she's running like new!!

tripleb · April 04, 2009, 07:02:34 PM

I've been working on my bike for about 5 months now and it hasn't been started in that time. I put it all back together today and tried to start it. When I turned the ignition key to 'on' none of the lidiot lights or turn signals would light and the bike wouldn't start. This has got to be a dead battery, right?

Pigeonroost · April 04, 2009, 07:36:38 PM

No it does not have to be a dead battery. You could have forgotten a ground connecton or such. Easy to check. Get a 12V test light or make one and see if the battery has "surface voltage". If the light is bright and stays lit over a minute or so, then just give it a good charge with a Tender or such and check your wiring for main fuse or starter ground and such. Make sure teh engine will turn over before re-trying that charged battery.

prs

ATLRIDER · April 04, 2009, 07:55:36 PM

I'd say unless the battery's been on a tender, it's dead. Try to recharge it. A battery loses a small percentage of it's charge everyday if it's not being charged. So yeah, after 150 days it's dead.

beRto · April 05, 2009, 06:47:44 AM

You could try a boost from a car battery.

SteveM · April 05, 2009, 08:08:35 AM

Quote from: tripleb on April 04, 2009, 07:02:34 PM
I've been working on my bike for about 5 months now and it hasn't been started in that time. I put it all back together today and tried to start it. When I turned the ignition key to 'on' none of the lidiot lights or turn signals would light and the bike wouldn't start. This has got to be a dead battery, right?

Do the lights turn on and does the starter turn over the motor, but it just won't start? The battery may need a charge after 5 months of sitting.

tripleb · April 05, 2009, 09:09:22 AM

no, nothing works. no lights, no cranking, nothing.

I bought some distilled water and a trickle charger today and I'm going to try to charge it. It looks like it doesn't have any liquid in it, so that may explain why it's dead.

tripleb · April 06, 2009, 03:59:43 PM

I charged the battery after filling it with distilled water and hooked it up to the bike. All the electrical systems seem to work fine, but it won't turn over. It cranks like it wants to start, but just can't turn. I've check and the fuel is getting to the carbs because I've drained fuel from both bowls and tried running it on both 'on' and 'res'. I've just changed the mains to 140 after installing a lunchbox and I think I reinstalled the carbs into the intakes correctly, but they don't both go "all the way in". They both will go in about to the last ridge but stop there.

Any ideas on what oculd be wrong? I think either I didn't push the carbs into the intakes enough or the fuel/air ratio is off because I haven't been able to start it to adjust the air screw yet, but I'm not sure.

ATLRIDER · April 06, 2009, 04:56:12 PM

I suspect your battery has gone to battery heaven

The reading across the battery terminals may read somewhere in the 12v range but your plates may have sulfated excessively and can't produce the amps required to power the starter. Try to get a jump start to get her started. If she fires up, fairly safe to say, get a battery. How old is the battery now?

tripleb · April 06, 2009, 05:34:53 PM

It will crank but won't turn and I tried jump-starting it and it will run for about 2 seconds and die. The bike reeks of gasoline so I think it may be way rich or something...or I flooded it. BTW, there's no clicking or anything. Just the cranking.

I may take it to wal-mart tomorrow to get it tested. Hopefully, it will work or else I'll have to throw down $33 for a new one.

tripleb · April 07, 2009, 08:54:21 AM

Will a problem with the fuel mixture cause the bike to not start as long as fuel is flowing to the carbs? Do I need to adjust the mixture screw and try again or is it most likely a weak/dead battery?

The thing with the battery is that I can't bump start it either so I have doubts if that is the issue. this is incredibly frustrating after working so hard to get it back together and installing all the new parts. thanks for any help you guys can provide.

The Buddha · April 07, 2009, 08:59:05 AM

Quote from: tripleb on April 07, 2009, 08:54:21 AM
Will a problem with the fuel mixture cause the bike to not start as long as fuel is flowing to the carbs? Do I need to adjust the mixture screw and try again or is it most likely a weak/dead battery?

The thing with the battery is that I can't bump start it either so I have doubts if that is the issue. this is incredibly frustrating after working so hard to get it back together and installing all the new parts. thanks for any help you guys can provide.

Yes incorrect fuel mix will cause it to not start. In fact I tune everything with a near about dead battery. The thing has to start in 2 tries, if not, its going to get worked on till it does. So fuel flow is only 1/2 the story. Metered atomised fuel fed @ about the right time is needed.
Cool.
Buddha.

lawman · April 07, 2009, 09:13:19 AM

How old is the gas? How long has it been sitting in the float bowls? Varnish?

