Bike: '92 GS500e
Strange thing. The ride to work is 17 miles and I've been riding pretty much every day. It is mostly interstate miles.
So here is the deal, the last two times I have ridden in to work I get at 16 miles and the bike dies. It almost makes it to the exit ramp where I get off and I have to push it off the interstate and down the ramp. By the time I get all the way down the ramp (after about 5 minutes) the bike will start back up and I can go on in to work. And even stranger, it does not happen on the way home. The bike makes it all the way home without any issues.
The first time it happened I thought it might be low on fuel. I had 175 miles on the tank and that is about the time to add more. So I filled up and went home. Today with only about 40 miles on the tank it went 16 miles and did the same thing, died right before my exit. Pushed it off the interstate and down the ramp (after about 5 minutes) and it started up and went on in with no problems. Rode the bike at lunch, no problems. Rode the bike home and no problems.
At one point I thought maybe vapor lock, but this doesn't make sense. I've had no issues with that at all and I've ridden the same ride in 100+ temps with no issues and you would think that in the afternoon on the way home, when it is hotter, I would have this issue. It is kinda of strange that the problem happens in the morning in the same place but not in the evening.
One time could be a fluke, two times maybe not so much.
Got me dumbfounded. Any suggestions?
Chad
Vapor lock is a likely issue. Easy test - does the bike start as soon as you pop the gas cap?
Another possibility might be strange wind interfering with the carbs, but that's likely to result in a miss, or snatch rather than complete death.
Pita did the same exact thing.. turned out that one of the generator connections was going bad (would lose continuity when the cable moved a little and then regain it randomly)... Replaced all the connections and it has not done it since... Might want to check all the wire connections to make sure they aren't lose or anything...
That sounds like a good place to start.
What baffles me is that it happened the last two times I've ridden to work and in the same place, but yet it don't happen on the way home when the day is hotter. That is part of the reason I'm thinking no to vapor lock.
Chad
Maybe the bike doesn't want to go TO work, but doesn't mind going home.
Does it quit suddenly or just kind of sputter and die? If it misses, sputters and then dies it's likely running out of fuel because of cap vent blockage or similar. If it quits suddenly like turning off the key it's probably electrical. Good luck.
Is the road different on the way to work vs the way from work? That could give you some insight into whether or not something could be getting jarred loose.
I know over here the road is a LOT rougher going home than going to work. There's a uneven road piece that you practically have to wrap your feet under your bike just to stay on. Worse yet it's completely unavoidable.
I take the same route to and from work. One the way in I start out on back roads and end on interstate and downtown traffic. Route reversed on the way back.
The bike quits like it is losing power/fuel. I don't believe it is a vapor lock because it is hotter in the evening and it just started doing it (and it is a little cooler this week than last week).
I decided that since the bike didn't want to go to work that I wouldn't go to work today so I haven't checked it out today.
Chad
Heat and vapor lock have nothign to do with each other ... you can get vapor lock when cold, hot or raining.
If anything heat can cause the gas to evaporate and pressurise the tank to where it could vapor lock less ...
Lets just say its un related.
Cool.
Buddha.
Okay I just need to add some more info to the bike issue. Maybe this will help find an answer, I really don't know right now. Now I haven't done any work to the bike so nothing has been tried yet.
But today I went out to start the bike. I'm going on a short ride this morning and I haven't ridden in a week, since the last time it quit on me. But this morning, and there was a nip in the air, the bike didn't want to start. It was turning over fine and it has plenty of fuel. I turned it over and over, varying the choke position and working the gas. It wouldn't even fire, although there at the end I had a backfire or two, but nothing else indicated that it was hitting. I tried and tried till the battery was dead. So I went and got the battery charger and hooked it up. Didn't even let it charge, just tried to start it. Guess what? It started right up without any issues.
Here in a bit I'm headed out on the bike and we will see what happens on the ride.
Chad
People can mean different things when they talk about vapour lock. You are very unlikely to get a problem with fuel forming vapour in the fuel lines because they're short and gravity fed. What you can get is a blocked vent in the filler cap, so that after a while there's a vacuum in the tank and less fuel gets out so the carbs starve, this usually happens at more open throttle settings. Your ride might involve faster travelling in the first 16 miles on the way to work, so eventually it starves, but on the way home you start off slower in the traffic and enough fuel gets through, then on the way home it gets to where its about to starve but you're home so its OK.
If you ride with the cap slightly open and it doesn't quit, you know that's the problem. It could also be caused by a partially blocked in-tank filter or fuel hose which would give similar symptoms. Try running on reserve or prime to test the hoses.