Okay this is a strange one, but twice recently when starting my bike there was some smoke and this putrid piss-smelling odor.  I don't know if this is some fault/leak in the bike, or if the stray cats wandering about in my garage are pissing on my engine.

Also as a complete aside, the other day I came to a stop at a traffic light and the bike just died exactly as it would have if I hit the kill switch, although the kill switch wasn't hit.  All the lights were still on and everything.  Just a weird random occurrence, or something to look into?

Edit: just reread the OP, not sure about the smoke+smell, but:

have you checked to see if there are any bugs/debris on anything hot?

i had a weird smell for a few days, not pissy, and was unlike anything i'd smelled before.  after looking it over in some daylight, i found one of the biggest moths wrapped(and fried) on the horizontal pipe on headers haha. once i scraped it off all smells were back to normal

not sure about the stall, mine does it on the constant. hoping after loosening up her tightening exhaust valves she'll be more opt to idle for me

The stalling when coming to a stop has happened once to every carbureted bike I've ever owned.

I can't really offer any help on the issue at hand but this is probably the greatest thread title in the history of the forum.

lol, I guess it's just something that got on the block

Quote from: Pelikan on September 21, 2011, 12:28:55 PM
Okay this is a strange one, but twice recently when starting my bike there was some smoke and this putrid piss-smelling odor.  I don't know if this is some fault/leak in the bike, or if the stray cats wandering about in my garage are pissing on my engine.

Also as a complete aside, the other day I came to a stop at a traffic light and the bike just died exactly as it would have if I hit the kill switch, although the kill switch wasn't hit.  All the lights were still on and everything.  Just a weird random occurrence, or something to look into?

If someone managed to piss in your gas tank you should give them a prize. It's not an easy feat.

However, I'd put my money on the cats.


If the bike stalls the lights will still be on. If you have a dodgy idle that could be the problem. When I bought my bike the carbs were real dirty and the bike wouldn't hold an idle without choke. It would die at stop lights if I didn't keep blipping the throttle/choke it 1/4. After getting the gelatinous gas out it ran without a problem. Start with adjusting your idle, run some seafoam/B12 through it, and then do a full carb clean if it continues. That's at least how I'd start my quest to solve the problem.

are you sure that nobody urinated in your tank to piss you off?
sorry for your trouble but this is one funny thread 

Maybe you're just too excited about riding your GS500 

Try these



Maybe your bike is getting old and is marking his territory. Possibly he needs one of these

my bike used to stall when i came to a stop when i was having the fuel starvation issue. changed the petcock to remedy that.

my bike will also stall if by accident i leave some choke on while the bike is fully warmed up. too rich obviously.

Quote from: reload on September 22, 2011, 05:09:37 PM
my bike used to stall when i came to a stop when i was having the fuel starvation issue. changed the petcock to remedy that.

my bike will also stall if by accident i leave some choke on while the bike is fully warmed up. too rich obviously.

But did your bike smell like piss?

just in case its a sabotage/joke job.... I have encountered a piss like smell from a exhaust in the past .. From r/c planes .. Now i cant remember which way it went .. But with castor oil in their fuel mix or olive oil in their fuel mix .. One runs clean but smells terrible and the other smokes a lot but smells sweet ..
This was 25 odd years ago so its hazy .. But a possible alternative cause
main point is that if someone did a number on the fuel with some extra oil then anything is possible
also .. Your post dont say its exhaust smoke so maybe im off track .. But another thought occurs .. A mate once left his bottle of car polish on the edge of a engine bay .. Ran the motor on a whim and the bottle spilt over the headers ... Bad bad bad smell resulted .. Not exactly piss but close
and if your situ is cats piss then it will smell exactly cats piss only magnified .. Cats piss always smells that way .. Completely different from dog or human ...
And just in case anyone wonders .. I have a weak gut for pissy smells so i pay attention to try and avoid them .. Not a fan of throwing up

Quote from: adidasguy on September 22, 2011, 11:51:28 AM
Maybe you're just too excited about riding your GS500 

what the hell is that

looks like a torture device