The Buddha · April 07, 2009, 10:00:44 AM

Lawman - he just bought main jets from me ... I still contend that the 140's he got, along with the K&N filter with stock pipe = bad idea ... but I'd guess he got new gas in it. The wrong jetting will not come into play till 1/2 throttle under heavy load.
Cool.
Buddha.

tripleb · April 07, 2009, 10:11:06 AM

yeah, I put a little old gas in it but then filled it up with fresh stuff. if the battery turns out to be fine, what is my next step? adjusting the mixture screw? right now I've got it at whatever buddha left it at.

The Buddha · April 07, 2009, 01:13:51 PM

Aaaah yea, the old put some old gas in and fill with new gas cos old gas is like concentrate, it boosts octane from being concentrated octane right ...
Sorry, old gas dont do that.
Cool.
Buddha.

lawman · April 07, 2009, 02:00:03 PM

Quote from: The Buddha on April 07, 2009, 01:13:51 PM
Aaaah yea, the old put some old gas in and fill with new gas cos old gas is like concentrate, it boosts octane from being concentrated octane right ...
Sorry, old gas dont do that.
Cool.
Buddha.

What?
Do people actually do that?

tripleb - gas turns into varnish. Literally, lacquer. you have to replace it.
You put new gas in, get it running, and if you're really in a mood to use the old gas, put a tiny bit in a little at a time to burn it away.

bill14224 · April 07, 2009, 03:45:59 PM

A battery that goes dead in 150 days to the point it won't even light the bulbs is a sign the battery is shot. I wouldn't expect it to crank the bike after that long, but it should have a little juice left in it. You should have taken the battery inside over the winter and charged it a couple times, or kept a tender on it. Since you didn't, it's sulfate city in battery land. ATLrider is absolutely right.

Stop torturing yourself and get a new battery, then tackle your carb issues.

And why didn't you listen to Buddha? Until you get pipes and a lunchbox, it going to run like shiite once you get to the mid-range. I guess you can putt around until you save another $350.

tripleb · April 07, 2009, 06:39:50 PM

I couldn't deal with the stock airbox anymore so I bought a lunchbox. The exhaust is next once I scrape some $$ together. Some people on the board say they have the lunchbox with stock exhaust and it runs ok. I'm going to pick up a new battery tomorrow so hopefully that will work.

bill14224 · April 07, 2009, 08:52:59 PM

tripleb, I can't recommend a V&H system enough. $271 delivered from bikebandit. Your lunchbox won't help you until you open up the pipes some. Yes, it will run OK with the stock exhaust, lunchbox, and stock jets as the stock pipes will prevent the lunchbox from letting any more air in, but you went to big jets already. It'll be too rich until you spring for pipes. Intake, jets, heads, and exhaust all work together, limited by the most restrictive part, and the stock intake and pipes are the most restrictive. Once you richen it up like you did, you have to lean it back out by increasing air flow through the engine.

People see my bike and hear it all the time and they say, "THAT'S A 500??" And I can't tell you how progressively smooth the powerband is. Power everywhere above 3,500 rpms. The pipes are perfectly calibrated to the engine, and I have a K&N drop-in filter in the stock air box! I think the pipes make a bigger difference than ditching the plastic box but I can't prove it. Not that I think the pipes add a lot of power. They don't, but they do sound great and eliminate the 5,000-6000 rpm flat spot of the 33mm carbs that I have. The only evidence I can offer is Anne's dyno run that's posted on this site. It was a single run, no messaging, and look how nice her power curve is and she has the stock air box. As far as I can tell I have the same set-up she has.

I don't know for sure what size jets I have. I bought the bike with stock headers and a Cobra F1 slip-on. If the bike wasn't re-jetted it would have lousy throttle response and I would have to leave the choke on a little all the time, and I don't. Besides, take one look at my bike and I know the previous owners visited this website often. All but the most knowledgeable motorheads think my bike is a "rocket bike" or "crotch rocket".

tripleb · April 08, 2009, 10:32:10 AM

I agree with what you have said. I know it won't be optimal until I get an aftermarket exhaust.

Hopefully, in the next few months I can find a Yosh can on ebay for around $100. I like the deeper sound of the Yosh than the V&H, although I know they're both good.

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she's running like new!!