So I bought a bike in September and have struggled to get it to run since (college :dunno_black: ). I've done a lot of research and seen a lot of threads related to fuel starvation. The symptoms of my bike sound roughly similar with the exception that the bike will rev at high rpms just fine at a deadstop in neutral or with the clutch engaged, but as soon as the bike is in gear it will cut out or bog consistently at roughly 10 mph.
relevant hings I've done so far (all be it minimal).
- I've cleaned the vent cap as that was one of the most common suggestions I'd seen.
I've also tried it on prime, res, and on...no difference what so ever
When I first got the bike I struggled to get the bike to start and promptly realized that a battery connection was corroded, and additionally there was no water in said battery (not sure if this is relevant)
Spark plugs were checked...looked fine from my untrained eye
At this point I realize that things are going to amp up in difficulty as all of the "quick fixes" didn't work. Is there any chance you guys could throw me some advice? If it isn't obvious already, I'm new to this stuff so would love some thoughts on what steps I should take and in what order. Any help would be much appreciated. Also sorry to throw another fuel starvation thread to the growing pile a lot of the ones I'd seen kind of had similar advice (IE run on prime, clean vent etc.). Additionally, the fact that the bike will rev just fine in neutral or even with the clutch in-gear engaged is really puzzling imo.
Thanks again
Have you opened the carbs up?
Could be clogged jets.
I'd make sure you're getting spark by pulling a plug and grounding it on the block, and make sure your air filter is clean.
I remember someone having a similar problem recently, but I can't remember who it was or what the solution was. Hopefully they'll chime in.
Do a 3 point clutch adjustment as described in shop manual.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500clutchadjustment_zps58ca4ce8.jpg)
Just a thought, is the side stand out when you put it in gear?
Chris
O0
Quote from: the_63 on December 30, 2016, 04:43:01 PM
Just a thought, is the side stand out when you put it in gear?
Chris
O0
That would only make sense it if just instantly dies.
Quote from: Watcher on December 30, 2016, 01:11:00 PM
Have you opened the carbs up?
Could be clogged jets.
I'd make sure you're getting spark by pulling a plug and grounding it on the block, and make sure your air filter is clean.
I remember someone having a similar problem recently, but I can't remember who it was or what the solution was. Hopefully they'll chime in.
Hey watcher thanks for the reply. Honestly from the reading I've done the carbs are probably the next man up. To be honest given the fact that I'm a relative newbie, I've put off handling the carbs as it seems like a slightly intimidating undertaking. To answer your question directly, no I haven't touched the carbs. It's possible that there is/was rust in the gas tank as the entire seat of the gas cap (IE where the cap bolts screw in) has fuel rust. In regards to checking the spark do you mean just pulling the cap off and grounding it to the bike frame? Will check the airfilter tomorrow.
Quote from: gsJack on December 30, 2016, 03:10:32 PM
Do a 3 point clutch adjustment as described in shop manual.
Hey gsJack, thanks for the reply. This is interesting as it didn't come up at all in the preliminary research, I'll see if I can do this process tomorrow. Do you mind elaborating on how this could be causing the symptoms? It's hard for me to understand how the clutch would be related (only thought is that the gear is slipping?).
Thanks
Quote from: the_63 on December 30, 2016, 04:43:01 PM
Just a thought, is the side stand out when you put it in gear?
Chris
O0
Thanks for the reply, Side stand is not out, I don't think my bike will even start with the side stand down.
Spark test is done with the spark-plug out of the engine.
Pop the boot off, unscrew the plug, place the plug back in the boot, and hold the plug against the head (usually the head stud is a good spot). You will be able to easily see the electrode fire and confirm you are sparking.
Recommend you do the right side plug as it's easiest to click the starter and watch the plug this way if you're by yourself.
Also might want to cover the cylinder hole with a rag so you don't send a bunch of fuel vapor into the air. Just a safety precaution.
The 3-point clutch adjustment is something I wouldn't have thought of off the top of my head but gsJack is the resident "old timer" with years of tinker experience and hundreds of thousands of GS500 miles under his belt. When he talks, you would do well to listen.
Essentially, if the clutch is out of adjustment then squeezing the lever all the way in may not fully disengage the clutch.
If you're in N there is no resistance regardless, but once you pop in it 1st it's already wanting to push the motorcycle without you even releasing the clutch.
It's one of those "never hurts to check" type things that takes a minute or less...
Sounds like the clutch dragging to me. I'd adjust that first like gsJack recommends.
Can the clutch issue be confirmed by putting it up on the center stand and running it through the gears? I'm no expert, so if that doesn't make sense you can go ahead and ignore me, but since that would reduce the load, would you be able to confirm that's the problem if it runs fine in gear on the center stand?
Like I said, if that makes no sense at all, please correct me.
Quote from: rscottlow on January 03, 2017, 01:19:26 PM
Can the clutch issue be confirmed by putting it up on the center stand and running it through the gears? I'm no expert, so if that doesn't make sense you can go ahead and ignore me, but since that would reduce the load, would you be able to confirm that's the problem if it runs fine in gear on the center stand?
Like I said, if that makes no sense at all, please correct me.
That concept makes sense to me, but I think putting the bike in gear with the rear wheel in the air is a little dangerous. OP would have to be super careful that the wheel stays off the ground at all times.
Quote from: rscottlow on January 03, 2017, 01:19:26 PM
Can the clutch issue be confirmed by putting it up on the center stand and running it through the gears? I'm no expert, so if that doesn't make sense you can go ahead and ignore me, but since that would reduce the load, would you be able to confirm that's the problem if it runs fine in gear on the center stand?
Like I said, if that makes no sense at all, please correct me.
I think I'd rather just do the clutch adjustment procedure as a just-in-case. I agree about the risks of running it in gear on the center stand, but your theory is sound :thumb: It'd be a quick diagnostic but could end in disaster if you inadvertently leaned on the bike or something.
If the OP doesn't want to do the entire clutch adjustment process then you could just run the barrel adjuster at the lever to the limit if it's not already there and that could potentially create enough clutch disengagement to alleviate the problem.
I wonder if oil viscosity could be related. I would guess that a straight 30wt oil might cause enough clutch drag to stall the bike when it's put in gear, especially when it's cold. ???
Quote from: mr72 on January 04, 2017, 09:01:47 AM
I wonder if oil viscosity could be related. I would guess that a straight 30wt oil might cause enough clutch drag to stall the bike when it's put in gear, especially when it's cold. ???
Not likely.
The manual has a chart with oil recommendations and there's basically not an engine oil that won't work in these.
Since I commuted on mine I decided 20W50 would be a good idea in case I got stuck in stop and go traffic and the air-cooled engine was running a little hot.
That stuff pours like syrup, and I never switched it come cold weather.
I'd get a more severe "lurch" from kicking it down into 1st before it was warned up because it was so sticky, but it wasn't like it created drag or anything.
I mean, it's oil. It's supposed to do the opposite.
Good point about the oil. I have 20W50 in mine right now, and I did notice after I changed it that moving it with the engine off and in gear/clutch-in is more difficult than before and there is a noticeable lurch when shifting into first that wasn't there with the previous oil of unknown viscosity. Just didn't know if going all the way to 30wt might be a notch too far.
So I'm back to my original theory: clutch is out of adjustment. Too much free play.
Hey guys sorry for the radio silence we caught some bad weather and decided to stow the bike for a week or two. Anyway the mystery has been solved (for now). The right jet was completely clogged up likely due to gas tank rust. Anyway, college has started...now if we can just get some nice weather...Thanks so much for all the help!