Bike turns over, will not start
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- odgreen
- Cruiser
- Posts: 32
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- Current bike(s): 1993 Voyager XII
1994 Voyager XII
1989 HD FLHS - Location: Daleville, AL
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Bike turns over, will not start
Help, Parked the bike two days ago after a good day of riding, no issues noticed that day. Now it turns over, yet will not start. I'm not sure where to start, is it possible to lose the spark on all four cylinders at once. Any help will be appreciated.
ED
ED
- Tonyvdb
- Grand Tourer
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1996 Voyager (Just sold)
1981 GPZ 550 (Previous bike) - Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
I would check for spark, it could be the igniter modual but it could also be an issue with the fuel filter being plugged and you simply not getting any gas.
2017 Gloss black Victory Vision
1996 Kawasaki Voyager Just sold
1981 Kawasaki GPZ550 (sold)
1996 Kawasaki Voyager Just sold
1981 Kawasaki GPZ550 (sold)
-
- King of the Road
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
As Tony has suggested, it must be one or the other, no gas or no spark.
Since the bike probably is not a California model, you can see the gas from an open float bowl drain running out of the small black plastic hose, (into a yogurt or some such container), just in front of the rear wheel, provided the hoses are all still hooked up.
I would open the drain screws one at a time and check for gas/dirt. You have to look up from below the muffler to see the space between the rear wheel and the swingarm to where the the hose should be.
Do one drain at a time to see that they all have fuel and no crud. That will at least determine one of the 2 items.
To check for spark at the threaded top of the plugs, without a strobe timing light, one can insert a small diameter screwdriver or steel nail, as close to the thread size of the plug and protruding past the end of the plug cap, into the plug cap. While firmly holding the metal portion of the protruding inserted shaft about 1/16" from the engine casting turn the engine over. One should see a spark jump the gap between the shaft/nail to the engine casting. CAUTION: one can get a surprise shock if one is touching the screwdriver metal shaft while turning the engine over. While not a deadly jolt to one without implanted electrical devices, it is high voltage, low amperage and will definitely teach one respect for plug wires.
So at least now you can check for those 2 essential elements of combustion, but it seems as though there may be some simple solution we are overlooking.
Perhaps another may have the magic bullet answer.
Dave
Since the bike probably is not a California model, you can see the gas from an open float bowl drain running out of the small black plastic hose, (into a yogurt or some such container), just in front of the rear wheel, provided the hoses are all still hooked up.
I would open the drain screws one at a time and check for gas/dirt. You have to look up from below the muffler to see the space between the rear wheel and the swingarm to where the the hose should be.
Do one drain at a time to see that they all have fuel and no crud. That will at least determine one of the 2 items.
To check for spark at the threaded top of the plugs, without a strobe timing light, one can insert a small diameter screwdriver or steel nail, as close to the thread size of the plug and protruding past the end of the plug cap, into the plug cap. While firmly holding the metal portion of the protruding inserted shaft about 1/16" from the engine casting turn the engine over. One should see a spark jump the gap between the shaft/nail to the engine casting. CAUTION: one can get a surprise shock if one is touching the screwdriver metal shaft while turning the engine over. While not a deadly jolt to one without implanted electrical devices, it is high voltage, low amperage and will definitely teach one respect for plug wires.
So at least now you can check for those 2 essential elements of combustion, but it seems as though there may be some simple solution we are overlooking.
Perhaps another may have the magic bullet answer.
Dave
- doug of so fla
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
"GOOD DAY OF RIDING" You did make sure you have fuel in tank AFTER your good DAY of riding???!!!! ust saying ya know..odgreen wrote:Help, Parked the bike two days ago after a good day of riding, no issues noticed that day. Now it turns over, yet will not start. I'm not sure where to start, is it possible to lose the spark on all four cylinders at once. Any help will be appreciated.
ED
doug of no fla
- odgreen
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- Current bike(s): 1993 Voyager XII
1994 Voyager XII
1989 HD FLHS - Location: Daleville, AL
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
I have a full tank of fuel, I try to make the gas station the last stop before home since its about 300 yds from the house
- cranky
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
... might sound silly, but put some jumper cables on it just to make sure Yaodgreen wrote:Help, Parked the bike two days ago after a good day of riding, no issues noticed that day. Now it turns over, yet will not start. I'm not sure where to start, is it possible to lose the spark on all four cylinders at once. Any help will be appreciated.
ED
got enough "umph" for the start.... NOT a wrench, JM2C
'03 Voyager - http://tinyurl.com/mqtgpwp VROC pics of Gina
Cranky - Bill Snodgrass AVA # 6544. VROC # 16804
Cranked >128K miles, Mtn bike-no motor!!!
San Jose, KalEfornYa
Cranky - Bill Snodgrass AVA # 6544. VROC # 16804
Cranked >128K miles, Mtn bike-no motor!!!
San Jose, KalEfornYa
- Mr Jensee
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
My first thoughts are to check to make sure the fuel pump is supplying fuel. I think you can rule out the ignitor and the coils since it ran fine when you shut it down hot. Cold the coils should fire more efficiently.
For Voyager XII Manuals click the link below.
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ao3K0Ai2gvglgS3l7J4pBJrjfBhc
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ao3K0Ai2gvglgS3l7J4pBJrjfBhc
- odgreen
- Cruiser
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- Current bike(s): 1993 Voyager XII
1994 Voyager XII
1989 HD FLHS - Location: Daleville, AL
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
Thanks for all the tips, went out this morning and it started right away, in the aviation field we called this type of problem a "homo-tron". A queer electron running around messing up things.
- krasmu
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
Or a Gremlin.
Is it possible that you had a vapor lock in the fuel system?
Is it possible that you had a vapor lock in the fuel system?
Kirk Rasmussen
Machesney Park, Illinois
"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."-Charles Chaplin
Machesney Park, Illinois
"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."-Charles Chaplin
- chicagorandy
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
Or had accidentally hit the kill switch? Been there, done that a few times with other bikes.
- cranky
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
... and you're in good company!!! BTDT + 1 ....
'03 Voyager - http://tinyurl.com/mqtgpwp VROC pics of Gina
Cranky - Bill Snodgrass AVA # 6544. VROC # 16804
Cranked >128K miles, Mtn bike-no motor!!!
San Jose, KalEfornYa
Cranky - Bill Snodgrass AVA # 6544. VROC # 16804
Cranked >128K miles, Mtn bike-no motor!!!
San Jose, KalEfornYa
- odgreen
- Cruiser
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2016 2:06 am
- 8
- Current bike(s): 1993 Voyager XII
1994 Voyager XII
1989 HD FLHS - Location: Daleville, AL
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Re: Bike turns over, will not start
guys I'm new to the cycle not to the basics. If the kill switch had been actuated, the engine will not turn over. Thanks for the help though. Ed