Need Help!!! Can't get bike started...

[Anonymous]

Hey guys, I cannot get my bike to turn over. Here's the story of what I have down so far. I will try to make it as short as possible.

Background: The bike is a 1979 GS850 GN. I bought it for $150 bucks which it included a lot of extra parts. The bike ran, but like crap. I drove it around the block once. I had the carbs rebuilt by a shop. Right before I gave it to them I had trouble getting it started but I figured it was because of the carbs. Bike shop rebuilds and says they had it running good. They said they even drove it around for a while. I pick up bike and it would not start though.

What I have tried: I know the battery is fine. Fuel is getting to the carbs, whether they are going into the carbs I don't know. I took off air box and sprayed wd-40 and gasoline into the carbs and still nothing. I didn't see spark from 1 and 4 at first and plug wire 2 had a broken wire. I replaced both coils with spare ones that I have. I checked spark. I am getting spark from all 4 plugs. Spark from #3 seems strong and I can feel the spark from just touching the plug wire (not a comfortable feeling I must add). Not sure about how #2 feels (was afraid to touch it), but #1 and 4 I definetly don't feel it through the plug wires.

Side note: While trying to start the bike over and over now my ignition lights won't turn on. The starter works and all of the other electric stuff will. All the fuses look fine. Also, when I push the start button and hold it a few times my starter will now get stuck trying to start. It will just keep going even when I turn the key off, until I pull the negative battery cable. What's up with that.

Air + fuel + spark = running motor.......right? I'm stumped.

I am starting to think a ghost as taken over my bike. Sorry about all the typing and thanks for reading. Any help would be appreciated since I know very little about carburation motors. :? Thanks,

Mike

[Nobby 'C ']

Just checking, but you have tried with and without choke??

[Anonymous]

Yeah, same thing with or without choke.

Man, I just made the mistake of riding my friends GS1100 a few minutes ago. It was the first time I had ever ridden on the street (outside of my neighborhood). I think I got bit by the motorcycle bug. I really really want to get this thing running now.

[Anonymous]

Oh crap

I started messing with it again. I switch the 4 fuses in the little fuse box and the one above that with new fuses. I tried to start it and now the stupid starter won't work. So I put all the fuses back in the right order and it still won't work. Why is my bike getting worse and worse?

[Jethro]

We'll get it running.

First the easy thing- the starter. The starter button on these things gets pretty ugly after some time. I'd pull apart the switch and see if the button is in good shape. It might be sticking or something. Further, it sounds like you have a short (or a number of shorts) in the system somewhere. I'd be taking the tank, headlight, seat and tail cowl off and checking the entire harness over, starting at the front and working back, cleaning all the contacts and connectors as I went. Anything that looks funky, take care of it.

Next, I'd check compression just to make sure you have a somewhat healthy engine to work with. Then I'd check the fuel delivery system (sounds like you are confident it is ok) and the carbs. The shop may have charged you $300 or something to rebuild the carbs, but I hate to say that 9/10 times they just spray a bunch of carb cleaner in them. Rebuild them with new o-rings paying special attention to how the choke plungers work- they might be stuck or something. Check the float heights. Make sure you have no intake leaks at all. Make sure the vaccum hose to the petcock is attached. Put some new plugs in and make sure they are gapped correctly. This will allow easier tuning later after you get it running. Try and fire it up with full choke. If it doesn't fire up, pull those new plugs and see if they are wet with fuel, even take a flashlight and look on the top of the piston for wetness. As you said, air+fuel+spark should = fire, even if it is not efficient fire.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply Jethro.

Well I checked those fuses and the bottom 3 I get no power and with the ignition on. The top fuse of the four seems to constant because I get power even with the bike off. I have no headlights or anything right now though.

I will go buy the tool to check compression since I have also wanted one for the mustangs. I don't trust that shop a whole lot but I know they at least took the carbs apart because I stopped by their shop in the middle and saw that. Luckly I only paid $135 plus the parts cost me $60. It's got new properly gapped plugs but I will pull them and check them.

How do I know if the starter solenoid is bad?

[snowbeard]

sounds like your electrical is funny, (someone will hopefully correct me if wrong) but I don't think you should get a poke from the wire of your plug if it is all hooked up properly? are the wires all cracked and dry looking?

also sounds like your starter switch is shorting or sticking, take it apart and clean it as well. there could be other reasons for the starter not quitting on it's own, but I wouldn't know them...?

[my98xplorer]

Re: Need Help!!! Can't get bike started...

Any help would be appreciated since I know very little about carburation motors. :? Thanks,

Mike[/quote]

Carburation motors huh?? Are they the same as carburated motors? I say take it back to the ghetto shop that claimed to fix and and let them play with it.