GS1100L just died -- Where do I start?

[Anonymous]

1980 GS1100L that has been running great all year. The past 3 weeks or so have been down in the 30's so I have not been riding. Today it was back up into the 50's. Wouldn't start at first. Poured some very old gas that I had in a plastic gas can into it and hit it with Starter fluid through the air intake box, and after 9-10 attempts and lots of cranking it finally started and purred like a kitten. Idled it for a couple minutes with choke on, then when it started to climb above 2000 revs, shut the choke off. I was cleaning it up and getting my jacket on, so the bike had been idling for about 5 minutes now, and it all of a sudden quit.

This was strange. Never had it die on me before. Went to restart it, and it doesn't even try to turn over or make a click when I hit the starter. I have a good headlight, so I know that the battery is good. Checked 5 fuses under the left side cover, they all look good.

Question: Do you think that the engine dying and it not starting are related? Or did the engine just die by coincidence, and my starter is shot? Where shouold I start? Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you have knocked your kill switch off.

Check that first, but then check that the circuits from the battery into the handle bar switches (kill switch, starter button, ignition key) are OK.

Kim

[Anonymous]

oops,

forgot to mention that I toggled the kill switch several times. It is currently in the "run" position.

[Jay B]

Check the clutch safety switch under the clutch handle. Also see if it will start by jumping the starter relay. I think it dying and not starting are seperate. If you let it warn for about 2 minutes and have old gas in it you could have fouled the plugs.

[Anonymous]

after reading the bad pun post i keep trying to think of bad puns 8O