so she left me stranded on the highway today

[mad8v]

Here i am, cruising along from my buddy's house, on a not-so-crappy day, and about 30 seconds after i get on I-95, the gs starts making an insane noise, it went from sounding like a bike, to sounding like a chainsaw chattering and shaking like crazy, lost a lot of power, then died and wouldn't start. Luckyly i managed to coast to the shoulder and spend an agonizing hour waiting for my buddy with a pickup truck
any idea what could have caused this?
some things i've thought of:
gas-i had JUST filled up (could be bad gas)
oil-she was due for a 9k oilchange in about 600 miles, but the level seemed fine. no leaks or anything either
clutch-exact opposite of what happened when my car clutch died: the rpms went through the roof with no power being delivered. here, the rpms dropped like a rock.
don't think it was electric, because the light staid on

[kml.krk]

seized motor?
can you turn the rear wheel by hand when you shift to... let's say 4th 5th or 6th gear??


cheers
KaMeL

[ivany]

seized motor?
can you turn the rear wheel by hand when you shift to... let's say 4th 5th or 6th gear??


cheers
KaMeL

Better with the spark plugs out. Turning an engine with plugs in by hand is a CHORE.

[mad8v]

will try that tonight when i get home 
if i make an attempt at "pushstarting" that will let me know right?

[ohgood]

I'm going to bet on fuel starvation (search for that), AND a bad spark plug wire. As far as the noise goes, without a sound file, or a really funny description I don't know.

If the engine seized, you would likely have crashed from an interstate speed >50 MPH. If you can spin the rear wheel with it in gear (5th or 6th) and the plugs REMOVED, the engine is likely fine.

Also, the overflow line may be clogged.

give them a shot.

[mad8v]

well, about the closest sound description i can think of is: a 500cc eighteen wheeler threw on the jake brake   with similar results.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake

[Kerry]

[...] the gs [...] died and wouldn't start.

Hang on.  That sounds like you tried to start it.  That would have been a "push the Start button" operation, right?

    1) Did the starter motor turn the engine over at all?
    2) If so, did the engine make "yucky" sounds as it turned?

If the answer to 1) is "Yes" and the answer to 2) is "No" then

    A) Your battery is in pretty good shape, and
    B) Your engine isn't seized and
    C) It sounds like your plugs just stopped sparking all of a sudden.

It doesn't sound like a gradually-dying battery thing like mine was (when my bike recently strnaded ME on the freeway).  More of a sudden break in the wiring or connectors, or in one of the spark-related components.

Just my thoughts so far....

[mad8v]

[...] the gs [...] died and wouldn't start.

Hang on.  That sounds like you tried to start it.  That would have been a "push the Start button" operation, right?

    1) Did the starter motor turn the engine over at all?
    2) If so, did the engine make "yucky" sounds as it turned?

If the answer to 1) is "Yes" and the answer to 2) is "No" then

    A) Your battery is in pretty good shape, and
    B) Your engine isn't seized and
    C) It sounds like your plugs just stopped sparking all of a sudden.

It doesn't sound like a gradually-dying battery thing like mine was (when my bike recently strnaded ME on the freeway).  More of a sudden break in the wiring or connectors, or in one of the spark-related components.

Just my thoughts so far....

after a bunch of pushing around, i've decided that she's seized. or at least that i don't have enough traction (in 5th/6th i can get a good running start, and drop the clutch and it just drags the rear wheel). starter makes a nice healthy CLICK but nothing happens.

i live in the city, and don't have a garage to do anything in so tomorrow off to the shop she goes (south philly cycles are nice guys or at least were  the last few times i've been there).

[Kerry]

after a bunch of pushing around, i've decided that she's seized. or at least that i don't have enough traction (in 5th/6th i can get a good running start, and drop the clutch and it just drags the rear wheel). starter makes a nice healthy CLICK but nothing happens.

i live in the city, and don't have a garage to do anything in so tomorrow off to the shop she goes (south philly cycles are nice guys or at least were  the last few times i've been there).

Please be sure to pass on what they tell you.  As you may know, I have OPTheory's '89 sitting on my driveway with similar symptoms.  (Starter relay clicks, but starter motor doesn't turn.  Attempting to push start just locks the rear wheel.)  I probably won't get a chance to do any "debugging" until Saturday at the soonest.

Luckily, OPtheory's bike didn't "lock" on him while riding. 

PS - I'm CERTAIN his engine is NOT seized.  Hopefully that ends up being the case for you too. 

[ivany]

[...] the gs [...] died and wouldn't start.

Hang on.  That sounds like you tried to start it.  That would have been a "push the Start button" operation, right?

    1) Did the starter motor turn the engine over at all?
    2) If so, did the engine make "yucky" sounds as it turned?

If the answer to 1) is "Yes" and the answer to 2) is "No" then

    A) Your battery is in pretty good shape, and
    B) Your engine isn't seized and
    C) It sounds like your plugs just stopped sparking all of a sudden.

