Hey Guys, so if hit I figurative wall with my GS500. So in the past week or so my bike has been cutting out after about 20 mins of riding. I'll be riding along and then it suddenly cuts out like it's run out of fuel and I'd be left stranded until it kicks over again. It normally takes about 30 minutes for it to start again and if I ride it, it will last about another 10 minutes until it to dies again. The only time it took less time was when I happened to roll into a petrol station and I cooled the engine block with a mixture of air and water. It started after the engine wasnt as hot to touch (what normally happens after I let it sit).
Ive searched around and I've heard it could be the ignition coils or the crank trigger (maybe I'm not sure what a crank trigger is exactly). I've checked the fuel, fuel lines and petcock for blockages. If checked the fuel tank for vacuum issues, when it dies I open the tank and it doesn't seem vacuum locked and starting with the tank open does nothing.
Basically I'm just after thoughts and opinions on what I should start testing or replacing first? It's my daily commuter and hasn't failed me yet but I'm reluctant to send her to a mechanic as I've just moved and I don't know anyone reliable in my area (also not sure if the bike will actually make it to a mechanic).
Thanks,
Micheal
How many kms/miles on the clock? year? stock? Oil level good?
My guess is possibly needing a valve clearance check - my GS was a bit fussy about running with poor clearances...
Update: someone suggested the stator and not the coils? I'm just confused and trying to find and solution.
40000kms, year 2005, basically stock, I've only done superficial modifications, nothing relating to the engine or anything like that.
Just did a complete oil change
Crank trigger is the pickup coil/coils located under the small 3 bolt cover at right end of crank, Suzuki calls it the signal generator. Your problem sounds like a bad coil and your 2005 has 2 ignition coils and one pickup coil so it's probably the pickup coil, a GS will start and run on one cylinder. Older GSs have 2 pickup coils.
Quote from: gsJack on August 15, 2017, 07:19:46 AM
Crank trigger is the pickup coil/coils located under the small 3 bolt cover at right end of crank, Suzuki calls it the signal generator. Your problem sounds like a bad coil and your 2005 has 2 ignition coils and one pickup coil so it's probably the pickup coil, a GS will start and run on one cylinder. Older GSs have 2 pickup coils.
has anyone here discovered a non OEM replacement for these yet? NEW on bikebandit [for the WHOLE part] is like $137.95 USD. and used is a crap shoot as to how much longer their gonna last?..
When I had this exact same problem it turned out to be the signal generator (crank trigger). The problem in the wiring doesn't present itself until the bike is warmed up so its very hard to diagnose. I just found it through trial and error (also tried coils and regulator). GS500 electronic parts are very inexpensive if bought used on eBay so I just assume if the part breaks again I'll keep on buying it.
FWIW these exact symptoms on my bike, which by all accounts should have been the signal generator, turned out to be bent valves.
Do a compression test. If it is under 140 psi or so on either cylinder then maybe you get lucky and you do a valve clearance check, find out you have tight valves and fix by reshimming. In that case reshim and then do another compression test to ensure the valves are actually seating and the condition of the valves is good. If the compression is >140 psi on both cylinders then worry about the signal generator as next.
Signal generator is rather difficult to source, if that turns out to be it. You can easily find out because you just run the bike 20 minutes or so until it dies with the cover off over the signal generator then once it dies you measure the DC resistance of each coil. If they are not open circuit then the signal generator is not the problem. In many cases it is the problem, only finding a good one to replace it can be tricky.
Could it be that the battery is simply borked?
A few weeks ago my battery wouldn't crank over lights still came on. I checked the battery and to my horror the fluid was way down. I thought the battery must be dead, however I topped it up with water and it seemed to charge up OK. It's been running perfectly for a couple of weeks, the Voltage seems fine when I checked. It would crank over instantly with no signs of anything amiss...
Yesterday we went out for a long ride, I stopped the bike a few times along the way, and it would start up instantly as per normal, no indication of imminent trouble. Then we pulled over onto a side road but when I turned the key to start up there was nothing. Not a light, not a blinker, nothing, completely and totally dead. I thought this must be a fuse. However I noticed a small bit of flickering light on the oil light. So as a last resort because I had no choice and there was a bit of a slope I managed to jump start it and it fired up normally.
Bike was running fine and revving fine for a few kilometres, then it started to lose power and behave as if there was a fuel problem, sputtering and intermittently losing power and wanting to cut out. Finally it died again. I thought it's too much of a coincidence that there would be a fuel problem and an electrical problem at the same time. It was only about 30Kms to a suzuki dealership where I was able to go to and return with a new sealed battery. It cranked over immediately and we continued our day.
The point I'm making is that after the battery got stressed and resurrected, while it seemed OK, it was not OK at all.