GS1000G Wont start

[bikerzx7r1981]

Ive had my bike a month and when I bought it - it started fine, got it home and and it started although not easily.

Now i cant get it started at all, I have replaced plugs, new battery put fresh petrol in her and she turns over but just wont fire.

I have checked the plugs and ive got a spark, battery is string and turning over well... but nothing... it just floods after a few tries.

Any advice guys on where i could start please, its kept in the garage but appreciate its damp and cold in there.... any help appreciated.

[7981GS]

Have you left it in the PRIME position?

Daniel

[chuck hahn]

As Dan said..dont leave it in the prime position. I would pull all the plugs and clean them real well or put in new. Ive had ones that i didnt think "looked that bad" that were in fact crap. DO NOT TWIST THE THROTTLE when cranking either..just leave it alone. If it has gas, carbs are full, then all that should be needed is the choke and crank it up.

[bikerzx7r1981]

Have you left it in the PRIME position?

Daniel

No its just on reserve, the plugs are new - when I took them out i dired them and heated them up

I left it a coupld of days to dry out, when im trying to start it i'm given it nothing other than a little choke, but i'm not even get an attempt to start

[tom203]

No its just on reserve, the plugs are new - when I took them out i dired them and heated them up

I left it a coupld of days to dry out, when im trying to start it i'm given it nothing other than a little choke, but i'm not even get an attempt to start

If your plugs are wet and the petcock has been on reserve, I'd suspect a drooling petcock- you need to test petcock operation to ensure it's working as intended. For starters, unplug both lines from petcock and leave overnight and check for fuel in morning.

[hampshirehog]

Plug leads going to the right plugs?

[1948man]

Compression? Valves in adjustment?

[bikerzx7r1981]

Compression? Valves in adjustment?

The plugs are only getting wet when trying to start it whch rules out the dripping tap, pugs each have good sparks.

I'm afraid i dont have tools to check the compression or valve adjustment, but guessing as it ran before and sound ed very sweet this should be ok.

I'm pretty lost now... am i right in thinking of i have a spark and good one all round, this should rule out elctric issues?

also you would think petol good sprk equals something?? this isnt even trying

[tom203]

The plugs are only getting wet when trying to start it whch rules out the dripping tap, pugs each have good sparks.

I'm afraid i dont have tools to check the compression or valve adjustment, but guessing as it ran before and sound ed very sweet this should be ok.

Don't guess too much! Like hampshirehog said,doublecheck that plug wires have not got messed up.If cranking a few minutes (before battery dies) produces wet plugs, and yet you know you have spark. I'd still want to eliminate the petcock as a potential problem. If it slowly overflows carb bowls as you sleep, when you go cranking extra fuel would foul the plugs ASAP.
Something has changed since a month ago, time to explore. A few tools would be helpful to catch up on maintenance- hopefully you perused Basscliff's site.

[tkent02]

Ive had my bike a month and when I bought it - it started fine, got it home and and it started although not easily.

Now i cant get it started at all, I have replaced plugs, new battery put fresh petrol in her and she turns over but just wont fire.

When you went to look at it, the guy knew it was hard to start cold, he used ether and a car battery to make it run, just before you showed up for your test ride. Started fine when you went there to buy it, because it's still fully hot. You get it home and it's hard to start, but it starts. That's because it's not so hot, only warm.

After that, it won't start at all, as it's stone cold.

And the number one reason for a GS to not start when it's cold.....

Tight valves.

Check the valve clearances before you even mess with starting it again.

[850 Combat]

I bought a hard to start 1000G pretty cheaply. It had a missing set screw on the choke bar mechanism.

[bikerzx7r1981]

When you went to look at it, the guy knew it was hard to start cold, he used ether and a car battery to make it run, just before you showed up for your test ride. Started fine when you went there to buy it, because it's still fully hot. You get it home and it's hard to start, but it starts. That's because it's not so hot, only warm.

After that, it won't start at all, as it's stone cold.

And the number one reason for a GS to not start when it's cold.....

Tight valves.

Check the valve clearances before you even mess with starting it again.

How hard is it to do the valaves mate? is this where you need diff shims etc? sorry if thats a dumb question

[koolaid_kid]

Checking the valves is not that difficult and is well documented.
Many times you can move the shims around rather than having to acquire more.

[Big T]

How hard is it to do the valaves mate? is this where you need diff shims etc? sorry if thats a dumb question

Not hard, just time consuming as it takes some time to learn how to do it

Get Steve's spreadsheet to make it easier to keep track of what you've got

See BassCliffs website

[kdo58]

might try here

http://www.dansmc.com/MC_repaircourse.htm