconds, then die...you can actually see the RPMs dropping. And then it'll refuse to crank all the way for another 10 or 15 minutes. Sometimes it'll go over, more often it'll have to sit for an entire day, and then it acts like a puppy who has conveniently forgotten it's piddled all over your new couch.
I'm leaning towards fuel supply, but they checked the petcock and fuel filter and said they were pristine...for a 29 year old bike that's kinda cool, but they didn't do anything with the carbs, which I thought should be cleaned out, if not rebuilt. I've also gotten it to the point where the battery was pretty much dead but when jump started ran long enough to get me to the garage. Normally the battery is fine. I've checked for spark with no conclusive evidence, since the time I was able to test, the damned bike started right back up, and the very next time it happened I didn't see a spark but when I went back in the morning, it started right up and drove right home. Now when I go out to see if it will replicate the problem, it just starts right up, stays running, although a little low idle until it's run for a few minutes. Given the unpredictable and seemingly dual nature of this issue, does anyone have any opinions one way or another? I know it's not the stator but it's possible it could be the coils or the regulator, but it doesn't seem to be a matter of how long it runs (and therefore how hot it gets).
All opinions appreciated. I'm on the fence about keeping it or auctioning it off in the UK and letting someone else diagnose. But I truly love riding it when it's running and it's very nice looking...thanks y'all!
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