So a few weeks back, someone knocked my bike over at work. I store it there so it wasn't found until two days later. It was on a slight decline and there was a gas/oil puddle as well as the broken mirror/turn signal/scuffs. Nothing too major and the engineers actually stood it up before I got to work so that was nice.
My question is, what do I need to check before I fire her back up? I've been waiting since I also need a new battery. Reading about batteries here, I'm confused. Is it possible to get a sealed (like a car) battery that does not need water/acid/electrolytes added to it? And if so, where. Or is the process soooo simple that even I could do it and I should just suck it up and get the Everstart at walmart?
Oh - and if anyone's in the Northern VA area and wants give me a hand getting her ready to ride, that would be cool too.
Dan
I got a battery with a 6 month warranty for 29.99 at a dealership today...ready to go... :thumb:
Quote from: MrDan on April 11, 2006, 04:58:16 PM
Oh - and if anyone's in the Northern VA area and wants give me a hand getting her ready to ride, that would be cool too.
Depending on what kind of help you need, I can try to give you a hand. I'm in MD, but NoVa isn't much of a drive.
However, I should warn you that I'm new at this, so you might prefer someone with a little more experience. But if nobody else responds, let me know what I could do.
Good luck
Apparently the charge regulator in a GS may fry a sealed battery (charging it at too high a voltage causing it to overcharge and gas out).
Check oil level before starting her up. And check for corrosion damage due to battery acid and thoroughly wash the affected areas.
Markus - Ii'm pretty sure I'm not leaking battery acid since it's been dead for months .. but I'll check it anyway.
Mello - When I called the local dealer (Coleman) it was $100 and I'd have to install it.
Badguy - thanks, I'm really just looking for someone to give the bike a quick once over and see what (if anything), I'm missing ...
Quote from: MrDan on April 12, 2006, 07:39:06 AM
Markus - Ii'm pretty sure I'm not leaking battery acid since it's been dead for months .. but I'll check it anyway.
A dead battery does not make the acid content go "poof". If she's been lying on the right side you can be pretty sure that there was an acid spill.
MArkusN is on the money.
that batt acid really sux.
Otherwise. I wouldn't worry about the bike too much. check the oil level and check if there is gas in the oil.
(evident usually by a higher oil reading than normal)
otherwise, start that baby up. I wouldn't wait for a new batt. Jumpstart her off your car and lett her run a bit.
watch the temps, if you don't ride her around.
also when you get her started you will have to leave the dead batt. in the bike for two reasons. one she'll run like SHIITE and two the pos connection will probly short.
jumpstart her and take her for a spin. It'll be good for the engine.
I actually tried to jump her last week and was unable to. I'll try again today now that it's not in the 40s.
I'm confused about the battery. If I'm reading other posts correctly, the Everstart only fits if it's on it's side. How is that different than the bike being on it's side for 2 days?
I'll go try jumping and see what happens.
Thanks.
Dan
I amsure he meant a sealed batt.
the stock batt and most replacements are not maintenence free. they leak.
Quote from: 3imo on April 12, 2006, 09:47:15 AM
I amsure he meant a sealed batt.
the stock batt and most replacements are not maintenence free. they leak.
See that's where I'm confused. I went to look at the sealed everstart battery that's been referenced all over the place. I grabbed it and as I'm walking to check out, I pop open the box ... to find that the "sealed" battery requires stuff to be added to it. I cannot find a "sealed" battery anywhere that fits our bike and that nothing needs to be added to. Am I just stupid? (I know you'll give me a straight answer on that one 3imo haha)
stupid is as stupid does. - Gump
a sealed batt. could still need the acid added upon purchase, I think. I am gonna run to Advanceauto and ask real quik.
I thought sealed meant you din't have to worry about a vent.
did the one you mentioned have a little vent thingy?
Quote from: 3imo on April 12, 2006, 09:57:43 AM
stupid is as stupid does. - Gump
a sealed batt. could still need the acid added upon purchase, I think. I am gonna run to Advanceauto and ask real quik.
I thought sealed meant you din't have to worry about a vent.
did the one you mentioned have a little vent thingy?
no vent - just acid ... guess sealed is a misnomer ...
Quote from: MrDan on April 12, 2006, 10:02:32 AM
Quote from: 3imo on April 12, 2006, 09:57:43 AM
stupid is as stupid does. - Gump
a sealed batt. could still need the acid added upon purchase, I think. I am gonna run to Advanceauto and ask real quik.
I thought sealed meant you din't have to worry about a vent.
did the one you mentioned have a little vent thingy?
no vent - just acid ... guess sealed is a misnomer ...
yup i was right. some sealed batteries have the screw/holes but are considered sealed/maintenence free.
Per - ADVANCE AUTO.
