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Message started by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 08:01:33

Title: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 08:01:33

Hey yall! I am new to the motorcycle world and recently was given a 2000 suzuki ls650 p motorcycle 8-) The good, the bike only has 11k miles and it was free title in hand. The ugly, the bike has been sitting for a year because the previous owner could not figure out the issues. To top it off the keys were lost :-/ so first question... do I just get other keys made by looking up the make and model etc or do I need to switch out the ignition? The more ugly, gas is leaking into the cylinder. So I did some research it could be the petcock, head, gaskets etc. Is there anything that is common with these bikes that could lead to this issue? Because from what I was told the spark plug keeps fouling out so therefore it won't run. I doubted it could be the motor since such low miles but I'm clueless. All I do know is I need to get this bike fixed because I'm ready to feel the wind in my face ;)

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Dave on 01/20/14 at 08:22:16

S-P is the expert on getting keys made. Evidently there is a number on the ignition swith that is hidden by some black tape. Look up his thread....or he can chine in later.

You should pull the vacuum line that goes from the petcock over to the carb that has a wire spring around it. Pull that off....and if there is gasoline in it the petcock is toast. You need to order the proper Yamaha part for the 660 Raptor....not a chinese replacement. If you choose to buy it from eBay.....make sure you see the box from Yamaha and the correct part number.

Look into the fuel tank.....if it is rusty and junky....then it needs cleaned and your carb probably does also.

You don't have a head gasket problem......no one does. If you have an oil leak at the top of the cylinder it is the head plug.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 08:26:39

Thanks, definitely will be investing in a manual. My husband thinks he can fix all of it...but.. I'm like let's just take it to a shop and get this fixed ASAP the right way lol so does these things seem like an easy fix for the experienced? I definitely want to learn because I know shops and labor can empty your pockets

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Dave on 01/20/14 at 08:30:20

The Yamaha number for the petock is 5LP-24500-01-00. You can get it online from places like Bike Bandit, Ron Ayers....or your local Yamaha Dealer. Prices should be in the $ 18 - $ 24 range.

Since you don't have a key.....you have not tried to start it or have not heard it run?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Arnold on 01/20/14 at 09:03:12

I would hot wire the thing to make sure it turns over at least before investing money.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by verslagen1 on 01/20/14 at 09:07:03

Several things going on here.
I'd order the petcock, tear down the carb and clean it, and pull the ig switch and take it to a lock smith to make a key.

On the bottom of the ig switch (as viewed when installed on the bike) might be a stamped number starting with a letter and several numbers. It might be covered by a black strip. A key can be made from that number.

cylinder flooding can be caused by a bad petcock alone or a bad petcock and a bad float valve in combination. which is why I recommend the replace petcock and clean carb both. If it's been sitting for a year, cleaning will probably needed anyway. Check the float valve in particular.

for the short term, you can pull the ig switch and jump all the terminals together for it to run. I don't think any are ground. :-? which would be black with a white stripe.

next thing you should be aware of, don't run the starter for a long time. No more than a minute on, 15 minutes off. feel the starter, it should not be hot.

And if while starting, the volts drop below 10v, it's not going to start.
And if it drops to point it just clicks rapidly, you've gone way to far.

Read the following articles and if hubby is going to work on it, either list out the things mentioned or have him read it. Some it going to be redundant.
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1344399573
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1366651397
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1295653542

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 09:08:26

The bike is my husband's mother's. My husband said he has heard it run and use to ride it but me personally I have not heard it crank. I just walked outside and noted what looked like oil sitting on the outside of the motor or "fins" just on the left side and also on the bolt on the back of the motor by the battery. But when I rubbed my fingers together it smells like gas more than oil :'(

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by verslagen1 on 01/20/14 at 09:11:03

I think this is the ig switch connector...
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh253/Gyrobob_theOriginal/Motorcycle/RYCA%20CS-1%20LS650%20S40%20Savage/RYCAignhrns05-1.jpg

If so, then there's no ground, just jumper all the leads together.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by verslagen1 on 01/20/14 at 09:12:42

key info...
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1150464511/0

carb cleaning...
http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1191899985

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 01/20/14 at 09:17:49

[quote do I just get other keys made by looking up the make and model etc or do I need to switch out the ignition?

