86 GS550L refuses to start

[SicTransitMundus]

Hi all,

Noob here. I have an 86 GS550L, purchased recently. Was having some electrical issues: battery wouldn't hold a charge and died after ~2hours of riding.

So I charged up the old battery and checked the generator with a multimeter. No problems there, 12V cold, constant 14ish V @ 3000rpm, so I should get a charge while riding. Concluded the battery was toast.

I installed a new battery and charged overnight. It rained that night, bike was outside but covered. Now, the starter will crank ad nauseum, but the engine won't fire. I checked the fuel delivery and carbs, no problems there. Drained and refilled the carbs, no water or gunk in the fuel. Took out each spark plug and verified that they fired. Checked electrical connections as best I could, no loose wires. Headlight, horn, turn signals work fine. Old battery, when charged, does not fix it. Checked air filter and intake for water, none evident.

Also of potential interest is that the tranny won't shift out of neutral. Clutch cable seems fine.

I'm thinking I shorted something when I put the new batt in. Either that or the rain got in somewhere and I gotta wait for it to dry. Any ideas?

[JEEPRUSTY]

Hi all,

Noob here. I have an 86 GS550L, purchased recently. Was having some electrical issues: battery wouldn't hold a charge and died after ~2hours of riding.

So I charged up the old battery and checked the generator with a multimeter. No problems there, 12V cold, constant 14ish V @ 3000rpm, so I should get a charge while riding. Concluded the battery was toast.

I installed a new battery and charged overnight. It rained that night, bike was outside but covered. Now, the starter will crank ad nauseum, but the engine won't fire. I checked the fuel delivery and carbs, no problems there. Drained and refilled the carbs, no water or gunk in the fuel. Took out each spark plug and verified that they fired. Checked electrical connections as best I could, no loose wires. Headlight, horn, turn signals work fine. Old battery, when charged, does not fix it. Checked air filter and intake for water, none evident.

Also of potential interest is that the tranny won't shift out of neutral. Clutch cable seems fine.

I'm thinking I shorted something when I put the new batt in. Either that or the rain got in somewhere and I gotta wait for it to dry. Any ideas?

you have spark and fuel and not a kick comes out of it when cranking?
are the plugs getting wet from all this?

you are still using the new battery yes?

[SicTransitMundus]

Not a single kick. Now that you mention it, the plugs seemed dry.

Yeah, still got the new battery in, but it displays the same behavior with the old one when it's charged.

[Matchless]

Put a few drops of fuel into each cylinder through the plug holes, make sure the choke is closed and without touching the throttle push the starter button. The air cleaner must also be in place. See what happens

[tom203]

Hi all,

Noob here. I have an 86 GS550L, purchased recently. Was having some electrical issues: battery wouldn't hold a charge and died after ~2hours of riding.

Also of potential interest is that the tranny won't shift out of neutral. Clutch cable seems fine.

I'm thinking I shorted something when I put the new batt in. Either that or the rain got in somewhere and I gotta wait for it to dry. Any ideas?

If you had that kind of charging output, even going into a dying battery, the bike should keep going. Did you mean it died after two hours while riding, or when you went to restart it later?
I hope your overnight charging was at a very low rate < 2 amps.
As for clutch, and "recently purchased"- how many miles have you put on it?

[SicTransitMundus]

Tom - after about 2 hours of riding, I parked it for ~10 minutes and it wouldn't start - starter motor spun, slowed and stopped turning over after a few tries. My charger is rated at 1.5 amps. The clutch is fine now, must've been some safety circuit.

As for recently purchased, I mean last weekend. I put about 50 miles on it before it started acting up. I believe that it sat for a month without charging or fuel stabilizer. During the test ride it seemed fine. I bought this bike specifically to learn to ride and maintain, so I expected some mechanical issues.

I was finally able to start the engine by spraying starter fluid into the air intake with the choke closed. Once it warmed up I cut the engine and started it normally. It rides, but the power at low revs is noticeably reduced and I get small backfires, usually at the top of 1st gear. The performance improved gradually over an hour, but the power is still diminished.

And it still wouldn't start after parking. However, after letting it sit for an hour, it started up just fine.

I think my next step is to clean and adjust the carbs.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. SicTransitMundus,

For a "new to you" bike, sometimes it's best to do all of the necessary maintenance up front. That way you're not chasing one little problem after another. Ensure clean carbs, air intake system with no leaks, clean electrical connections, healthy charging system, etc. Then we can start on the brakes, suspension, etc. There are a couple of maintenance lists in your "mega-welcome" that will explain it all. Let me share the love.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[tom203]

Yes, this is a good size bike to learn on. First, let's understand the basics.The "choke" on these carbs is really a starter jet that injects extra fuel when you operate the "choke" lever- there is no plate that swings down and blocks the carbs' throats. Correct cold start procedure is to activate choke fully, leave throttle alone and press button- is this how you have been trying to start this when cold?
The new battery should solve starting issues, as long as it's getting charged- that's one of the items Basscliff is refering to in his mega welcome.
When you say the "power is still diminished ". what are you comparing it too- a previous bike? Do you have the stock airbox on this bike? How's the air filter look?