Bike turns over, will not start

Got a tech tip for Voyager 12's from your personal experiences, or one complete with pictures and instructions, here's where to post it. You can also ask about tips or procedures here.

Moderators: the2knights, Highway Rider

Post Reply
User avatar
odgreen
Cruiser
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
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 0

Bike turns over, will not start

Post by odgreen »

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. :dm: 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. :thk:
ED
User avatar
Tonyvdb
Grand Tourer
Grand Tourer
Posts: 530
Joined: Thu May 29, 2014 11:36 pm
10
Current bike(s): 2017 Victory Vision
1996 Voyager (Just sold)
1981 GPZ 550 (Previous bike)
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 0

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by Tonyvdb »

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)
triton28
King of the Road
King of the Road
Posts: 1010
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:32 am
11
Current bike(s): 1987 ZG-1200 B1
1987 ZG-1200 B1
1990 ZG-1200 B4
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Has liked: 107 times
Been liked: 278 times

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by triton28 »

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
User avatar
doug of so fla
Grand Tourer
Grand Tourer
Posts: 431
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:17 pm
16
Current bike(s): 07 gold wing
Location: summerfield, fl
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 1 time

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by doug of so fla »

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. :dm: 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. :thk:
ED
"GOOD DAY OF RIDING" You did make sure you have fuel in tank AFTER your good DAY of riding???!!!! ust saying ya know.. :bat:
doug of no fla
User avatar
odgreen
Cruiser
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
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 0

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by odgreen »

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 :thmup:
User avatar
cranky
King of the Road
King of the Road
Posts: 1037
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:36 am
8
Current bike(s): 2003 Voyager
Location: San Jose, KalEfornYa
Has liked: 303 times
Been liked: 80 times

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by cranky »

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. :dm: 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. :thk:
ED
... might sound silly, but put some jumper cables on it just to make sure Ya
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
User avatar
Mr Jensee
King of the Road
King of the Road
Posts: 1987
Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2008 5:55 pm
15
Current bike(s): Phone 337-781-8158
Home Phone disconnected.
Previous bikes. Yamaha 180, Honda CM200T, Suzuki 1000LNKawasaki ZRX1100.
Location: Lafayette, La
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 9 times

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by Mr Jensee »

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
User avatar
odgreen
Cruiser
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
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 0

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by odgreen »

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. :gig:
User avatar
krasmu
Grand Tourer
Grand Tourer
Posts: 404
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2015 3:00 pm
9
Current bike(s): 1990 Voyager Xii (zg1200)
Location: Machesney Park, Illinois
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 18 times

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by krasmu »

Or a Gremlin.

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
User avatar
chicagorandy
Traveler
Traveler
Posts: 214
Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2014 2:40 pm
10
Current bike(s): 86 Voyager XII
Location: Chicago, IL
Has liked: 9 times
Been liked: 14 times

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by chicagorandy »

Or had accidentally hit the kill switch? Been there, done that a few times with other bikes.
User avatar
cranky
King of the Road
King of the Road
Posts: 1037
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:36 am
8
Current bike(s): 2003 Voyager
Location: San Jose, KalEfornYa
Has liked: 303 times
Been liked: 80 times

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by cranky »

... 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
User avatar
odgreen
Cruiser
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
Has liked: 0
Been liked: 0

Re: Bike turns over, will not start

Post by odgreen »

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 :thmup:
Post Reply

Return to “Tech Tips - Voyager XII (1200 Four)”