Thanks for clearing that up :)
Good news is that I tried to give it a jump and it almost turned over ... so my expert conclusion is that it's just a battery issue. Off to walmart tonight and hopefully riding this weekend!!!
almost turned over?
what'd you try with? if a fresh car batt can't turn over your engine, you got bigger issues my freind.
if you tried a car batt, the engine may be hydrolocked with fuel, although I doubt it, seeing as the bike has been uprite for so long after the fall.
please explain.
MrDan,
Since you're looking for someone to look it over, I probably wouldn't be the best person to help with that (you probably know as much if not more than I do about the bike).
Good luck, it sounds like you got it figured out anyway.
Mike
Quote from: 3imo on April 12, 2006, 12:22:31 PM
almost turned over?
what'd you try with? if a fresh car batt can't turn over your engine, you got bigger issues my freind.
if you tried a car batt, the engine may be hydrolocked with fuel, although I doubt it, seeing as the bike has been uprite for so long after the fall.
please explain.
ok ... i just went out and tried using my financee's car (my car battery is actually on it's last legs too). using her car, I had slightly better results. it started to turn over twice and i was so excited i took my thumb of the starter (ugh). i think i just need to try again later when i have some more time. it was nice to hear the engine run for a split second though ... beautiful sound :)
as for bigger problems, i'm worried that the carbs may have issues but dont really know how to check that. would that have a similar result? or were you thinking something else?
i thought about hydrolocking, but i havent ridden it more than a mile since i last filled it up.
any other suggestions?
Quote from: MrDan on April 12, 2006, 12:58:48 PM
i thought about hydrolocking, but i havent ridden it more than a mile since i last filled it up.
any other suggestions?
I think you're confusing hydrolocking with vapor lock. Hydrolock is when a cylinder fills up with a fluid (gas or oil). It's possible considering that it sat on its side for 2 days. You won't be able to turn it over (it won't crank), and it can very possibly damage your engine.
what I don't understand is why you would go through the trouble of setting your bike up for a jumpstart and only turn it over twice.
did you crank her twice and she started up twice? or do you mean it only turned two revolutions?
if so, what is stopping you from crankin her up and letting her run for a minute or ten?
It can't hurt the bike, unless your not telling us something.
just morbid curiosity I guess, or I just misunderstood your post.
Ok. When I pressed the starter button it started cranking away. Two different times, after it was cranking for 20-30 seconds, it turned over for a brief second and then returned to just cranking. I tried it about 15 different times over 15 minutes and it only happened twice. I had the petcock on reserve/prime/on and the choke on/off/halfway and the various combinations .. it didn't seem to matter.
She never actually started for more than a second or two. I don't know if I got excited and let go of the starter or something, but as soon as it started to run, it stopped. Does that make sense?
Egaeus - I do get those two confused. Would I still have to worry about either if the bike was on it's side for two days and has been upright for 6 weeks since then?
Since she cranked over hydrolock is a non-issue. That's eliminated.
(Hydrolock gives you one partial rev and then eventual damage is done.)
First things first, get the battery issue sorted out.
Next check for spark; pull out your plugs, make sure they're not fouled or wet or anything (they should be a light tan), then crank it with the wires attacted to the plugs and the plugs grounded. Make sure you can see a good spark in the spark gap.
If that is ok, check fuel. I know little about carbs, but I do know there are numerous things that could cause something like this. Take off the airbox and try spraying something flamable into the intake (IE starter fluid, WD40 or even propane from a blow touch) whiile cranking it. If it sputters and trys to start, then fuel is your problem.
Finally, go to walmart and get a compression tester. It's 20 bucks and in the automotive section. Hook that bad boy up as per the directions and give her a crank. It should probably read >100 and the 2 cylinders should be close. If its really low or they are uneven, its probably a valve adjustment issue.
Quote from: LimaXray on April 13, 2006, 08:32:52 AM
First things first, get the battery issue sorted out.
as in get a new battery?
the rest may be beyond me right now ... but i'll see what i can do this weekend.
Yeah, get a new battery, charge it properly, and give it a go. If you can't jump start it, I doubt the battery is going to solve anything, but you should at least eliminate it as a possible problem before moving on.
Do you have some basic tools? The things I listed are very easy to do and probably not much harder then changing your oil. You should also get a shop manual if you don't already have one. Don't worry, you can do it :thumb:
Houston we have a problem... :o :o :o :o
I just reread ol' MRDAN's first post. He mentioned a slight decline and an oil/gas puddle. big UH..OH.. :o
#1 where was the oil leak from? the carbs? :o
if so. it would explain your symptoms and there is only one solution. remove and clean your carbs.
If that bike sat on its side on an incline the oil would travel up the engine. if the valves were open (and ya know it was) oil would go in the carbs and in the exhaust.
Then it sat for 3 weeks :o ....man.. the gas and oil would have gummed up. Might as well buy the rebuild kit and get to work.
If you have no experience with the carbs but are willing to try it's very easy to do as long as your patient and don't lose any parts.
