GS500E Starts then dies within 5 seconds.

[MotoSeamus]

Hello,

This is my first carbed bike so it may be something stupid i'm doing. Picked it up on Saturday, replaced the battery today as it was tired (knew this when purchasing).

I now can't get it to start and idle properly. It will turn over, using half choke and idle around 1k rpm and then slowly die over 3-5 seconds. I'm thinking it may be a fuel issue but i honestly have no idea where to start?

I'm a complete novice mechanically but happy to give it a go. Due to move on Saturday so any help is appreciated.

Cheers

[Meukowi]

Hello,

This is my first carbed bike so it may be something stupid i'm doing. Picked it up on Saturday, replaced the battery today as it was tired (knew this when purchasing).

I now can't get it to start and idle properly. It will turn over, using half choke and idle around 1k rpm and then slowly die over 3-5 seconds. I'm thinking it may be a fuel issue but i honestly have no idea where to start?

I'm a complete novice mechanically but happy to give it a go. Due to move on Saturday so any help is appreciated.

Cheers

not gettimg enough fuel, uses all the gas from float chamber and stalls, check float height, set petcock to pri setting and if it still dies theres dirt in carb, if it runs well on pri, but not on 'on or res' position petcock broken or vaccuum leak, take the carbs apart and clean them well. Or it could aswell get too much fuel

[MotoSeamus]

It runs for longer if the petcock is set to pri but still dies a minute or so later. I'm assuming your saying i need to clean the carb ect?

I'm worried i'll mess up things such as the idle mixture ect if i start pulling it apart.

[Meukowi]

It runs for longer if the petcock is set to pri but still dies a minute or so later. I'm assuming your saying i need to clean the carb ect?

I'm worried i'll mess up things such as the idle mixture ect if i start pulling it apart.

well, theres no worry about that, if you're not adjusting the air mixture screw, theres many videos on youtube to start with, or drive it to a mechanic to do it for you, its pretty simple imo, most complicated is the needle/washer assembly, you can also record it to check later which goes where. I think that the float height is too low, theres a tutorial in faq  http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=26604.0
easy to do, no need to open carbs.

[Meukowi]

It runs for longer if the petcock is set to pri but still dies a minute or so later. I'm assuming your saying i need to clean the carb ect?

I'm worried i'll mess up things such as the idle mixture ect if i start pulling it apart.

then theres clogged petcock(main or tanks), or tank vent. do you have fuel filter between tank and carb? if so, its pretty much useless

[mr72]

dude. start it on FULL CHOKE.

NO THROTTLE

let it run for like 30-60 seconds on full choke

then reduce to about 1/2 choke to ride away

it won't idle when cold without choke. you can gradually reduce the choke once underway for about the first 5 minutes of riding and it'll probably run fine with no choke after that.

[Meukowi]

dude. start it on FULL CHOKE.

NO THROTTLE

let it run for like 30-60 seconds on full choke

then reduce to about 1/2 choke to ride away

it won't idle when cold without choke. you can gradually reduce the choke once underway for about the first 5 minutes of riding and it'll probably run fine with no choke after that.

this makes me wonder, i use 1/4 of the choke to start up, and after 1-2min i dont need any choke, i guess there some adjustment required?

[mr72]

this makes me wonder, i use 1/4 of the choke to start up, and after 1-2min i dont need any choke, i guess there some adjustment required?

Yes. You probably have the idle mixture set way too rich and the throttle "speed" set too high, if I had to guess. Or you have 200-degreeF ambient temps.

[Meukowi]

this makes me wonder, i use 1/4 of the choke to start up, and after 1-2min i dont need any choke, i guess there some adjustment required?

Yes. You probably have the idle mixture set way too rich and the throttle "speed" set too high, if I had to guess. Or you have 200-degreeF ambient temps.

mixture 2,5 turns and throttle screw barely any turns, 1k rpm when warm engine
and for ambient temps, its around 40-50f
perhaps the cable routing is bad, have problems with throttle cable too, it revs when i do a left turn 😂

[mr72]

mixture screw setting is meaningless without knowing what pilot jet you have, and of course it is a point of tuning so just a static setting is unlikely to be ideal. And ideally the throttle stop screw should be all the way out.

Maybe the choke is sticking open? needles shimmed? who knows. Should require choke to start. It's running rich when warm if it doesn't.

[MotoSeamus]

dude. start it on FULL CHOKE.

NO THROTTLE

let it run for like 30-60 seconds on full choke

then reduce to about 1/2 choke to ride away

it won't idle when cold without choke. you can gradually reduce the choke once underway for about the first 5 minutes of riding and it'll probably run fine with no choke after that.

This isn't the issue. If i increase the choke to full it dies straight away. It will idle for 30 seconds - 1 minute at half choke and then die.

It worked without issue four days ago, so i'm assuming its something clogged in the carbs but thought id post here for any other ideas.

[Meukowi]

mixture screw setting is meaningless without knowing what pilot jet you have, and of course it is a point of tuning so just a static setting is unlikely to be ideal. And ideally the throttle stop screw should be all the way out.

Maybe the choke is sticking open? needles shimmed? who knows. Should require choke to start. It's running rich when warm if it doesn't.

its running lean when warm, or atleast the plugs are white, rich when idling ( theyre black)

[Meukowi]

dude. start it on FULL CHOKE.

NO THROTTLE

let it run for like 30-60 seconds on full choke

then reduce to about 1/2 choke to ride away

it won't idle when cold without choke. you can gradually reduce the choke once underway for about the first 5 minutes of riding and it'll probably run fine with no choke after that.

This isn't the issue. If i increase the choke to full it dies straight away. It will idle for 30 seconds - 1 minute at half choke and then die.

It worked without issue four days ago, so i'm assuming its something clogged in the carbs but thought id post here for any other ideas.

yeap, sounds like it for me too, its not getting fuel if it stalls, faster if with full choke, pilot jet maybe?

[mr72]

This isn't the issue. If i increase the choke to full it dies straight away. It will idle for 30 seconds - 1 minute at half choke and then die.

It worked without issue four days ago, so i'm assuming its something clogged in the carbs but thought id post here for any other ideas.

Sounds like you are depleting the float bowls. Try it on PRI, rule out the vacuum petcock. Then it could be one or more of the float needle valves sticking closed.

Also do a plug check, verify if it's dying due to too rich or not enough fuel.