Fuel Leaking From Bowl Vents

[mmaddix]

Well I took the bike for a ride down the road before I take the carbs apart and I made it about 2 miles then the bike just cut off and will not start. The bike was riding fine before it died. I made sure it has gas which it does and gas is actually getting to the carbs and it is but it will not start even after letting it sit for almost a hour. Do you think this could be caused by the carbs. I am going to pull out the spark plugs and hook them back up to the wire while attempting to start it to make sure they are getting a spark but after that I really don't know what to do.

It still wont start after fixing the carbs. I took the #3 and #4 spark plugs out and placed each of them in the appropriate spark plug wire and while holding the plugs to the valve cover I hit the starter to see if i got spark out of the plugs. Guess what, no spark. Stupidly I didn't check #1 or #2 for spark. Has anyone done this before and actually seen the spark. I have done this many times with car and truck engines but never with a motorcycle. Does it work for motorcycles. I'm pretty sure it would since its the same concept for the ignition system but I just want to make sure

[somesuch]

It still wont start after fixing the carbs. I took the #3 and #4 spark plugs out and placed each of them in the appropriate spark plug wire and while holding the plugs to the valve cover I hit the starter to see if i got spark out of the plugs. Guess what, no spark. Stupidly I didn't check #1 or #2 for spark. Has anyone done this before and actually seen the spark. I have done this many times with car and truck engines but never with a motorcycle. Does it work for motorcycles. I'm pretty sure it would since its the same concept for the ignition system but I just want to make sure

Carbs:
sorry to be responding so late, and it seems you have already fixed the carb issue. I sort of remember wanting to convert the carbs to rubber tipped float needles (but that was so long ago I am not sure) and probably left that one loose thinking I was going to be in there again anyway.... that's why I just said a clean set of carbs, but not rebuilt. In all honesty, I was fully expecting the new owner to look the carbs over before installing them. One thing I know for sure is that they are clean, really clean

Electrical:
I would check the simple things first, battery connections (most likely), ground connections (second most likely, there is one by the coils, and it is an important one) the usual cracked solder in the ignition module (this one is not very likely), kill switch functionality, etc. I also do not think it is the pickup wire, as you would have at least two cylinders left in all likelihood.

Again, sorry for the troubles, and let me know what you find. Feel free to call me, you have my number.

--Nick

[mmaddix]

Carbs:
sorry to be responding so late, and it seems you have already fixed the carb issue. I sort of remember wanting to convert the carbs to rubber tipped float needles (but that was so long ago I am not sure) and probably left that one loose thinking I was going to be in there again anyway.... that's why I just said a clean set of carbs, but not rebuilt. In all honesty, I was fully expecting the new owner to look the carbs over before installing them. One thing I know for sure is that they are clean, really clean

No problem about the carbs. I don't blame you at all. I should of looked them over. I do remember you saying they were clean. I guess I just assumed and you know what assuming does but in this case I guess its just me I made a a** out of.

They are working good now thanks for everything.

[mmaddix]

Electrical:
I would check the simple things first, battery connections (most likely), ground connections (second most likely, there is one by the coils, and it is an important one) the usual cracked solder in the ignition module (this one is not very likely), kill switch functionality, etc. I also do not think it is the pickup wire, as you would have at least two cylinders left in all likelihood.

Again, sorry for the troubles, and let me know what you find. Feel free to call me, you have my number.

--Nick

I found out that one of the wires to the pickup coils broke. I repaired it and made sure it wasn't rubbing up against anything again. Now she runs and allot better with those carbs. I still have to sync the carbs this weekend.

Thanks again everybody I appreciate all the help.

[3Phase]

Has anyone done this before and actually seen the spark.

Nope, it won't work. The electrons used in motorcycles are much smaller than the electrons used in cars and trucks so it's almost impossible to see the ignition spark without special test equipment and factory training.

It's possible that a P.O. left some of the primary ignition wire connections loose or the pickup coils wires are broken and the O.E.M. electrons drained out of one half of the cylinder head and the ignition system.

You should be able to buy a bottle of aftermarket motorcycle-specific electrons at almost any motorcycle shop that will have enough electrons to refill an entire motorcycle but make sure you get SI metric electrons and not standard electrons or you'll have to drain them all out and start over again.

