So the bike was running fine and I took it to work. When i left work, it wouldn't start. all the lights came on as bright as they normally do when i turned it on. when i hit the starter, it makes the noise you get when you have a mostly dead battery, kinda a murmered attempt to turn over once, then nothing. hooked up jumper cables and still the same thing. i'm hoping my starter isn't shoot, was hoping someone had an idea of where to start with this darn thing.

wiggle the jumper lead clamps a bit to make sure good connection... if its the battery and you have enough juice to power the lights then the jump should work...

you can run and bump start it... or hill start it .. if you are careful ..

i dunno about more serious issues right now...

At this point, I'd want to rule out a mechanical issue before trying to roll start it.  If the engine won't turn over because a cylinder is full of fuel, or a mechanical binding of some sort, attempting to roll start it could ruin an engine very quickly.  Turn the engine by hand first to make sure it spins properly.  If all is good there, then begin to look at the electrical system.  Just my 0.02.

KGB ( known good battery AND connections at all points. )

So I don't know alot about the mechanics of the bike but i have fuel dripping everywhere. there is a hose coming off the petcock that just dangles with a funny end to it that is leaking like a sieve. i'm guessing it's some sort of overflow so engine is maybe full of gas? i'm taking it apart now to investigate further.

Edit: Gas everywhere. Even flooded the air box. Where's a good place to start (after draining it i assume)

Quote from: iv76erson03 on July 08, 2013, 09:13:21 AMthere is a hose coming off the petcock that just dangles with a funny end to it that is leaking like a sieve

Sounds to me like the airbox drain hose somehow got mistakenly hooked up to the petcock and the fuel line that's supposed to be on the petcock is where the airbox drain should be.

yeah it was the airbox line leaking fuel, didn't know what it was. so i took off the airbox and carbs and they are drying out. both cylinders are completely topped off with gas. whats the best way to drain those?

Well there's always the quick and messy way....pull the spark plugs and hit the starter a couple times.



(Disclaimer - don't do that.)

so i took apart carbs and checked everything. one needle was slightly worn but nothing much. i hooked it back up on a stand and turned the gas on and nothing leaked. maybe something just got stuck in the carb and it leaked everywhere while i was at work. so no i just have an engine full of gas. other than waiting for evaporation, can it get it emptied faster?

If it's just flooded, then I would use the pull plugs and turn over method....except I would get some old towels and place them over the plug holes to keep stuff out and absorb the fuel. You can also use a tube and your thumb....the old "straw in drink" trick to get most of it first.

You checked your oil too right? Just to be sure you didn't get fuel down there somehow....

like literally turn the bike over? and yeah i'm changing the oil, don't want to risk it. there was alot of gas in there.

He means turn the engine over by hitting the starter. I'd recommend having a friend help you if you take that route, it'll be real nice to have an extra pair of hands. It is real easy to make a huge mess doing it that way.

lol...no, turn the bike over! 

Ross is right though, if you have a buddy to help, it makes it easier. One guy on either side of the bike holding the towels. Try to drain as much as you can with a straw first if you can.

alright well i took out the plugs and they were bone dry. stuck a straw down in there and nothing. i ended up changing the oil anyway to be safe. i put everything back together and no leaks, however when i tried to start it, it was the same thing. just a short grind and nothing. is there a way to test is the engine seized up or if the starter is bad? it had been running like a champ and starting with no issue so i'm really confused.

To check if the engine is seized, put the bike in neutral, pull the timing cover off, put a socket on the signal generator bolt, and turn it to the right. It should give you a little resistance, but turn over just fine.

a video is worth 1,000 pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oABZ4x576wE&feature=youtu.be

this was the first time that thing actually spun. it usually just turned maybe one or two degrees and returned. now it seemed like the battery isn't strong enough to start it or something. before i filmed this, i took the socket to thing that spins (forgive me, is that the starter?) and spun it a bit, it was pretty tight. maybe that jarred something lose and got it to at least turn over. anyways, does this help?

Now it sounds and looks like a bad/weak battery.
What's the voltage and what does the voltage do as you try to start then let up on the starter button?

unfortunately all i have is the cheapo 1.5 amp charger, which it is on right now. i'll let it go until it's fully charged and give it another go.

wanted to let everyone know, the bike is running fine now. it started the very next morning when it had the full charge. i'm still trying to figure out was was wrong. there was a small piece of dirt in the carb housing. it wasn't stuck in the jet but it could have got dislodged when it flooded. it's possible that the speck started a trickle in the engine just enough so it wouldn't start when i left work. then when my brilliant manager (who owns a motorcycle btw) put the petcock on prime, it probably just flooded everything.

on another note, one of the two needles had very slight wear on it, the other was perfect. I'm on 18,000 miles now, when do you guys usually replace them