KEYS! I JUST went through that. OK... pull the ignition switch and on the cylinder there is a piece of black tape. The key number is embossed ON that piece of tape. You have to get in the right light to see it. A good locksmith or Suzuki dealer will charge you about 20-25.00 to make a key.
Free bike!!??? Wow! Awesome!

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/20/14 at 09:19:07

You can save a load of $$$ doin it at home. I wouldnt trust a shop to NOT get it in there & tell ya OHH Its needin this & its needin that,, If you cant fix it yourself, you cant know when theyre pumpin you up either.,,.Its winter time, theyre starvin, It Needs the petcock changed, period, even IF yours is working fine, thats not gonna last & it eliminates a variable for cheap.
Now, why is the plug fouling? Make sure its the correct plug & gapped right,

Check the oil; it can get gas in it when the petcock gets wonky,& the carb float sticks.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 09:25:42

Thanks yall!!! Definitely will look over these links and try to accomplish this ourselves. Replace petcock, clean carb.. probably check all lines too.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 12:43:31

Just an update! Just ordered that Yamaha rapture 660 petcock and the clymer manual. Now just waiting ugh, thanks again yall! Oh and found the ignition key code by the ignition just like yall said on the black sticker :) I'll be posting pictures and keeping updates.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/20/14 at 14:18:21

I dont recommend the Rapture petcock,, you may just disappear if ya run it outta GAS! Go with the Raptor unit.,,that way ya just turn into a carnivorous bird.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 01/20/14 at 16:32:44

I'm about 20 miles up the road. Might be able to help if needed. I've cleaned plenty of carbs. Wiring is not a big issue for me either.

I don't know if anyone said it or not. If gas is dripping into the cylinder, you're going to need an oil change. Use Rotella T or T6. See the oil wars on here.

Think it's time to check the timing chain tensioner?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 16:35:21

Thanks for the offer, petcock and manual is gonna take a few to get here but we definitely said we could at least start cleaning the carb. And yea we got a new plug too. Figured we'd go ahead and change all fluids since it has been sitting so long.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/20/14 at 17:45:06

11,000 miles is a little soon for needin a chain. Seems the thing goes away sooner if people only take short trips & the engine goes thru heat up & cool down cycles. Thats when the ratchet grabs another tooth on the tensioner. If the previous owner rode 20 miles at a time, it may not be a bad plan to drop the exhaust & pop the cover & measure the tensioner, but, Id get it running right before I bothered.
IIRC, 17 mm is when the book says its chain time. But get a Verslavy instead.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 01/20/14 at 18:42:19

Carb's not bad at all. I think the worst part is getting it off of the bike.

Make sure you've got a nice clean work area. There are a couple good cleaning guides on here. Take it easy on the screws on the top and bottom. They are soft and strip easily.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by jcstokes on 01/20/14 at 19:22:25

Tech section page 1 second post from the bottom

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/20/14 at 19:38:25

Hopefully we have all the right tools and yea getting it running properly is my first goal then start replacing the things that could wait. Then ::) ..... I'd love to turn it into a bobber he he he. Just a girl with a dream that's finally reality ;D

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 01/21/14 at 06:49:50

415344535557515A5B51590B03320 wrote:

I did a poor man's bobber on mine (picture attached). It came with bags and stock white with all the doo-dads. Removed the signals, chrome, decals, front fender, put on some fat tires, bondo'd the holes and primed everything (paint to be determined). If you're going big tire on the rear wheel, be sure you change out the long bolts holding stuff on, they'll rub. Have fun with it! I've only had mine for a few months and it's really a cool bike and pretty easy to work on. Be sure you read the tech section and search for stuff. There's a LOT of information on this site and it will save you some UH OH DANG! moments. :o

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/21/14 at 07:12:12

Ill never understand the No Front Fender approach. Dirt & debris & water flying unobstructed into my face completely removes the visual gains of how cool they look sans fender. I Like how they look w/o the fender, but I like how the fender fends off attacks by stuff in the road. I think they need a mud flap, like Rowboat has. I Still got some small stuff in the chin.
I cant imagine riding in the rain w/o that fender..

