Broken Down, Bugger!!!!!

[Griff1977]

Right, a simple story.....

Ive just been out on bike about 45mins ago (to petrol station as on 91miles) and 6-8mins into ride it lost power and ground to a stop....

Me then thinks (hopes) the low light mustn't be working and call misses to bring fuel can, put 3 litres in, still no joy.

Sounds/ed ok, good oil, water in fact just had (5 weeks ago) full service. Put K & N in, has flat spot at midrange but rides ok. I have had tank off couple of times 2 weeks ago to fit spacers.

So I've dumped it in a farm yard to sort out tomorrow!! Bugger!!

It will start for 10 secs but only on full choke, then dies. If you try to rev it whilst it runs for those 10 secs, it dies.

Now heres the thing, last time I rode it was last Sunday, bringing it from my old house, Oxford to new place in Yorkshireshire - journey was faultless apart from it being torrential rain for half of journey.

Ill prob goto bike tomorrow, fill with fuel (might be dirty fuel?), put original air filter back, look for any kinked lines under tank? Im clutching at straws?

Help, anyone had any similar probs before? Has been suggested fuel starvation (by my friendly mechanic (In Thame, Oxfordshireshire)) but where do I go with that? There is still plenty of battery left, well some, to try some starts tomorrow!

Ta, in anticipation.

Oh, and thinking worst case scenario, can anybody recommend a garage/pickup local? Ive left it near Beverley Racecourse, East Riding and I live just north of Beverley (Leconfield).

Thats all for now!!!!

[tony.mon]

It's not getting enough fuel.
Possibly a blocked jet, but TBH it will usually run, but poorly, as one cylinder is ok, but being held back by the other.
In this case I'd say you have a fuel issue.
It's not overfuelling if it will start on full choke, so it isn't getting enough fuel into the carb float bowls.
Two possibilities, one is a vacuum line failure- it's come off or has a crack, either way there's not enough vacuum to operate the fuel tap properly.
Maybe a fuel tap issue- diaphragm in the tap can fail/split.

But from what you've said it's not relating to only one carb, but both, so that rules out a split carb diaphragm, for instance.

[Griff1977]

Tony, thanks for your quick response. I know brake downs can happen any time and for any reason but strange that I've had bike apart a little recently, but then to work for 4 hrs of riding (motorway mainly), sit for a week then work for 5 mins then die .... I'm just rambling!!

Ill get tank off (pivoted up) tomorrow - anything to look for once tank is up and I have access to air filter?

Griff

[AMCQ46]

Sounds like you might have lost the vacuum to the tap (as tony has already said), so look for the small pipe that goes from the tap to the rear inlet stub. If you have a T piece fitted for bleeding or a Scott oiler, check them as well.

Good luck

[VTRDark]

IIRC isn't there a problem with the vacuum getting blocked or something within the tank if overfilled past the bar inside the tank. I wonder if there's a vacuum lock from overfilling. I seem to recall reading something about this on the hawk site. I can't remember what the solution to it is, it could be something like starting the bike with the fuel cap open.
I'm probably not describing it very well, maybe Tony will know what I'm talking about and can shed some light on it.

What about a trapped/blocked tank breather hose.

so look for the small pipe that goes from the tap to the rear inlet stub

the bike would still run with this disconnected, it would just run rough and the cans would pop and bang a bit more on the over-run. The idle speed would drop though, so if the idle speed is set very low, it may be enough for it to cut out.

It will start for 10 secs but only on full choke, then dies. If you try to rev it whilst it runs for those 10 secs, it dies.

If you rev it while the choke is on full and it cuts out, it could be flooding it. Will the bike idle off choke? The idle adjustment is not really low is it, so it cuts out? but why it would suddenly change I don't know unless there's a blockage somewhere bringing the revs down. But in case you want to up the idle speed, you will find a black screw type knob on the front carb on the right hand side of bike, through the V shape part of frame, behind the rad near the water bottle . You may want to up the idle speed. I think it's clockwise to up the revs.

Mmmm you've got me thinking know.

I wish you luck, lets hope it's something silly and you can get it running.

(:-})

[Griff1977]

Thanks Al & Carl. I've had another thought and that is I re-fitted my mori rep belly pan the other day- might I have trapped a vent pipe? I'll have a look later. Griff.

[VTRDark]

It's a possibility, I've heard of belly pans/fairings not draining water after heavy rain so there may be a breather hose sitting in water blocking the vent. Definitely something worth checking as it's simple to do.

(:-})

[tony.mon]

might I have trapped a vent pipe? I'll have a look later. Griff.

Nope. There are a few vent pipes, but the only one that could possibly have an effect on engine performance is the vent into the tank, to allow air in to replace used fuel. But if that one';s blocked the easy way to check is to open the fuel cap on the tank, and see if the problem disappears. If the bike runs normally for a few miles, then starts to play up again, it's maybe that.
If it still plays up with the fuel cap open a bit, then it's not.
Also, if it's this problem, as you open the fuel cap you'll hear a rush of air into the tank.

I don't think it's this from what you've described.

[Griff1977]

Being recovered by Adam of extremotos in cottingham to diagnose.

I'll post soon (I hope) with cause. Sad! £££s

And thanks to flatline for offer of van (he was passing by!).

Griff.

[Griff1977]

......no news!!!

[AMCQ46]

......no news!!!

so he still hasnt got is started! thats a further bugger

[Flatline]

bugger bugger?

[VTRDark]

The old saying is no news is good news. They might just be busy and have other customers waiting.

(:-})

[slipper 1]

Lazy buggers ?

[VTRDark]

yeh either that or they will say the job was more complicated than actually possibly could be and charge more.

Give them a call Griff and chase them up

(:-})