Wont Start

[Guest]

My bike has been sitting for about a month. I always start it every few weeks. It usually starts without a problem. Battery topped off. But it just cranks. Put petcock on prime and choke on but nothing. Just cranks until battery is dead. Has good fuel. Any ideas what to do?

[Nessism]

Most likely fuel related but I'd check spark first because it's easy. Remove a plug cap, place a known good spark plug in said cap, ground metal electrode against engine and hit the starter button to see if you have spark. Assuming yes, move to fuel.

Put rags under carbs and pull off the float bowl drain plugs. Expect to catch a good bit of fuel...or not, if you have a fuel flow issue. After all fuel is drained, try turning the petcock to Prime and see if fuel starts flowing again.

If you have both spark and fuel in the float bowls, the problem is likely plugged up carbs. In that case, time to clean them. Rebuild tutorial available on Cliff's site or linked in my signature.

Have fun!

[tom203]

Make sure "choke" appears to be fully activated at carb end ( cold might cause cable to stick) and use no throttle input when cranking. I suggest using fuel stabilizer over dormant periods, then no need to fire it up regularly.

[Steve]

Any ideas what to do?

Just two:

1. Put some stabilizer in the fuel and let the bike sit until all that white crap gets off the roads.

2. Send me a PM with your phone number, I will stop by after work some day and have a look.



Starting the bike "every few weeks" is not good for the bike. You should not start the bike unless you plan on going for a ride to fully warm it up. Condesation will form inside the crankcase and mufflers, causing problems, unless the bike gets warm enough to evaporate the moisture.

.

[gs1000emt]

I havent had a chance to check for spark yet. Im working a 24 hour shift right now. When I get off tommorow morning I will check. It does have stabil in it. I was actually just starting it cause I was going to change the oil and wanted to warm it up to get as much as I could out. Its weird how out of nowhere its not starting. Prob a fuel issue. The carbs need a dynojet kit and new orings before spring anyway but I'd like to pinpoint the problem before I do that. I wonder if my Fuel Petcock (which is less than a year old) isnt priming right. It doesnt smell real rich like its dumping fuel. Def need to rule out spark first though.

[anthonygs1000]

Hey Bud


Can i ask a couple questions ?

1. What's the temperature where the bike is stored ?

2. How many miles on the bike ?

3. when were the valves last adjusted ?

ant

[gs1000emt]

my bike is in my garage. Gets pretty cold at night but not super frigid. The bike has 17,000mi and I have only ridden it around the block a few times. It sat for 10 years so Ive been getting her back into good health. I have not yet adjusted the valves but its on my soon to do list. I havent ran it for more than 15 min because I know it needs the valves adjusted. It has never given me a hard time starting since I had the carbs cleaned but Im going to go through them and put new orings and a dynojet kit. Had a shop sonic clean them but that was when I first got the bike and didnt no any better. I expect it to start but I know it wont run like a top until I get everything done. Its finally slowly coming together.

[anthonygs1000]

I have allot of bikes, I have a busted gs1000 with 30k and the valve cover has never been of I know its not a good thing. It will Not even come close to starting if it is below 20 out > Your best bet would def be to follow Nessism advice he is the Suzuki guru !

one more question Stock air box or aftermarket filter elements ?


ant

[gs1000emt]

Well got it fired up. Turns out my spark plug wire will not clamp down on my spark plug well. Its got Accel wires from the PO and it looks like the type you cut and crimp yourself. They are all kind of loose. What wires do you guys suggest I get?

[gs1000emt]

Im getting new NGK Plugs. Thinking maybe Dyna Wires from Z1. Iridium plugs or just regular? Normally in old vehicles I just get regular plugs but wasnt sure with a bike.

[tom203]

Get regular plugs- whatever manual says, likely NGK B8ES- someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
Why the dynojet kit for carbs, if it used to start well ? But that proves little, cuz running is the real test for how well the carbs were cleaned. Don't ignore valves- it might be way overdue- get it done and move on to fine tuning the carbs. An early spring is coming, so be ready! Take Steve's offer up if you feel intimidated.

[mrbill5491]

Your Accel wires are probably fine, just squeeze the brass fitting in some so it sits tight on the plug. For the plugs, either is fine. Just make sure the heat range is what you need.

[koolaid_kid]

For a motorcycle, the standard B8-ES are fine. The iridium plugs are better when you have very difficult to access plugs.

[gs1000emt]

Thanks! I'll give that a shot and try to tighten up the fitting on the plug before I buy new wires. and Tom 203 I def need to get new orings and dynojet kit cause the bike ran but still wasnt as smooth as she needs to be. I have pods and v&H 4 in to 1 so Im sure i need the dynojet kit and since I dont know what the PO did Im just gonna go through and redo it. Thanks for all your guys help. you have been great as usual. And Im prob definately gonna take Steve up on his offer when it gets closer to riding time. Im sure I will need to consult him after my beginners carb tear apart and upgrades. lol

[TheCafeKid]

Thanks! I'll give that a shot and try to tighten up the fitting on the plug before I buy new wires. and Tom 203 I def need to get new orings and dynojet kit cause the bike ran but still wasnt as smooth as she needs to be. I have pods and v&H 4 in to 1 so Im sure i need the dynojet kit and since I dont know what the PO did Im just gonna go through and redo it. Thanks for all your guys help. you have been great as usual. And Im prob definately gonna take Steve up on his offer when it gets closer to riding time. Im sure I will need to consult him after my beginners carb tear apart and upgrades. lol

Steve is the real deal Lucile. One of the best people I've ever met. The kind that will come fetch a poor soul and his bike at 12 at night with his trailer when said soul's bike ended up with a cut brake line and a massive gash in a brand new tire from some road construction shrapnel.
He'll set ya straight, and please listen to what he says and don't attempt short cuts cause short cuts can end up as broken bikes or worse, broken riders.

Having said that, I wouldn't suggest continuing to start the bike for a couple reasons. Contrary to popular belief, starting your bike and running it for a few minutes every few days in the winter is actually NOT good for it.
What that does is cause condensation to build up inside the engine. Water in your motor is bad . if you feel you MUST start it and let it run, let it run until its good and hot. Allow it to reach operating temps to burn off any water in the oil/motor/exhaust etc. but really you're better off putting some stabil in the tank, running it for a bit to get the stabil into the carbs and then putting the battery on a float charger and leavin it alone until you're ready to work on it or ride it.
Second, if you're running pods and a pipe and don't have a jet kit/haven't done a re-jet, you're playing with fire. Literally. With pods and a pipe and the stock jets and needles, you're running the bike with a very lean mix. This is bad because a lean mix burns very very hot. Continued running with this set up can result in burnt valves among other issues that can do serious damage to your motor. And since you haven't adjusted your valve clearances yet, it's even worse.

We aren't trying to busy your nutts, just trying to keep you from making a sad face if your bike goes boom

Once it warms up a bit, I'm sure Steve will show you and help you get it squared away heck, I may even join him