clashfan83 Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hi guysWondering if you can fire a few ideas at a technaphobe...My bike won't start, I've charged the battery with an Optimate which usually does the trick but I guess it's just been sat there too long and doesn't want to play. I do though! Want to ride the damn thing!!Please answer in plain, idiot proof English as I actually know nothing about mechanics!Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 hello stranger! if you put a thread in pitstop, with as many details as possible,we should be able to help.my first thought is, if it's been stood a while, has the fuel gone off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberwolf Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 when was the last time you started the bike? could be battery is feck and you need new 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorbandit Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Is it dead completly or do you have lights showing but nothing happens when you try the start switch and what position is the big red one in ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clashfan83 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Haven't been here for a while, eh!Thanks for the replies so far.It turns over, a few weeks ago I almost had it, in fact it did start for about a minute, I kept it running as I was going to rev the shit out of it to clear out all the crap... then before I could do that it just died, and wouldn't start, but again, it was still turning over. Then the battery gradually died as I kept trying.I don't have a garage and keep it outside, and I can't access the battery easily, so I was waiting for a few weeks for a fair day when I could run an extension cable out to it and charge it. Now it is fully charged, but it's not starting. Turning over, but not igniting. Could it bee the spark plugs have got damp?Old fuel has been suggested to me a couple of times. Guess I will try and borrow a petrol can and get it topped up with some new juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicKsTa Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Yea more than likely fuel gone off.. Best bet is to drain it and fill it with new juice and re-try. Other than that, giving it a service could possibly solve the problem or try a new battery.. Im sure someone on here who has run into this problem before will be able to shed more light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 moved to pitstop.To check for spark you need to take plug(s) out,put lead back on, hold against cylinder head, turn engineover and see if there's a spark.I'd see how it goes with fresh fuel first.has it got a kick start? ( saves flattening battery) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingah Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Try swopping to reserve tap or vice versa (has worked for me quite recently). And personally, i'd do it with the bike's battery also plugged in to the trickle charger (at least i have done, and will continue to unless anybody tells me a good reason i shouldn't), just be sure it's totally full of juice and being recharged etc. Literally giving it a good few merciless attempts can work. This is what i do/did when i've ran out of patience with the stupid machine. (Note: Don't hold the starter button in for ages, otherwise you can burn the motor out - i certainly wouldn't be wanting to hold it in for more than 5 seconds at once for fear of breaking it). Obviously a kick start would be the ideal way to try to start it. If you can bump start without dropping the machine, that's definitely worth a shot too.Otherwise i guess it's a case of checking with a multimeter/WD40ing all your safety switches (e.g. killswitch, clutch, sidestand etc), check its sparking etc. And if the fuel is old (as in 6 months plus i'd suggest), to replace that.It may be useful to know how long its been sat, as if it's ages your carbs could be gummed up. Your tank could also have water in it (lots of condensation/water on the bike would make this more likely) which certainly will make it difficult to start at best - possibly check the float bowl, or go to original keep-trying-it methods to see if that helps shift it Maybe then just worth checking the air box isn't totally filled with crap.There's a logical order to do it in, but there's no real harm in just trying a few things - if it's not been sat ages it's likely going to be something very simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megawatt Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 If you have drain screws on the carb bowls, open em and have a look at the fuel, could be crap in them. If there, spray some brake cleaner in and hope that the crap drains out or you may need to clean the carbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberwolf Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 just a thought how old is the petrol? try putting new fuel in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I would try getting jump leads from your car to the bike and continuously press the starter till she starts.Don't 'rev the shit out of it' when she does splutter into life, just give her a little throttle and let her cough it out.. Gently coax her back to life, your battery is probably screwed though. Go out and give her a good long ride once she has warmed up a little, if she won't start again after that; get a new battery..Simmantix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clashfan83 Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Lots of ideas floating round here, thankyou everyone. Most of them are probably out of my capability but at least I have a few ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decor58 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Fuel gone off? How on earth can fuel go off??I had similar problem after leaving bike stood outside for a while over winter, turned out the battery had gone, it had power to turn the starter motor a bit but not start the bike.Could it be that the fuel is contaminated? If you've not had a full tank, condensation could form inside and cause a bit of trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 modern, unleaded fuel goes off if left stood for a period of time!The additives seperate out and become a sticky, horrible mess!In the worst cases this can lead to full carb/fuel system failure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RicKsTa Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 How long does it take before fuel goes off? Or after how long would you consider draining the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decor58 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Fair enough, make sense I guess, worth a shot if it could get the bike started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberwolf Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 How long does it take before fuel goes off? Or after how long would you consider draining the tank? around six months before it starts to deteriorate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 if you google stale fuel you'll see the arguments! some people reckon as little as 4 weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clashfan83 Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 Charged it up again today, tried it with the reserve on as someone suggested, still turning over but not wanting to start. Gonna get more fuel in it, and in the mean time keep the battery topped up, next plan is to get someone who actually knows about bikes to look at it, I can't even get the bloody fairings off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Strange Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Bloody hell, what are you doing on here!!!. I'll have to give up the 'youtube stalking' now! If you ask very nicely, then I might have a look for you if you get stuck (I'm pretty handy with the spanners, I did several years as a car mechanic when i left school - not much difference between them & bikes really).Having a car/bike that doesn't work sucks big time!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clashfan83 Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 Hiya, only just seen your reply. If I remember correctly it was me that told you about this forum in the first place 'stalker boy'!I know someone local that knows about bikes so they will probably be my first port of call, but thankyou for the offer. Do you have a bike atm?Clashfanpointlessyoutubevideos83 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Strange Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Hiya, only just seen your reply. If I remember correctly it was me that told you about this forum in the first place 'stalker boy'!I know someone local that knows about bikes so they will probably be my first port of call, but thankyou for the offer. Do you have a bike atm?Clashfanpointlessyoutubevideos83 Yes you did, as we are both members of EW aren't we. I have an old bike that's registered to me & is sitting on my driveway, but my brother is now the 'owner'. It's just that he doesn't have anywhere to keep it, so I'm keeping it in my name & insuring it because it's dead cheap + it keeps my full NCB running. I recently rewired a lot of it as all the electrical connections where rather crusty, rebuilt the back + front brakes , rear master cyclinder etc as the seals had gone. I put it through it's MOT last month as it had been sat SORN on the drive for nearly 2 years!. Too good me, it passed 1st time I'm currently 'employed' as I shut my shop down due to it not really paying it's way any more. I have plans involving a smallholding & with this current job it's reasonable steady pay, plus it's a 4 on/4off working pattern..... I've never had so much time off in over 10 years!. I don't actually need a vehicle to commute as such, although I may buy a new 'toy' soon. Trouble is, I keep thinking along the lines of 'nooooooo, I can buy X amounts of farmland instead of that!' so may I not bother. Depends on how long it is until the 'urge' becomes too strong to resist buying a bike really! I'm down your way for the next few days, if you get stuck then shout me on here. Bonus to you is that I am free to a 'friend' & you get to listen to my insightful witty banter............so on second thoughts, give it a miss! Take care'Stalkerboy'P.S. I was intrigued with the 'self esteem' youtube vid & your viewpoints etc (honestly, not the makeup ones! ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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