Need help in Tacoma, WA with Electrical issues

[davestrike]

Hi All,

Anyone that lives in WA. State that might be willing to step over to my place and lend a hand with electrical issues?

I got the bike running fully yesturday or so I thought!

Took it for a short ride to the local Yamaha dealer to get an apprasial for my insurance company, rode it back. She did pretty good except for not having power on a hill or at higher gears. Just as I was about to pull it into the garage, it started to have weird rpms, up then down and as I pulled to a stop it died. It will turn over and thats it.

So a lengthy visit to this wonderful website on possible causes/fixes last night.

Up early to start checking things out...

And totally lost!

I can figure out how to check the mechanical stuff, but this electrical stuff, man, it plain confuses me!

So I am appealing to the better nature of those out there in the area to see if someone is willing to stop by and show me just what the heck I am looking at!

So if you live near Tacoma, and know what end of an ignition system is what, and you are willing to spend a Saturday poking around on the innards of a bike, please drop me an email.

I sure could use the help!!

davestrike@nventure.com

Thanks!

[trbig]

Carbs carbs carbs.... sounds like you got things going and sucked some crud out of your tank and into your carbs. Carb cleaning time. Prometheus is around the corner from you, but man... it's a toss up whether or not to have him help you when you have to put up with him in the mean time?!? If he contacts you... find out if he lives on Sesame Street and lives in the trash can will ya? lol... Just kidding. Way down deep, he's a pretty good guy. (Way way way way down deep in some dark recess)

You may try yourself.. they really aren't too hard to clean. You will need to synchronize them afterwards. That is what makes the rpm fluctuation.


Tod

[mro]

quick test

pull plugs
put plugs back in caps and lay on engine so they ground
crank engine and check each one for spark
----
another thing to check and takes about same amount of time is the pick up coil wires. They can be 'broke" and bike can still run and then not etc.
___
so now if you have spark and p/u wires are good then would do carbs.
-----
if no spark and p/u wires are good then would check all connections from starter relay to coils, then test coils.

procedures in tech tips.


mro

[davestrike]

I had the carbs off Saturday before the ride, checking the holes, floats etc. The tank was cleaned prior to this, a week ago, as it had a little hole behind the right fuel petcock. Nice and clean inside!

mro, I pulled spark #1 to see if there was a spark, nada. I did print out the repair/maintance info about the pick up coil.

I will try each spark plug then.

Just feeling a little over my head with this electrical stuff and a tad tired of working on this thing! 4 months now and 1 ride so far! Frustration!! Not to mention the money, so far about what I paid for it!

[mro]

Pick up wires
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=&threadid=543


Coils
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=&threadid=583

could be other things, plug caps, plug wires, TCI etc..
but would start easy and check above.

Once you get involved it's easier than sounds


mro

[mro]

tad tired of working on this thing!

Know that feeling.
Neat thing about an XS is that while it can take a while to learn it "ALL", the basics and most repairs once done makes understanding most of the rest easier. Most of my posts probably fall short as I am used to helping and teaching new things to journeyman mechanics so I am sure to forget to mention something that seems obvious to me but not to others.

On newer bikes I'd be lost. ( I get lost on an XS sometimes too) Don't have the tools and while the basics still apply....they won't help with the electronics, FI and sensors. The XS was the start of all that crap and so is relatively "simple" in many ways. Should you persevere and get it repaired and have done all the basic maintenance that an old scooter needs you will find your ride to be dependable for thousands of miles and when a problem does occur you will have the knowledge and confidence to take care of it yourself.

With that said...nothing wrong with finding professional help. After all they (I) would not be there if there was no need. One of my favorite sayings is "If not for operators, I'd be out of a job".


mro

[johnboi71]

Check your PM and Let me know when I can help you. I can stop by after work and give you some education.

[davestrike]

John,

I replied to your PM. Forntately, Prom said he would come on up and help this Saturday.

Dave

[trbig]

Prom said he would come on up and help this Saturday.

Man, Oh Man... You must REALLY need that bike fixed!!!

Johnboi71... Your avatar brings back fond memories in the Spananway/Graham area. That was THE party beer back then.... cheap and pretty dang good. I was really surprised at how proud they had become of it on my last trip. They made several different "Flavors" and got expensive! Oh well... the "kegger out in the woods" days are over anyway. lol.

Tod

[prometheus578]

"Who doubts my power?"

So I get over there... meet Dave and his lovely family. The dog hated me. Wouldn't come close... ran when I tossed it a bisquit, etc. Cringing in the presence of pure evil...
(I get the same reaction on dates... why is that?)
Anyway... out to the garage.
Bike looks OK. No reason why it shouldn't run.
I light a few candles... burn a little incense... read aloud several chapters from the Chilton's...
"Let's see what it does... Hit the button, Dave..."
Crank, crank, crank, crank...
""Thou foul spirit... leave this machine!"
Crank, crank, crank, sputter...
"Heal'!
Crank, crank sputter, sputter...
"Heal"!
Crank, sputter, sputter, sputter...
HEAL!"
Sputter, sputter... VROOM!

"All praise to Prometheus... bringer of fire to machines that won't fire"
Oh, the raw power... I didn't even have to do "The Laying on of Hands"...!
Just being in my awesome presence is enough.
Scarey, isn't it?

[prometheus578]

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain..."

Ok... from his previous postings...
Bike lost power on his ride back from Yamaha.
He was probably running on two cylinders at the time, as he found a broken pick-up coil wire when he tried to get it running later, which he repaired.
The two spark plugs from the affected cylinders were fouled because of the broken wire... the other two plugs were fouled due to the engine lugging on the way home... plus all the cranking while trying to trouble shoot, etc.
Maybe it was because of the outside temperature today... not the rainy, moisture laden air of last week... maybe the plugs had time to dry out...who knows.
Bike sputtered for a bit and then fired.
Put in new plugs... ran like a dream.

Today's XS Lesson: Before trouble-shooting, always put in new plugs. (He had fixed the real problem last week... Fouled plugs were what kept him from riding this week.)
"New Plugs... Don't leave home without them."

[davestrike]

Thanks Prom!

You all know how it goes...

Hey Mr. mechanic, my car makes this noise.

Ok, bring in to the shop.

At the shop...

noise is gone.

Prom took the time to come up and take a look, new plugs later, and off she goes!

Been riding her all day! All over Tacoma. To my Dads, Moms, the computer store, were ever I choose!

Guys and Gals, been a long time since I had that feeling that only a motorcycle can give ya.

Sunday is supposed to be good weather so off I shall go again.
Just plain fun!

But then again, Prom and I share another experience, prior service, Army. Even though he was a grunt.

[thewiz]

The Promster is the bomb ... I can attest. Thx Prom ... don't know if you're aware but that basket case of mine that you worked on is OTR and runnin great now ....

[mro]

Even though he was a grunt.

Somebody has to be able to get the job done...


mro
Hey Prom...yall short of tractors up there

[thewiz]

a debt of ...

grattitude to MRO too .... a set of carbs that were absolutely perfect came my way through you. Might have been pretty ugly otherwise ... thx too, M