Ok the bike is not a GS, but I do have a GS so maybe someone can help me.  The bike I am working on is a Bandit 400.  I ask last week about the float height and I adjusted it and it correct now, but the bike still will not start.  Bike got a new battery, it got gas, and sparks.  It will turn over, but will not start even with the choke on full.  I also checked the fueses and they seem to be fine, so right now I am a little lost on what to do next.  
The bike sat for a while, so could it be old gas?  Last spring I took it to the dealer and had it work on cause it wouldn't run costed me $500 and now its doing the same thing and I don't want to take it back.  I got it back from the dealer and rode it for 20 miles and didn't touch it again til last Oct when i got back from Europe on a 3 months trip.  I tried to get it running last Fall, but it wouldn't run and now I am trying to get it run again.  Please help....this is my girlfriend bike and she will not let me ride mine unless her is fixed.  

did you check for spark? if there is a spark on all 4 sparkplugs then it could be old gas....how old is it anyway?

try draining the tank and filling it with new gas...

Yes drain the gas and put fresh gas in ( drain your bowls again too).

Does it pop/start to run when you squirt some carb cleaner or ether into the intake/carb bodies???

Check your pilots ....( if you haven't already)) they get clogged easily when they sit along time and the fuel addiditives gum up in there...

Also you had the carbs off.... did you get the throttle cable(s) back in the same place/ have the idle screw set right ?

You say you have spark...but is it a nice strong spark...? Did you replace the plugs too? New plugs can get gas fouled....and still look ok  but be crap...put fresh plugs in...

Try those ONE at a time

Good luck.

The gas is about a year old and yes there are sparks to all four plugs.  I did take the carbs off and everything seems to be clean.  When i took it to the dealer they cleaned the carbs, hence the $500 I paid for it.  So I don't know whats up.  I am going to put some fresh gas in and see what happen.  Anyone else have any suggestions?

one of my pilots is clogged, and literally 0 fuel gets to the engine through it, so after you drain the tank, i'd fill it up at least to the reserve pilot so you can test the bike on Prime and Reserve. i'm new to this biking thing so i can't really offer any more help, but it sounds like a fuel prob if it won't stay on.

Well you took it to the dealer about a year ago then.... A year is more than enough time for the pilot jets to get gummed up again...The fuel evaporates out of the bowls/carb bodies over time...leaving behind the "rust" looking crap... The small orifices  (Pilot jets etc..) will often get blocked up by this stuff...  

Does the bike run on ether (starting fluid) or carb cleaner when you spray some in the carb bodies (squirt some in and try to start it..)

I'd go over the carbs  again- paying particular  attention to the pilot jets and all the little orifices in the carb bodies... Make sure its  all clean and open.....(You wouldn't believe what a few tiny blockages will do...)

Yamaha makes a great carb cleaner you can mix with Gas....Srinath  swears by it....  fill the fuel bowls with it... shake the bike a little to slosh the gas around in the bowls... let it sit over night ..maybe shake the bike once or twice  in that time... drain the mix out and fill the bowls with regular gas again and give it a try...... Supposed to dissolve all that additive stuff that gets left behind......



Srinath swears by this method...( ask him...heheh )

Where are you located by the way??


Perf I have no idea what a reserve pilot is (Unless its a military term..)..Maybe you mean  the fuel screens in the tank or something???

Put fresh gas in and it still will not start.  It just keep turning over.  I will get some starting fluid to see what happen.  I guess I'll clean the carbs too.  This is not fun!!! :x

The yamaha carb cleaner method is easy... and it does work quite well.
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: Jared
Perf I have no idea what a reserve pilot is (Unless its a military term..)..Maybe you mean  the fuel screens in the tank or something???

i think i do, i don't know the actual name for them. i'm talking about the fuel intake part in the actual tank. i'm learning more and mroe as i go, trying to remedy the problem. i just need to get my manual and just get my hands dirty.

seshadri_srinath pop quiz

Where can I get the Yamaha carb cleaner?? Is it pretty much available in auto parts store like Autozone?? thnx

Bike dealers... usually ones that carry yamaha parts.
Cool.
Srinath.

I got some starting fluid and try to start it with it and it still won't start.  The good news with this is that it kinda want to start, but the battery is dead so i got to recharge.  My next step is to clean the carbs out.  What else should I try?

Thanks

Charge the battery up and see if it will try to start.... If the plugs are a year old... Do yourself a favor and just go buy new ones and put them in....
I've had plugs that looked  perfect  not work worth a damn.


If it wants to run but wont... go over the carbs again ( try Srinaths method first....you may not have to take them apart...)...

Keep pecking away at it.... you'll get it....


Where are you located by the way?

Don't bother trying to start it with the puny Bandit battery; just hook some jumper cables to a parked car (not running), and you can crank to you heart's content.  One problem I've had is that there is enough juice to crank the engine, but then the spark is not fat enough.  I use a car battery so I don't have to worry about whether the spark is the problem.

Like others said:  drain the tank and rinse it out with a little clean gas.  
Replace the spark plugs... no need for platinum or other fancy plugs.
Follow Srinath's suggestions in
 http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3595

You can also cheat and use a LITTLE ether ("starting fluid") in the air filter.

I took the carbs apart and clean the thing out.  Here is the bad news, I either lost one of the little o-ring on the top of the carb or it was missing. And I lost one of the screw.  Now I got to wait till partsbandit sent me the parts..... :x

Got the parts from bike bandit and put the carbs back together.  I also got a new battery for it too.  Guess what.....No luck at all.  I took all the plugs out and clean them.  I checked for sparks and it seems fine.  Got fresh fuel also.  I am not sure where to go next.

Please help!!! :dunno:

I have a bandit, and if I let it sit for too long, I find that it takes a lot of effort to get it to fire up. Just keep at it. Since you already cleaned the carbs and have good gas in the tank, you can try giving the bike a good shake and if it still doesn't start, let it sit in the sun for a while. This seems to do the trick for me everytime.  

P.S.

If the engine starts burping, keep it going with starter.

Airbox or exhaust pipe got a mouse nest in it? It's been sitting for a while. Enough time for a mouse to make a nest?

No nest or anything like that.  The airbox isn't on since I am still trying to fix it.  I love that little bike but its such a pain in the butt.

when i took the airbox off of my former gs, it wouldnt start (not on stock jetting anyway) :dunno: