Help?

[Dre]

Hey Everyone, So my bike does not want to start this morning, It definitely has enough battery and is kicking but she won't pop. Tried many levels of choke and let her sit a while. The most i can get is a bogging sound for about three seconds at random times. I have ridden her on a couple few hundred mile trips in the last 10 days with no problems. nothing seems lose and i rode her all day yesterday no problems either. Any ideas that might help me get to work on time?

[Nessism]

First step for a bike that won't start is figure out if it's fuel or spark. Install a known good plug into one of the spark plug sockets and lay the plug on the side of the engine while cranking the engine over - you should see a spark. If the plug is sparking, the problem must be fuel. Pull out one of your plugs and look to see if it's fuel soaked or dry. Dry means fuel starvation, wet means flooded. It's nice to have a spare set of plugs laying around just in case they foul out.

Regarding your bike in general, did you do all the routine maintanence?

[bonanzadave]

fuel or spark.

If you do have spark go to the petcock. Make sure it didnt leak through and fill your crank case with gas. Try starting on PRI.

Where R U at in MN ?

[Dre]

Boots are good, waiting on pay pal to figure my account out to order o rings, waiting on air filter, new plugs about three weeks ago, I am moving this week and then I plan on doing more with the carbs and valves. I am mostly just wondering why this happens with the starting so randomly, I can ride it for days with no problems and then just one morning... Nothing. It has been better since I bought the new battery two weeks ago, no problems with not having enough juice... If it turns out my carbs are running lean or rich where is the adjustment screw and can I get to it without taking the tank and stuff off or what do I do to just get to that?

[Dre]

If you do have spark go to the petcock. Make sure it didnt leak through and fill your crank case with gas. Try starting on PRI.

Where R U at in MN ?

Would it leak just once every so often? where would I check that in the petcock exactly?

I am in minneapolis on the outskirts of downtown kind of by the walker and loring park... In the process of moving to st louis park this week though...

[ironsheik]

Try starting the bike with the throttle opened all the way. I don't know about CVs but with the VM carbs (79 and earlier bikes) this does the trick for me when a perfectly normally running bike does what yours is doing. I can't remember the reasoning behind this method though...

Then do what Nessism says if it doesn't work

[Dre]

Try starting the bike with the throttle opened all the way. I don't know about CVs but with the VM carbs (79 and earlier bikes) this does the trick for me when a perfectly normally running bike does what yours is doing. I can't remember the reasoning behind this method though...

I did, sometimes when i start it it helps do just give a slight amount of throttle but it's not working right now, I don't know why it helps either maybe it forces more air through? but it is so weird that it will start fine all day every day for a week and then just randomly do this one morning... it has happened like three times in the last month and then when i get it jumped or bump start it and ride it a little ways it is fine for another week or two with no probs at all...

[ironsheik]

It sounds like you've got fuel issues to me since it's kind of random and not necessarily getting worse (?) But when you do the throttle trick, it has to be opened all the way or it won't work. I'm saying crack it wide open, then hit the starter. Is that what you're doing?

Again, next check for spark, make sure the plugs aren't fouled, then check for fuel in the carbs (crack open a drain screw on the carb bowls with a container underneath and see if fuel is present) and check your oil level. If it's overflowing, you've probably got a faulty petcock which is my out-of-nowhere hunch.

[bonanzadave]

where would I check that in the petcock exactly?

I believe your petcock is like mine and operates, when in the ON and RES position, with vacuum. No vac...no gas. Vacuum is the small hose between the petcock and the carbs. Check that hose. In the PRI position gas runs right through the petcock. No vacuum needed. PRI is what gets people in trouble. If left in the that position it can unseat the needle seats in the carbs and floods the crankcase. Alot of people find on these old bikes that the vacuum diaphragm in the petcock just gives up and the petcock is junk.

[Dre]

It sounds like you've got fuel issues to me since it's kind of random and not necessarily getting worse

That sounds about right. I have not had it completely open but have rolled it 95% of the way back while starting it... I will try that.

Again, next check for spark, make sure the plugs aren't fouled, then check for fuel in the carbs (crack open a drain screw on the carb bowls with a container underneath and see if fuel is present) and check your oil level. If it's overflowing, you've probably got a faulty petcock which is my out-of-nowhere hunch.

To check the bowls can I slide something in there or do I have to completely remove the carbs? If so, is it just pretty much taking off the tank and the seat to access them?

Alot of people find on these old bikes that the vacuum diaphragm in the petcock just gives up and the petcock is junk.

How do I tell if the vacuum is dead by looking at that hose? I have never used prime and I think mine is the same way, I know the lever is really very hard to turn and I have lubed it if that means anything to you. Where do you live in MN?

[DanTheMan]

To remove the carbs you have to remove the airbox and the tank. You might just want to remove the tank, dump the gas out of it and make sure you don't have things floating around inside that can block the fuel flow. A good start anyway. Hey, have you looked at the rally schedule? There's one in Galena/Fennimore WI that you might be able to make the first weekend in Oct.

[Dre]

That's Awesome you did the Iron Butt, I didn't know about that rally, I might be able to make that if I can get my bike to start more reliably. I was just in Longville all last week and drove right by pine river on the way back to the cities... I took 84 from longville, some nice curves on there... So should I check my plugs and then take carbs out and adjust mixture screws... Anything else I should check and roughly how long does it take to take off the tank? I am moving this week so I am trying to check as many less time consuming things as possible...

[DanTheMan]

It wasn't a rally. It was all on my own. I left Pope AFB, NC at 6:45 am, and arrived in Moline, IL somewhere around 3:00 am. All documented and sent throught the IBA, 1000 miles in 24 hours or less, (Iron Butt Association). 84 is geat, I ride it a lot.
Start with the tank, shouldn't take more than a half hour. Work outwards from there. Don't play with the carbs yet.

That's Awesome you did the Iron Butt, I didn't know about that rally, I might be able to make that if I can get my bike to start more reliably. I was just in Longville all last week and drove right by pine river on the way back to the cities... I took 84 from longville, some nice curves on there... So should I check my plugs and then take carbs out and adjust mixture screws... Anything else I should check and roughly how long does it take to take off the tank? I am moving this week so I am trying to check as many less time consuming things as possible...

[ironsheik]

No need to remove the carbs to check if gas is in the bowls. There's a drain screw on the bottom of each bowl. Just slowly loosen them and if gas starts dripping out, you've got gas reaching your carbs. This is after you've checked to make sure you got spark and that your plugs aren't fouled.

[Dre]

Dialed down a little...

Hey, I got home from work yesterday and she started right up, I think this is clearly something happening when it is cold and humid as she would not start up this morning either, does that make a difference or has anyone run into this/narrow down the possibilities? plugs are fine, that's all I had time to check last night, and definitely getting enough charge at starter...