Just sold my bike... and then the buyer turns up an hour ltr

[chrisgatguis]

Hi all,

Damn what bad luck I've just had...

I just sold this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0382604999

on ebay, on Wednesday,

the bloke turned up today and was your ideal Ebayer, paid up in full straight away, had a nice chat and then left being followed by his other half in the car..

About 10 minutes later the heavens opened up (only for about 10 minutes) and for a split second I hoped he'd be okay on his 50 min ride home..

Then about an hour later he turned back up again..

Apparently the bike had been loosing power on the A19 on the way home, it was fine for first 10 mins (i.e. in the dry) and then as soon as the rediculous rain started it all went wrong. He ended up conking out and just about managed to get back to mine... just in time for me to give him his money back and drive him back half way home... I did notice that something wasn't right, struggled to get up my drive until the rev's were really high, and it back fired twice.

After dropping him home (and the weather bloody beautiful again) I quickly jumped on the bike and took it for a test ride myself.

The bike now rode completely fine. absolutely nothing detectable wrong..

Its definitely the wet thats caused it getting in the electrics IMO.. I've renewed the plugs a few weeks ago, whats the most likely cause?

HT leads?

Coils?

Such bad luck its un real. the bike is really good condition and a cracking ride just this blumming wet problem to sort out now.....

[Guest]

Chris, thats awful luck mate

Are the coils hidden by the tank? If this was the case.... it could suggest HT leads....

I'm at a loss tbh mate, can only approach it logically and hope someone else can shed more light on it..

[Korben]

Could be water getting into a part of the engine (Happens on Suzuki's a lot). A fender extender on the front mudguard will probably fix it if it is that.

[chrisgatguis]

Hi Dan,

yeah the coils are hidden by the tank / frame..

Looking at the coils, the cables are attached by 'chocolate boxes' (thats what i call em don't know what their real name would be) which in themselves appear to be fine but obviously means the wires are kind of open to the atmosphere...

Is that normal? or should they be souldered / shrinkwrapped?

I've had it happen before months ago and WD40 around the leads + plugs sorted it out really.. I just want to propperly fix it.

The problem is being able to re create the problem aswell without throwing loads of water over the leads + coils...

Ah well, guess I'll order the leads and see..

[Guest]

Chocolate box is what a lot of people call em mate

I've seen them exposed to the elements like that too.. No hardship to seal em with some insulation tape or heatshrink...

How do the HT leads look under a thorough visual examination??

There is a test you can do on HT leads.... can't remember it at the mo... I'll see if I can find/remember it

[Bill_on_a_bike]

Can test HT leads by running the bike in the dark and looking for arcs coming out of them to the frame/engine/other leads.

sometimes if you take an AM radio near it, you'll hear a buzzing sound on all frequencies, which will increase when the bike revs.

I think there are aerosols you can get to spray on dodgey HT leads, but it's only a temporary fix I think.

[Guest]

Can test HT leads by running the bike in the dark and looking for arcs coming out of them to the frame/engine/other leads...

 

That was it

Didn't know the radio one though.. how would you utilise that?

[Bill_on_a_bike]

Can test HT leads by running the bike in the dark and looking for arcs coming out of them to the frame/engine/other leads...

 

That was it

Didn't know the radio one though.. how would you utilise that?

 

Only discovered it in my dads old volvo 480. There was a noise over the radio that increased with revs (as more sparks are sent and lost through the leads). Back in the day radio was transmitted on a "spark transmitter" which used sparks of electricity as a carrier wave, and this is basicly the same thing. The sparks send out an EM wave, and this is picked up and amplified by the radio. Using spark transmitters is illegal now, because they transmit on all frequencys at once. Why do I know this junk?

anyway, I guess you'd just get an AM radio, tune it in to something, put it near the bike, listen for any disturbance and if that disturbance changes when you rev it, your HT leads are leaking.

[chrisgatguis]

Well its turned out useful this time!

I'll check it out later but going to order some new ones anyway!

[Guest]

Thats bad luck, but very good of you to give the money back AND take him home, I'm sure others would have told him to ram it

[chrisgatguis]

Yeah,

was quite a hard situation, if i was a dealer thered be no chance.. it would have been taken it to the garage for a couple of days... squirt of WD40 here and there and then returned fixed...