It doesn't sound like a gradually-dying battery thing like mine was (when my bike recently strnaded ME on the freeway).  More of a sudden break in the wiring or connectors, or in one of the spark-related components.

Just my thoughts so far....

after a bunch of pushing around, i've decided that she's seized. or at least that i don't have enough traction (in 5th/6th i can get a good running start, and drop the clutch and it just drags the rear wheel). starter makes a nice healthy CLICK but nothing happens.

i live in the city, and don't have a garage to do anything in so tomorrow off to the shop she goes (south philly cycles are nice guys or at least were  the last few times i've been there).

Double check please...make sure the plugs are out. I just ask because I ran my bike on 1.5 quarts of oil, in 120F temps, at 8000 rpms, for 8 hours. It didn't seize on me doing that, so I doubt you could seize it doing something like accelerating onto the freeway.

Since you said it started making bad noises, might be a cam chain/timing issue. If you're lucky you just skipped a tooth and messed up your timing. If you're not lucky then your valves have made sweet, sweet love with your pistons...

[mad8v]

your valves have made sweet, sweet love with your pistons...

mmm, sweet sweet looove.

it's at the shop now, still waiting to hear from them.
also, just in case and if not needed now for future fixes, i'm bidding on another motor on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBI%3AIT&viewitem=&item=320187236101&rd=1

[mad8v]

so i got a call from the shop: the engine is definately seized, for some reason or other, there was no oil in it
going to pick up the engine off ebay tomorrow and get it put in.

CHECK YOUR OIL!!!!!!

[reminor]

^^^ Sounds strange to me... Do you really buy it when they say there was no oil?

Was your "Low Oil Pressure" light not functioning for some reason? I hate to state the obvious but when you just turn on the key (before starting the engine) the red oil pressure light illuminates. Shortly after the engine starts the light goes off. This means the oil pressure is normal and the engine can run. It also means that your oil pressure check circuit is working.

Again stating the obvious, if for whatever reason the light illuminates (you should even see it with your peripherial vision while riding) the oil pressure is too low and you must immediately shut down the motor and coast to the shoulder.

Did you see your oil pressure light came on before the trouble?


P.S. Since my early days driving s&&tty old cars I developed the habit of checking the gauges every 1-3 minutes by quickly glancing down. I do that unconsiously on the bike, too. So far (knock on wood) it was only helping catch forgotten turn light is on. It would do it for oil pressure problem!

[Kerry]

From your first post in th thread:

it went from sounding like a bike, to sounding like a chainsaw chattering and shaking like crazy, lost a lot of power, then died and wouldn't start.

I'd be interested to see if your engine has goat's syndrome ... where one or more of the alternator rotor magnets came apart and got chewed by the stator.  (See the photos in [THIS POST].)

It seems to me that a truly seized engine would be more likely to cause the "chattering and shaking" you described than goat's syndrome would.  But just to be sure...?

BTW, whichever problem you have, are you planning to keep the engine?  Some folks might be willing to pay for your rotor and/or stator (if you don't have goat's, that is) or for the starter motor, or for other parts.

[mad8v]

i got my bike back, and the old engine, right before christmas. bike runs better than it ever did before. the engine is definately seized (at least i can't turn it using the "pull the cover off and use a wrench" method.
if anyone wants it for parts or whatever, i'm up for giving it "free to a good home" (i'm in Philadelphia PA) as i have neither the room or knowledge for tearing it apart and it's sitting in my living room on a towel. (if i take it apart, i won't be able to put it back together, it has pretty much everything on it except the covers on both sides are scuffed and i think it doesn't have a starter and carbs as those were used for the swap).
i don't think it's the magnets, as taking off the small right cover everything looks "normal" (or at least not eaten up or anything).

as to the oil light, it never even blinked at me. (turned one when the bike turned on, but that's it)

[Trwhouse]

Hey Mad8V,

I'd take you up on your "free engine" offer, if it's still there.
I'd love to see if there is anything usable left in it.
Send your phone number to me in a PM and we can talk from there?
Thanks, man.
Yours,
Todd

[mad8v]

Hey Mad8V,

I'd take you up on your "free engine" offer, if it's still there.
I'd love to see if there is anything usable left in it.
I live in Lancaster, PA and am in Philly often.
Send your phone number to me in a PM and we can talk from there?
Thanks, man.
Yours,
Todd

Todd, has got dibs on the engine. 

[CBR JOCKEY]

GS500 likes to use oil...air cooled engines do....always check oil after every gas fill....save your ass in the future.

[reminor]

GS500 likes to use oil...air cooled engines do....always check oil after every gas fill....save your ass in the future.

I thought so too, but my 1999 burns virtually no oil. No kidding. Never had to add oil between oil changes (at 2-3k). So I check it once a month or so. I keep it slightly above the FULL mark (measured when cold). When the engine starts that extra oil is in circulation, so the level is actually where it's supposed to be.

Happy camper I guess... 

[mad8v]

hey, if anyone is in the philly area, and wants it, the block is yours for free   you just need to get it out of the living room before my gf makes me throw it out