I've got my GS put back together this week after being apart for a couple of months(had to rebuild the forks and never got to it), and once I got it back together and charged the battery, I had to fight to get it started, and it would only run on one cylinder.  While trying to ride it around the yard, the other cylinder would occasionally catch and tear up the yard.  I spent most of turky day going through the bike's electronics, and now all I can get at best is a 6" flame out of the muffler.  Also, when I was trying to start it on Wed., I heard a loud series of clunks inside the motor(could the chain have jumped ).

Other than the forks blowing oil, the bike was running great, I spent all summer riding it between Chas., SC and Charl., NC, with no prob. at all.

Thanks,
Don
Shadowhawk

'92 GS500
'83 GS450LD

Sounds like a corroded connection in the wiring harness preventing a good spark all the time. Pull every connector clean them and add a little electrical grease (to prevent further corrosion).

I'll go back through the harness once I get my gf's bike running again.  Going through it yesterday got the oil pressure light to work(for the first time since I got the bike), I did find broken wires that went from the front brakes to the tail light, and I did find where one of the wires that powers up the ignition did come out of the conector block(bypassed the block for now).

Any other ideas???
:dunno:  :dunno:

Don
Shadowhawk
'92GS500
'83GS450LD

OK 1 cyl... not cam chain usually...
I have had bikes miss on one cyl is the auxilliary earth connection is bad... That extra wire from negative of battery to the wiring harness ... that ... has a black plastic 1 wire plug... Now one bike missed on right, the other one missed on left ... so I guess it depends on... no clue... But you will be able to twist that spade connector a little and make a positive connection.
Cool.
Srinath.

OK,

I went through the entire electrical system on the bike, replaced the 4 wire connector that is infamous for problems, replaced the secondary ground(full of RUST???), and the bike still wouldn't start, but the backfire went away.

I put in a new set of plugs, and the bike fired right up!!!!

After I got to the end of the driveway(about 150 yards or so), the bike started loosing power and sputtering, and eventually stopping.  I couldn't restart it, so I pushed it back to the house, checked the plugs, and the one on the left was gas fouled.

Thanks for the help with getting the electrics straight, now I need ideas on the carbs.......

:x  :x  :x

Don
Shadowhawk
'92 GS500
'83 GS450LD

Quote from: ShadowhawkI went through the entire electrical system on the bike, replaced the 4 wire connector that is infamous for problems, replaced the secondary ground(full of RUST???), and the bike still wouldn't start, but the backfire went away.

I put in a new set of plugs, and the bike fired right up!!!!

Woo Hoo!  

Are you talking about the 4-wire connector that gave me so much trouble a couple years ago?  The one I'm holding in the photo below, which I replaced with the 4 individual pink connectors?

Quote from: ShadowhawkI pushed it back to the house, checked the plugs, and the one on the left was gas fouled. [...] now I need ideas on the carbs.......

What have you tried so far?  I wouldn't try anything until I knew they were both CLEAN inside (jets, needle valves and seats) and that the float heights were even with the float bowl gaskets.

BTW, couldn't a gas-fouled plug still mean that there's an electrical/ignition problem?  You know, like the plug isn't firing, so the fuel doesn't get burned, so the plug gets soaked....

OK assuming its carb... - sticky float ... and BTW man, you making those charlotte runs any more ... I hadn't seen you post in a while, I even forgot who shadowhawk was...
Cool.
Srinath.

Kerry, I did replace the block you are talking about, your problems came to mind when I started to work on the bike today.

I'm still getting good spark on both plugs as far as I can tell.  I used a screwdriver to test each boot, and used a pair of pliers to check each plug, and got white spark both ways.

Srinath.....,
No, I'm not making the Charlotte runs now, but leaving my bike with you to fix is still an idea I play with.  I feel bad about not getting back to you when I was up there last, but I was not in a mood where anyone needed to see me.  I hope you got the bike up and running that I helped you with last time I came by.

To give you guys an idea about the bike I'm working on...,

It is a retired drag bike(long story, but not by me).  It has a K&N filter that fits on both carbs, and D&D can, a Yoshi exhaust, and has been rejetted.  I reset the mixture screws to 3 turns out while trying to get it to run again today, but it seemed to make no difference.

On another note...,
After I primed the carbs on the GS450 I gave my gf(it has sat since Memorial Day weekend), it fired right up(with a jump start).  I'll be changing the oil and fully charging the battery this week, but at least one of the two bikes is running.

Don
Shadowhawk
'92 GS500
'83 GS450LD

Oh well no worries... That 900 eli has a busted head, Yea I put water in it, Rather the previous guy had some rather low temp anti freeze in it, and after I in advertently drained 1/2 of it, I filled it with water ... I bought it in LA (Los Angeles) and water is fine there even for winter, the guy had maybe 10% anti in it, I brought it to Northern CA where 10% is not going to do it, and I maybe had it down to 3 or 5% anti, and that some point in its life made the head pop off a quarter sized hole. Anyway its waiting for a good few days where I will re fit it ... and hope it works well... have head, have new rings, gaskets ... Luckily the head I got wan't too bad and it was $50 with shipping ... whooo hooo... Love it... highly socialised bike ...
Cool.
Srinath.

That sucks, but I'm glad that it was somewhat simple to figure out.  The antifreeze prob. is why I know so much about buidling car motors(another long story), but keeps me looking into aircooled motors for my bikes.

If I can't figure out what's up with my bike, I'll give a yell back later this week with more info.


Don
Shadowhawk
'92 GS500
'83 GS450LD