Died while going down the road yesterday.

[Dretzl]

I have a 93 Suzuki Gs 500 and it's all stock.  Yesterday I was going down the road in 4th gear and when i pulled in the clutch and let off the gas, the engine died.  I shifted it to neutral and tried to start it again and it took it a minute but it did.  I went a little further and it died agian, this time taking longer to start.  I eventually made it home after it died a few more times and took longer to start each time. 

I'm not a mechanic, but can you all list some things I might check.  It does have plenty of gas in it, but I really dont know what else to look at.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance! 

[Porkchop]

Did you let it warm up before riding?  If it was hard to re-started, did you use choke?  When you re-started did you let it warm up?  Did you adjust idle?

-Porkchop

[Dretzl]

I didn't let it warm up a lot, when I restarted it, I did have to use the choke to get it to start.  I didn't let it warm up after I had restarted it.  How do I check the idle?

[XealotX]

I would let it warm up first then try it again. My rule of thumb is to wait until I think it is warm enough and then wait 1 more minute. Supposedly new carb jets will fix this  but I'm too lazy. I just let it warm up while I throw on my helmet, gloves, etc., even on a hot day.

[Dretzl]

I just went out to try to start it and no luck.  Hard to let it warm up when it wont start 

[gsJack]

Try starting it with the petcock set in the prime position.  If it starts take it for a ride and see if it keeps running in prime, there have been some petcocks with failed vacuum diaphrams.  Set your idle speed to 1100 rpm as soon as it gets warm if it's idleing slower than that.

[PachmanP]

Are you sure there's plenty of gas? It can look like there's lots and be too low to run.

Check the air box for fuel.  A carb bowl may have overfilled and dumped gas into the airbox making the air fuel mix too rich.

I assume it's cranking, but not starting. Otherwise it could be something funky with your electrical/battery.

[xanthras]

I am no expert, but I had the faulty petcock junk. I have a 94 and it would just die on me while riding.  It started back up eventually and then did the same thing. I just bought a new petcock and the problem is gone.

[jeremy_nash]

if you open the gas door, will it start easier? if so, clean and grease your gas cap.  there is a how to in the faq section of this wonderful site.  also try starting it with the petcock in the prime position.

[Archangel1183]

How long have you had the bike for? Do you know about the Reserve setting on the petcock? This happened to me and scared me when I just got my bike. I said "Aw crap, I bought a lemon. 

[Punkalflufen]

How long have you had the bike for? Do you know about the Reserve setting on the petcock? This happened to me and scared me when I just got my bike. I said "Aw crap, I bought a lemon. 

That happened to me when i pulled the crabs from the bike it was just enough to drop the fuel level under the pickup, i thought to myself aww what did i do wrong...

[psyber_0ptix]

this happens to me when i'm low on gas....even though eyeballing the tank tricks me into thinking i have half left.

[Toogoofy317]

"That happened to me when i pulled the crabs from the bike it was just enough to drop the fuel level under the pickup, i thought to myself aww what did i do wrong..."

He he he's pulling crabs! I'm sooo sorry I had too!

But +3 on checking gas and switching to reserve the tripmeter is your friend!

Mary

[mister]

+4 on turning to res.

On highway going past truck up hill. Died. Reach down in front of knee. Feeling, feeling. Where's the bloody reserve switch? Pull over, hop off. Looking looking. Damn, not there (where it was on my old bike). Oh wait, further back. NOW I know - and - how far I can Roughly get on a tank before hitting res.

Tank up, reset trip meter. Ride until dies again, reach Behind knee. Find switch right away. Flick to res. All good. A little less distance to res this time. About the distance I get from 1 litre (a quart). Real easy to fill up but miss last level by a quart due to the nature of the way the Tube/Funnel goes into the tank.

Either way, with around a gallon in Res you can Think you have plenty of gas - and you do - but not for the main petcock.

Michael