SO YOUR BIKE WON'T START EH!!

andrew · Post by **andrew** » Nov 23rd, '05, 13:00

So your bike won’t start eh! Well before you scrap the bike do the following things first.

1. First of all do the idiots check – got fuel?? Put it onto reserve just in case. Check clutch switch, sidestand switch and everyones favourite the engine kill switch.

2. Now when you press the starter button do you here a clicking noise?

YES – Goto 3.

NO – Check all your fuses. Now try with a different battery or connect your bike up to another vehicle using jump leads – if still no clicking noise then your starter solenoid is duff. If you get a clicking noise (or heaven forbid your bike starts) then your battery is either flat or knackered.

3. You have a clicking noise. Does the engine turn over like it normally does?

YES – Goto 4.

NO – If you have a clicking noise but the engine doesn’t turn over or sounds slow or sluggish then it’s your battery.

4. The engine turns over like normal but the bike doesn’t start. Do you have a blue spark?
(to check you have a spark remove a spark plug, and with it connected to the HT lead as normal place the end of the plug against the engine, hold onto the cap though!!, now with the ignition on press the starter button you should see a blue spark).

YES – Goto 5

NO – If you don’t have a good blue spark then try a replacement spark plug. If you now get a spark yippee! If not check your HT lead, plug cap and coils – Haynes manuals describe how to do this and the correct values you should get.

5. So you have a spark the engines turning over but the bloody thing still won’t go. (You did check your fuel like I said at the beginning didn’t you?? – just checking). Have you flooded the thing?

YES – you’ll know this because you tried starting it with the throttle held wide open and there is now a strong smell of fuel coming from the bike. If so clean off the spark plugs, have a coffee (not a fag) and try starting it again and this time leave the bloody throttle alone.

NO – spark plug look totally dry even after all the time you’ve turned the engine over then goto 6.

6. Right if you have a spark and the engines turning over then the next most likely suspect is fuel. Remember you checked at the beginning that you had fuel didn’t you. Now assuming the fuel hasn’t been sat in the tank for a year doing nothing (if it has clean out the tank and probably the carbs too). Is the fuel getting to the engine? To check this look at the following:

a) Check fuel comes out of the fuel tap.
b) Check air filter and fuel filters aren’t blocked.

If you have checked all these things then you have two choices, get a mechanic in or start looking at your carbs / fuel injection.

NOTES :

1. You do all this at your own risk I’m not a qualified mechanic and if this goes wrong for you don’t blame me.
2. If you think I’ve missed anything out then please say.
3. If you found a problem with your battery you may want to check whether or not your charging system is working correctly on your bike – easiest way to do this is check the voltage of you battery then start up your bike, you should find the voltage increases when the engines running.
4. For Christ sake be careful when checking anything to do with petrol the stuff is far more flammable than you think.

jim · Post by **jim** » Nov 23rd, '05, 13:44

some good points there andrew but my wifes bike still dont start.-

oh yeah she aint got it yet

chris_1127 · Post by **chris_1127** » Nov 23rd, '05, 14:16

good pointers. as an addition to 6, a good way of making sure the fuel is getting to the individual carbs (float valves not stuck/blocked) is also to just undo the drain screws on the bottom of the float bowls and make sure that you get a good flow of fuel.

also just a tip from personal experience, dont hold on to wet plug caps or leads when checking for a spark, it hurts

georgie_d · Post by **georgie_d** » Nov 23rd, '05, 20:19

cheers guys, its like a haynes manual, going to do some bits and pieces on my bike at the weekend if i fail would you mind having a look chris_1127 would appriciate it i am out kingsteignton
cheers andrew for your advice i charged up battery and it didnt work so my mate come around with one of those heavy duty boosters and nothing but it drained his booster alot i am buying a new one at the weekend so fingers crossed

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Nov 23rd, '05, 20:28

If your bike is draining the charger, it sounds like your bike is just killing the juice from the battary.

Which means to me that something that keeps the battary charged is blowing.......my money is on the regulator......only cost me £30 from a breakers for mine

andrew · Post by **andrew** » Nov 24th, '05, 08:33

getting a new battery is never a bad move but if you still have no luck then let me know, i'm always happy to lend people a hand to fix their bikes.

What exactly did you do with the booster? were you trying to use it to bump start the bike or just charge the battery?

Also when you tried charging the battery did you do it while it was still connected to the bike?? I would always recommend disconnecting the battery then charging it up (unless using an optimate trickle charger).

Have u tried jump staring the bike? if so what happened? did u get a clicking noise? did the engine turn over?

chris_1127 · Post by **chris_1127** » Nov 24th, '05, 09:42

were you thumbing the starter for a long time without the engine turning over with the booster hooked up when you say it drained it a lot (i guess its one of those powerpacks that you piggyback on to the battery?)? if so be careful - if there is anything that might be stopping the motor from turning over freely you dont want to burn anything out. did you try like age suggested and whip the plugs out and try turning it over?

andrew · Post by **andrew** » Nov 24th, '05, 12:47

don't rush into taking the plugs out till you've gone through everything else on the list.

chris_1127 · Post by **chris_1127** » Nov 24th, '05, 13:30

andy - 1st post on the other/original thread says the bike wont actually turn over but can hear the relay/solenoid click

georgie_d · Post by **georgie_d** » Nov 24th, '05, 20:23

i tell you what you two know your stuff tried bump starting and the wheel locks up, if i take the battery out the alarm goes mental so i have had to charge still attached the alarm is datatool3 very sensitive and has an atitude it will work when you dont want it too and vice versa, then used the booster to jump start it and then it just drained the booster and nothing much else

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Nov 24th, '05, 20:29

Personally I would now take the tank off, and see whats going on down, its funny, but sometimes taking fairings off and tanks, you can see a lot more.

HAve you/anyone you know got a plug spanner? If so, taking the spark plugs out is a 5 minute job. That should give you a better idea where you stand.

But if you dont feel confident doing any of that, ship it to a bike shop

georgie_d · Post by **georgie_d** » Nov 24th, '05, 20:54

trouble is with the bike shops that getting to things on a bike you vertually have to take the thing to bits to get anywhere as everything is tucked away so labour charges are crippiling the wallet, diy is cheaper(unless i cock it up

)

Tom L · Post by **Tom L** » Nov 25th, '05, 15:12

any luck yet?

1154macaw · Post by **1154macaw** » Nov 25th, '05, 15:26

Just a thought you say it's got Datatool3 are you sure it's not immobilized and thats why you can't start it

Keith

Mark-Blade · Post by **Mark-Blade** » Nov 25th, '05, 17:13

Have we established that the engine is actually turning over yet??

Either on the button, or by hand!