Bike Just Stopped Running!

[jacob92icu]

Ya you should have heard some noise. But when you are running it hard it is quite loud and sometimes you cant hear the noise. Turning the crank shaft manually will at least let us know that your engine turns over and is not seized up. A very similar thing happened to my XS750s. I was riding along, running it hard trying to pass a big truck while merging on, and then I shifted gears and it started making a weird noise and bogged down with no power until I finally decided to stop, bike died wouldn't start again. Suspecting that something to do with the crank shaft broke, but cant find out till I have a fly wheel puller.

[adidasguy]

J: I bought a flywheel puller kit - though it doesn't really do anything for a GS500 - but has 6 or 8 different pullers. That might work for your other bike (if you should ever come to West Seattle). Saturday and Sunday might be good days.

AF: Oil light coming on is low oil pressure - even if you are full of oil. The oil pump could go bad, oil passages could get blocked. When the oil light came on - that was not a good thing.

[stokes776]

You mentioned having added oil I think a few days prior to it not running, and you also mention now the oil light coming on.  Those are two red flags.

The first, being just because its something that got tinkered with before the fault happened. 

For me, that oil low pressure light came on exactly 3 seconds before my engine seized on me, lot of good that did me.

Check the oil, make sure you didnt do something silly like leave the drain plug out, or loose.  Drain it, make sure there are no metal flakes in the oil, look real close, empty the pan and then check the pan, see if its sparkly.  Sparkly = bad.

Put nice fresh oil in it.  Worst you are out is 20 bucks and you rule that out completely.

When you turn key to ON, you have electrical (lights n such) right? (sorry if was already asked, maybe I got caught up on the oil)

[gsatterw]

Sounds like a bad battery to me. When my battery went, I had to push start it for a couple of days. On the last day of the old battery, I push started it and I couldn't get the RPM's over 4k. Lights flickering, I limped home at 10 mph for a mile. Popped in a new battery (shorai  ) and all was well.

Graham 

[sledge]

I ran it hard for a couple of miles..That's when it started making the weird noise and had less power..The oil light was on, but the oil wasn't too low

You need to start looking for a replacement engine

[weedahoe]

No spin on the tire! I will try to turn the crankshaft with the wrench, tomorrow. What will this tell me? I had to let the bike sit for a about 4 days because it snowed. When I rode it next, it wasn't running as well, but leveled out. Figured the carbs had just clogged a bit. It ran fine for about 9 miles, then seemed to have no power in the top 4,000 rpms. I figured it was another carb jet, so I ran it hard for a couple of miles. That's when it started making the weird noise and had less power. The oil light was on, but the oil wasn't too low as I found out when I added oil. It started perfectly three days later, but still had no power. Also, it was still making the noise above 3,000 rpms and wouldn't go above 5,000. It seemed to run while I was in gear, but died when I stopped in neutral and just wouldn't start again.

Sorry. I'm putting my money on you needing a new engine

[AFGuy]

I just tried turning the crank with the nut on the side of the crank case. Good news it that the engine is not seized! Bad news is that the crank won't move much. When I turn it clock-wise, it moves a bit, then begins to have tension. By the time the lobe on the disc is close to what I assume is an electrode, the tension is too great to crank anymore. If I turn the crank counter-clockwise, it moves a bit until the next lobe is close to the electrode and stop abruptly. Turning it counter-clockwise and using the starter moves it the same as what it will let me turn it.

What do you guys think?

[adidasguy]

I would guess a bent valve.
Remove the valve cover. Look at the cams while you crank. See which valve isn't letting you crank any further. (i.e which valve is it trying to push down when you can no longer turn the engine clockwise).

There will normally be tension as a valve is pressed down. That tension is what I call a soft tension. It gets more and more tension then suddenly goes away and the cam now is letting the valve come back up. It wouldn't be a "you can't crank anymore" type of tension. Sometimes that normal tension can seem like a lot.

[weedahoe]

It's like the 3rd time I said time for a new engine.

Look boss, if you have the tool and understanding, take it apart, diagnose and verify. If it's just the head replace it. If it is below the head, replace the engine.

We can guess all day long. In the end, you or someone else is going to have to take it apart and check k it out.

Where are you located again? Maybe we have some members close to you who can stop by and help?

[sledge]

I think.............you (still) need a replacement engine   

You have said the oil light came on, this means there was insufficient oil pressure within the lubrication system, when this happens bearings and journals overheat, pick-up and melt within seconds and the pistons start to overheat and stick in the bores. Upshot is it wont turn over smoothly and it will start making odd noises. This is almost certainly what has happened to yours and the fact the engine turns over by hand means nothing. Its how it turns over at 1000Krpm + that matters

Appreciate its not the answer you want to hear but there is no sugar-coating it, your engine has suffered some serious internal damage.

[jacob92icu]

What did I say in my first post?? Bent valve! Pow! 

Although very inconvenient for you AF, GS500 engines are pretty available where ever you are for relatively cheap. Adidas, I have a meeting on Saturday, maybe I will head over on Sunday, its supposed to be a high of 53 degrees 

Is the fly wheel puller specifically for motorcycles? I need a 4'' metric nut, forgot the exact size but I have it at home.

[AFGuy]

I'm in Yorktown, Va. I'm very good, mechanically... I've already resolved to tear it apart. Even if I weren't able to fix it, what good is a bad engine, right? May as well get experience out of it. Having said that, there is nothing that can't be fixed... short of cylinders fused to the cylinder walls, which I have seen. I'm reasonably confident that it is the valve train, which is completely replaced for $300 on Bikebandit.com. I will probably also install new piston rings and crank bearings while the engine is out of the bike. Although undeniably sound advice, I won't be replacing the engine... I paid $1,000 for this bike and have already made my money up in gas. I don't want to go back in the hole on an engine when I could sell what's left and buy another bike. Anyone hear about anything like a stroker kit for this bike? Just a thought while I'm at it, though it would be nice!

Thanks for all of your help! I will let you know what I find out!

[weedahoe]

Lol.... You'll find out really quick its easier and cheaper to replace the engine than trying to repair it. But hey, if you want a new head, I've got one that's complete ill sell cheap.

[adidasguy]

What did I say in my first post?? Bent valve! Pow! 

Although very inconvenient for you AF, GS500 engines are pretty available where ever you are for relatively cheap. Adidas, I have a meeting on Saturday, maybe I will head over on Sunday, its supposed to be a high of 53 degrees 

Is the fly wheel puller specifically for motorcycles? I need a 4'' metric nut, forgot the exact size but I have it at home.

I bought these two kits:

http://www.sears.com/otc4742-motorcycle-10-piece-flywheel-puller-set/p-00933363000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

http://www.sears.com/shopzeus-motorcycle-repair-tool-kit/p-SPM5097455901?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3

I like to collect tools as much as GS500 parts.

[AFGuy]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I put it to you... How did a rock get in between my left intake valve and the piston head? I found it in there tonight and will be removing the cylinder head tomorrow morning! Let's hope this works!

[weedahoe]

So our next question would be.........what air filter are running on the back of the carbs because the only two ways in the engine are though the back of the carbs and through the spark plug hole