back fireing bike after washing it

[brownbear1000]

bick is still back firering after 4 days took it to work ran ok but after 3 mile it started back fireing a gen had to ride it home with the chock on when i got home it ran ok what is going on?
this all started after I power washed it its an xs1100 is it something in the carbs?

[Axel]

Pickup Coil Wiring Repair ?

Not an expert but would suggest searching the threads on repairing the Pickup Coil wiring . Maybe the pressure washer helped a wire to break down by the timing plate (cover near your left toe)

[dragxs11]

Thinking off the top here, but water in the gas? Maybe some h20 found it's way through the gas cap.

[GtrMn]

Check and see if you have water in your spark plug boots..my 2 cents

[COOL TOM]

WASHING

DO NOT WASH MOTORCYCLE WITH POWER WASHER OR CAR WASH!!!!
Wash them at home with garden hose and bucket and keep the water OUT from under the tank. Be careful behind the right side cover too. Also let the motorcycle dry off a little while before you start it up again, go drink a soda or a cup of coffee while you wait.

[xsilerating]

I've had the same problem but to a greater extent. Though I'm generally a fair weather rider, I've been caught in the rain on a few occasions (not heavy downpours) and each time the bike ran like it was firing on one cylinder only. It also happened following a restrained bucketwash/garden hose as well. I'll try the above suggestions and, perhaps, my comments here may provoke further response.
re: dragxs11 - on each occasion, the bi ke returned to normal function after a short drying out period of either letting it sit or keeping it running, so I doubt that it would be water in the gas. (Never-the-less, a good comment should the problem not rectify itself in short order.)
Ron

[DiverRay]

I would start with pulling the spark plug caps off the wires, They just unscrew. Then cut about 1/4" off the end of the wire, and install the caps with Dielectric Grease around the boots between the cap and the wires. I would measure the resistance in the cap before installing, to verify it's no more than ~5K Ohms. If the resistance is ~7K Ohms or higher, replace the caps. You can buy them at almost any auto parts store that carries NGK products.
Next in line, use the dielectric grease to seal ALL the connections on the bike. Last place to check is the pickup coil wires. Check in the "Tech Tips" section from the MAIN forum page for that procedure.
Remember, if you have ONE cap that is shorted to ground, that coil WILL NOT fire a spark plug.

[brownbear1000]

back fireing bike

when I got home with the bike it ran ok but when I took it out again after about 3 miles it started back fireing again and I had to put the choke on full to stop the back fireing. It sounds like a gun going off .bang bang bang etc. and when I get back home and take the choke off and restart the bike it runs ok. It does it intermittently. And it has no power at all

[Jerry]

Several years ago I was riding with one of our members, he had the same problem. Turned out water had gotten on the coils and was causing an arc between one of the posts and the frame. Intermittent problem. We rode for many miles, then suddenly the coil dried off enough to quit arcing and away we went. Took quite a while and many miles to work properly...I would look at your coils to see if you can see any moisture or evidence of arcing.

[renegade_xs11g]

Before you do anything else.....

drain your gas, from tank AND carbs if you can.
refill tank with new gas....add DRYGAS too!!! just in case....
you may have gotten water into the tank.....
go for a short ride...maybe up and down YOUR street a few times
IF it gets better soon your in business

but..... I think, you may have an ignition problem

4 DAYS later and still acting up???????

Good luck, and keep us posted

[xssiveone]

Re: Pickup Coil Wiring Repair ?

Originally posted by Axel
Not an expert but would suggest searching the threads on repairing the Pickup Coil wiring . Maybe the pressure washer helped a wire to break down by the timing plate (cover near your left toe)

I go with this one... a buddy had the same problem and it drove him nuts. Finallly swapped his pu coils with my good spare and no more problems.

[GtrMn]

Could be water inside the Timing cover....would take quite a while for it to evaporate. Could effect the pickup coils too.

[desert1]

resistor

Had that very problem a few years back just as you describe, in my case my plug caps had resistors in them, they were in poor coroded condition, and water got to them shorted them out so that the plug would fire intermitently......something else for you to check Bear....
Bruce

[brownbear1000]

back firing bike

after I road My bike home with the choke on to keep it from back firing the right sidemuffler had turned blue from the brake lever back to the end and started to burn My sadol bag . the left side is ok . why did the right side get so hot? Choud it be unburend gas from a misfiring cylinder on that side no. 3 or 4.