I just bought a GS 450E from 1983 last week. It's my first real bike and I'm quite excited even though it's an old machine (just one year my junior!). I got it cheap off a friend who took well care of it and serviced it regularly. I'm absolutely no techie, so I had to take his word for it.
The bike also ran perfectly for the first 250kms, starting without too much trouble and running like a dream. I took it for a long ride on Saturday, and everything was fine. When I wanted to start it yesterday, I just got nothing.
The engine cranks, but it doesn't spark. I tried push-starting it too, without luck. It sounds like the engine isn't getting any fuel. I checked the main fuel line where the reserve/on/? switch is, and gas only flows when it's on the ? position (neither "res", nor "on"). It does flow though. I don't see gas flowing through the line connecting to the choker (neither do i know if its supposed to). I read a lot about carbs clogging up, but I don't suppose that can happen overnight (although I do have a theory that rust may have come off the tank as I refuelled it just before heading home, and it was the first time it was refuelled since I bought it. Before that it had been sitting for a couple of months. This could also explain the potentially clogged fuel-switch, which btw was working fine up until the bike stopped starting!). But still, overnight?
Oil was getting low by the time I got back on Saturday, but it wasn't below the minimum-point, and I refilled it. Could it be an electrical problem? The fuse is alright, and all lights seem to work. What else could have happened?
I guess I better get a repair manual, but i'd appreciate any input as to where I should look to restart it. It just seems weird that the bike stopped starting all of a sudden without warning.
Thanks.
Jonathan/ Denmark
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