Never mix regular and SI electrons because the electrical system will start to consume electrons and the alternator will slip. Sure, the XJ1100 already has slip rings built in to its alternator so it can safely use mixed electrons but older engines will develop an electricity leak!

Bear in mind that the smaller electrons used in motorcycles are slicker than synthetic oil so before you top up with a can of fresh electrons make sure you clean and tighten all the ground wires and harness connections or the new electrons will seep out of the insulation and strand the wires. If the wires are already stranded it's too late. The wires will all have to be replaced before you refill the bike with new electrons.

Whenever you're ready, move the bike out of the sunlight into the shade and if the ignition system is working you might be able to hear the new electrons happily snapping across the gap at the spark plugs even if you can't see them.

[mmaddix]

What are you talking about. I am an electrician so stop Bull S***ing me please.
"refill the bike with new electrons" Nice joke and I hope your not serious.

I understand it may be harder to see the spark but you should still be able to see it. I don't see the need for special test equipment or factory training. Maybe I will just check it out now that its running to see if I can see the spark or at least hear it just so I know if you can or not.

[3Phase]

Moi? Not 100% entirely serious?



BTW: Nice catch on the pickup coil wires!

[James England]

Moi? Not 100% entirely serious?

Don't forget, most electrons are model specific. The European standards run on European Standard Electrons. Midnight Special electrons stop working at 12pm (that's why it's called a 'special'). We have to convert all imports from the USA to UK electrons. In Australia, the electrons are upside down, if bought in the UK and exported. I wish they'd standardise them.

Right, Scott?

[somesuch]

I found out that one of the wires to the pickup coils broke. I repaired it and made sure it wasn't rubbing up against anything again. Now she runs and allot better with those carbs. I still have to sync the carbs this weekend.

Thanks again everybody I appreciate all the help.

Glad you found the problem. Strange that your XS died altogether, as I had mine running on just two cylinders when one of the pickup coil wires broke, (and I would think that both would not break at the same time)

Those wires a multi, multi strand with silicon insulation so they can flex nicely without breaking for a long time as the advance mechanism rotates....to fix them, you should use a similar type of wire and make sure that the areas where you splice the wire are fixed and not part of the flexing region of the wire, or they will break again quickly. Good luck and enjoy the bike now.

--Nick

[3Phase]

Don't forget, most electrons are model specific. The European standards run on European Standard Electrons.

The Specials and their special electrons don't seem to have fared as well in Europe but most of the competing Standards were either followed at a good distance by other inferior motorcycles or were crashed and burned in their raceways by inexperienced installation electricians.

The problem today is the worldwide ban on almost every kind of smoke. It's getting more difficult each and every day to find a decent smoke and nothing electrical really works without it.

Midnight Special electrons stop working at 12pm (that's why it's called a 'special').

Actually it's most dangerous when your Midnight Special rolls over to 12:00 AM from 11:59 PM or you get horribly smashed beneath a myriad of mismatched Daylight Savings Time changes.

We have to convert all imports from the USA to UK electrons. In Australia, the electrons are upside down, if bought in the UK and exported. I wish they'd standardise them.

Right, Scott?

Absolutely. The headlight, tail, brake and turn lamps on US motorcycles are 180 degrees out of phase in Europe and without the correct handedness of spin almost every single motorcycle in the northern hemisphere could suffer from extreme wheelies or stoppies instead of only those anti-spinward in the antipodes!

[mmaddix]

The problem today is the worldwide ban on almost every kind of smoke. It's getting more difficult each and every day to find a decent smoke and nothing electrical really works without it.

In the aviation world we call this magic smoke.

And I forgot to tell you all I also had to get a good ground and it was raining out so I had to go under a car port and find a good dry piece of ground to put the bike on inorder to get the electrons to flow.

[3Phase]

In the aviation world we call this magic smoke.

And I forgot to tell you all I also had to get a good ground and it was raining out so I had to go under a car port and find a good dry piece of ground to put the bike on in order to get the electrons to flow.

That's the spirit! I have to agree with our friends across the pond that humour doesn't always scan when just one' u is missing innit.