I'd be glad to help you out. you could have it done in one afternoon. :thumb:
If not don't try to start her and get her to a shop..
Quote from: 3imo on April 13, 2006, 09:27:59 AM#1 where was the oil leak from? the carbs? :o
yikes ... it fell on the right side, and it seemed like the oil was leaking out of where you put the oil in ... the oil cap is all coated. since that would have been the lowest point (since that was basically resting on the ground) do you think it would have leaked to the carbs? or just out past the oil cap?
as for the puddle ... i have a strong suspicion after yesterday that it was ONLY an oil puddle. the gas tank is still full to the brim. does that make a difference?
Quote from: MrDan on April 13, 2006, 09:33:45 AM
Quote from: 3imo on April 13, 2006, 09:27:59 AM#1 where was the oil leak from? the carbs? :o
yikes ... it fell on the right side, and it seemed like the oil was leaking out of where you put the oil in ... the oil cap is all coated. since that would have been the lowest point (since that was basically resting on the ground) do you think it would have leaked to the carbs? or just out past the oil cap?
as for the puddle ... i have a strong suspicion after yesterday that it was ONLY an oil puddle. the gas tank is still full to the brim. does that make a difference?
if it was inclined so the oil drained up, I'd bet on it.
easy check.
with the bike upright, (I recommend on centerstand to make it level) and on level ground.
connect a small tube to the carb reservior drain plug (I will find a pic and post)
unscrew the small screw and drain your reserviors.
if they have oil, I'd rebuild.
It is possible that draining the oil out of the reserviors might let the bike start and I am not sure how bad it would be to let her run like that.
Hopefully someone will chime in with the pros and cons.
I have run my bike on a gas/oil mix before. (emergency, backwoods, middle of nowhere,no other choice conditions)
but that was before my last carb rebuild.
IMO if you drain the oil from the reservior and the bike runs ok, then run her as is. but after 6 weeks it may have gummed up
and F**ked everything any way.
THank you KERRY!!
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=19160.0
(http://www.bbburma.net/MiscFotos/DSCF2431_Idle_Drain_Mixture_Screws.jpg)
guess i'll try that before i pay $$$$$ to have the bike towed.
thanks
I agree with 3imo that it probably is a fuel issue, unless something was physically damaged by the fall.
Also make sure the gas in the tank is clean. I would set the petcock to prime when you drain the carbs and let a few cups of gas flow through it so you clean everything out. I'm no carb expert but this makes sense to me and is what I'd do.
If you need it to run to get it home, also try taking off the airbox and spraying some carb cleaner inside the carbs. It may be just enough to get it running.
Quote from: LimaXray on April 13, 2006, 10:24:40 AM
If you need it to run to get it home, also try taking off the airbox and spraying some carb cleaner inside the carbs. It may be just enough to get it running.
I actually store the bike at work so the only place I'd need to move it to is the shop. Hopefully it doesnt come to that :)
Just buy this one:
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Chaparral/productr.asp?pf%5Fid=378%2D1065&gift=False&HSLB=False&mscssid=BE4F4B46C3BB45C782E4822E58B47589
It's a direct knockoff of the stock Yuasa battery that came with your bike. The thing ships dry if you don't pick it up from them directly. You can take it to almost any basic auto parts store and have them fill it up with the electrolytes for around $5 and all ready for you to charge. When I picked it up, they filled it for free for me. Been using it for over a year now with no problems. Best part is the price. When I have to buy a new one, I'll be buying this one again.
Update: Got the battery in and started right up. Noticing a few more quirks to my bike now, but that's to be expected with the winter she had.
Final question for now. I was riding home Saturday. On the cap beltway cruising around 70-75. After about 20 minutes of that, I started to get some hesitation - like we get when we need to switch to reserve. However, I was only 30 miles in to a full tank. I got off and took back roads to where I park the bike and could not get it to happen again. Any thoughts? I'd hate to be tossed when if it bucks in a turn this weekend.
It's common fuel starvation. The petcock can't flow enough fuel for extended periods of time on the highway when its set to 'on' or 'res'. If it happens again, set it to 'pri' and that should fix your problem.
Quote from: LimaXray on May 22, 2006, 03:11:26 PM
It's common fuel starvation. The petcock can't flow enough fuel for extended periods of time on the highway when its set to 'on' or 'res'. If it happens again, set it to 'pri' and that should fix your problem.
Much appreciated. I'll try that next time. It was weird cause it's never happened to me before and I make that run fairly regularly (just not since my bike's been messed with).
Thanks
It seems some people have problems with it and some people don't. I've never had an issue, but I know there are some people out there who put it on 'pri' whenever they get on the highway. Its also often recommended that you practice switching to 'pri' at speed.
On the way home tonight I actually had it on Reserve ... switched it to On when it starting acting up and issue went away. I was fortunate enough to learn how to switch at speed the first day I ever rode the bike. Thought I had more range hahaha.