Runs like crap after washing it.

[lancelot455]

Bike is running not to bad. just a few small things to work out with mixtures but.....i went and washed it and it didn't want to start after that and when i did get it to run it had to be kept up around 3000 rpm. started to drive it home and about 1/2 way there it came back to life. Any idea what is getting wet that shouldn't be?

[psycoreefer]

check your plug wires, caps, etc. Mine gets cranky too if I wash it and get "too much" water up in that area, but what do you expect for 30+ year old plug wires?

[jetmechmarty]

Spray paint your coils with a coat of lacquer and see if the problem reoccurs next time you wash it. That's assuming your coils are old.

Dielectric grease to keep the water out of your spark plug caps.

Dark and wet, you should see arcing where your electrons are leaking out.

Marty (in Seattle)

[natemoen]

Do you have the original iggy coils and plug wires? If so, its very likely there. Next I would look at the wire loom down coming out is the timing cover. Water can get in and short out the pickup coils. Pull back the loom and grease up the connections so water can't get to them.

[Ken Talbot]

Water can get in and short out the pickup coils.

My experience with this has been that the insulation on one or more of the pick-up coil wires was cracked, usually under the crimp that holds the wires just before they exit the cover. Water seeps its way inside, next thing you know you're running on two cylinders till things warm up and dry off.

[James England]

Depending on how enthusiastic you've been with sloshing water, it could be anything from the ignition switch to the block connectors, pickup wires, coil LT and HT leads etc etc.

I'd put the bike out in the sun and let it dry out. Or take the tank off and squirt WD40 water repellant spray on everything. Lacquer doesn't really solve the problem though unless you are applying it to 100% dry surfaces. Even then, it cracks and let in water which then can't evaporate easily. I would use repellant spray but not lacquer. England is a rainy country and nobody lacquers electrical components here. We use plenty of a spray called WD40 which gets rid of water.

OEM HT leads are double skinned and the outer casing cracks up at the top usually. Then water gets in and the HT lead shorts out. There's crimping inside the lowest part of the wiring loom, where the pickup leads run under the bike.... the flexible wires from the pickups are joined to normal loom wire. The outer sheath can crack and let water in.

[James England]

Depending on how enthusiastic you've been with sloshing water, it could be anything from the ignition switch to the block connectors, pickup wires, coil LT and HT leads etc etc.

I'd put the bike out in the sun and let it dry out. Or take the tank off and squirt WD40 water repellant spray on everything. Lacquer doesn't really solve the problem though unless you are applying it to 100% dry surfaces. Even then, it cracks and let in water which then can't evaporate easily. I would use repellant spray but not lacquer. England is a rainy country and nobody lacquers electrical components here. We use plenty of a spray called WD40 which gets rid of water.

OEM HT leads are double skinned and the outer casing cracks up at the top usually. Then water gets in and the HT lead shorts out. There's crimping inside the lowest part of the wiring loom, where the pickup leads run under the bike.... the flexible wires from the pickups are joined to normal loom wire. The outer sheath can crack and let water in.

I've heard of people going mad with jet washers and causing all sorts of problems. At least you only poured water on yours?

[79XS11F]

As others have pointed out your likely spraying water somewhere where it's interfering with you ignition system. It will likely prove to be coil wires or plug caps but be anything from under the pick up cover if water gets past the vac line tube gasket. Di-electric grease is a good sealant at the plug caps and silicone water proofing spray works well on plug wires. While your at it make sure the plug wires are not contacting each other or anything else between the coils and the plugs. You can use auto type plug wire keepers for that. When I wash my bikes I also warm them up good before I wash them and then run them right away while their still warm.
Rob

[Elevener]

And if your using a high pressure car wash......Quit.