I just looked at it from his point of view.

[dredge3]

You should have sprayed it with WD and all would have been ok. The days when engines got wet all the time, we always took some WD 40 with us. HEAVY RAIN!! miss fire.stop spray, gloves on hot engine, fag then go

[Guest]

You should have sprayed it with WD and all would have been ok. The days when engines got wet all the time, we always took some WD 40 with us. HEAVY RAIN!! miss fire.stop spray, gloves on hot engine, fag then go

 

Ha, never mind bikes, I've had cars like that!! Good old WD

[zzr lon]

having read your symptoms id say the water is just getting past the h-t cap seal and then earthing so only a prob when pissing down and fine when sunny

so check it has a good seal at the cap (this is a common prob with the front cyl on the sv650)

[Voodoo]

having read your symptoms id say the water is just getting past the h-t cap seal and then earthing so only a prob when p*ssing down and fine when sunny

so check it has a good seal at the cap (this is a common prob with the front cyl on the sv650)

 

[zzr lon]

having read your symptoms id say the water is just getting past the h-t cap seal and then earthing so only a prob when p*ssing down and fine when sunny

so check it has a good seal at the cap (this is a common prob with the front cyl on the sv650)

 

 

so whats stupid about that diagnosis as its the most likely

[Korben]

having read your symptoms id say the water is just getting past the h-t cap seal and then earthing so only a prob when p*ssing down and fine when sunny

so check it has a good seal at the cap (this is a common prob with the front cyl on the sv650)

 

 

so whats stupid about that diagnosis as its the most likely

 

That's not an insult mate. That's a smilie showing he agree's with you... We have it on as it's funny.

[Voodoo]

so whats stupid about that diagnosis as its the most likely

 

That's not an insult mate. That's a smilie showing he agree's with you... We have it on as it's funny.

 

[zzr lon]

so whats stupid about that diagnosis as its the most likely

 

That's not an insult mate. That's a smilie showing he agree's with you... We have it on as it's funny.

 

 

bloody newbies

[chrisgatguis]

lol

Cheers guys,

just waiting for it to rain now so i can test the half litre of WD40 i've sprayed on

[dredge3]

lol

Cheers guys,

just waiting for it to rain now so i can test the half litre of WD40 i've sprayed on

 

Spray with hose pipe That should wet it Once its all dried out, fit new cap and seal it all

[JoshTimmins]

all else fails, sell the bike on a dry day! lol

only jkin, hope you get it sorted pal!

Josh

x

[Guest]

I've been in a similar situation, I sold my Katana on Evilbay, and the bloke was gonna call at 10 to collect, as it was a sunday, i got the bike out of the yard the night before, started okay, and rode round the block.. parked up outside front of my house.

Following Morning, the damn thing wouldn't start when the buyer turned up, and i hadn't checked the fuel level, should have left it in the yard overnight on optimate, then fired up in the morning and had a run round town, got some fuel and the bike would have been ok.. ended up having to bump start it, and take it for a warm up, whilst they nipped for some fuel..

once theyd taken it, i went to my sisters, in case they came back....

i know now to start it beforehand, and to check the juice...but ain't selling this one anytime soon, having way too much fun..

[Colin the Bear]

WD40 will provide a temporary solution. There's a spray you can get that provides a permanent silicone seal. Apply to a clean and dry ignition on a warm motor and leave overnight. Can't for the life of me remember its name. Ignition damp seal or similar.

[Bogof]

There's a spray you can get that provides a permanent silicone seal. Apply to a clean and dry ignition on a warm motor and leave overnight. Can't for the life of me remember its name. Ignition damp seal or similar.

 

Holts Damp Start is a leading brand product that seals your car ignition system. Helps to prevent ignition problems on cold and damp winter mornings.

Features and Benefits:

Damp start forms a plastic insulating seal over all of your car's ignition system

Helps to stop short circuits and corrosion

Seals out water, oil, petrol, dirt and dust.

300ml for £2.99 @ Halfords