Fresh Rebuild. No Start... Have Spark, Fuel, Air... What Gives?

[Guest]

Wasn't exactly sure where to post this, since I'm not sure it's electrical, but here it goes.

A month ago, I was hit by a kid pulling a U-turn while driving my 1980 GS1000G. I made it out okay. Bike got pretty banged up. I managed to swerve enough that the right side of my crank case is what made contact with his car, specifically his driver's side wheel well. Visible damage was: cracked signal generator cover, destroyed signal generator, and a little bit of scuffing on the crank case. I let the bike sit for a few weeks, and finally decided to to try and fix her.

Leading up to today's anti-climax:

- Complete Carb Clean and Rebuild
- New Spark Plugs
- Installed Used Signal Generator/Governor/Timing Plate
- Fresh Set of Fuses

The starter spins strongly, motor turns over, but the bike will not start. I've checked for spark and each plug tests good. I've checked my float bowls to make sure there's fuel and they're all full. I hear air being sucked in through my K&Ns...

What could be the hold up? Where do I start troubleshooting? Could my timing be so far off that my spark is igniting on the down stroke of each piston? Is there any way to check timing without a timing light? The only thing that's drastically changed since riding, being hit, and now, is a new signal generator which leads me to believe that it is the culprit.

Anyways, any insight would be mighty appreciated.

[tom203]

Plug wires on right plugs? After a start attempt with "choke" on, any sign of fuel at plugs? You say you got spark , so this signal generator is doing something. Correct connections from signal coils up to ignitor?

[Phaedrus]

No sign of fuel at all... Which makes me think this is the issue. My choke is messed up, cable is outta whack, so I wasn't using it when attempting to start. Was pulling open the throttle circuit in hopes that enough fuel would make it through the slow/main. I'll try manually forcing open the choke when starting and see what that does...

Thanks for the nudge in the right direction!

[tom203]

Try pulling " choke" plunger rack out manually when you crank- my bike won't cold start without extra fuel from enrichment system.

[SepiS]

Hi!
Check the timing chain riding on all three spockets. I had similar sympton and a work shop found intake sproket had jumped one tooth.

[Phaedrus]

Figured it out! The timing governor was reassembled incorrectly by whoever I bought it from on eBay. Checked TDC on cylinder 1 and the governor's orientation was backwards. Reoriented it, and the bike is back in action!

Now, the issue has become that the idle is way too high. Can't get it to back off at all :/

[posplayr]

Note to self: check spark by static timing at TDC (both valves closed).