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 01/21/14 at 07:21:22

687771766B6C5D6D5D65777B30020 wrote:

Yeah, I like the look too but I'm considering putting one back on after riding it like this for a while. I'll probably do some mods to it. I like some of the really old styles of front fenders, so I'm going to google around for some ideas.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/21/14 at 07:52:56

Nice bike, mine too is stock pearl white with all the chrome doo dads... I want to leave it white and put a tan springer seat on it. But have pros and cons about hard tailing it. I really like the look and dont plan on long rides if i do I d ride with my husband on his bike. I basically want a neat cruiser for local riding. Also debating on taking the front fender off because I love the look but my husband tells me it's gonna suck if it's wet out.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/21/14 at 08:32:58

So aggravated, my husband works second shift, told me it was my fault I didn't wake him up early enough to work on the bike.. that he don't have time now >:( day 4 of the bike sitting. Now he just sits playing games saying tomorrow we can start. I'm half tempted to break it down myself but then he told me don't be getting no ideas because I have to make sure I can put it back together. Thinking about labeling zip locks and taking pics along the way. The section did say carb cleaning for dummies lol :P

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/21/14 at 09:11:06

The big trick is not stripping screw heads out. The right fit of the screwdriver tip in the screw is a big deal. A #2 Philips with the tip ground flat till the X drops into the X in the screw head works, but a JIS tip is designed to fit.,Its not uncommon to see a handheld impact be the best answer. Available for Cheap at Harbor Freight. Just hold it & twist it like youre trying to back the screw out & smack it w/ a hammer. Not like youre trying to bust anything,, just a spank,,Several of those is better than one big Smash. If you dont have a good work space, youll be way ahead with a helper,A solid work bench is a good thing.

Parts carefully laid out makes going back together easy,.A piece of cardboard on the bench, parts on the cardboard, notes on the cardboard, Antisieze on bolts going together, Lots of peo0ple go back with stainless allen heads.. but even stainless & aluminum can get sticky, so antiseize, anyway.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/21/14 at 10:49:06

Ok so update, manual, petcock are on the way, getting keys made were just to pricey and dealerships were nuts :o so... we found an ignition with a key on ebay that will fit for $50 so we're going that route and just take the tumblers out of the gas tank lock. So we definitely have a project on our hands but definitely worth it thank you all for all your help and input ;)

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 01/21/14 at 11:23:10

[quote author=495B4C5B5D5F5952535951030B3A0 link=1390233693/15#26 date=1390330146]Ok so update, manual, petcock are on the way, getting keys made were just to pricey and dealerships were nuts :o so... we found an ignition with a key on ebay that will fit for $50 ...

Wow, there must not be much competition among locksmiths in SC. The dealer here would cut a key from the number on the cylinder for 17.00, a locksmith did two sets for me for about 35.00. I guess I'm spoiled living in a big city...

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/21/14 at 11:29:00

Yea I'm jealous! :-/The dealers told me they couldn't find a key and rather switch ignition for $ 220 even though I had the code for the key and a blank I found for $6 when I did find a locksmith they said $60 just for the ignition key to be cut then another told me $120 plus labor! Labor! How hard is it for me to give you a blank and a code and you cut me a key?!? >:( I mean dang, they try robbing you down here in the south! That's why Ima switch the ignition because it's just cheaper. And believe me I will have multiple keys made lol

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 01/21/14 at 11:36:54

544651464042444F4E444C1E16270 wrote:

Holy cr*p! I could make a living just having people send me their key code and I could get a key cut and mail it to them... That's outrageous! >:(

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/21/14 at 11:52:13

That's what I told my husband, shoot we should start a locksmith company lol

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 01/21/14 at 18:30:44

I had a key made for my car a little over a month ago at a locksmith. It cost 28.50. Had to carry the lock cylinder to them. It's not hard to get the keyswitch off the savage.

Did you call Ellis?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/21/14 at 19:09:02

Might have idk for sure I called so many. What is the name of the shop? Or is it just Ellis locksmith?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 01/21/14 at 19:41:53

263D64676661636C550 wrote:

I had a key made for my car a little over a month ago at a locksmith. It cost 28.50. Had to carry the lock cylinder to them. It's not hard to get the keyswitch off the savage.

Did you call Ellis?

I got quotes from 3 locksmiths in Phoenix for over 120.00 to make a key from the cylinder. Once I had the key code, the price was under 20.00. It sounds like at least one of the locksmiths called wasn't very competent with motorcycle keys. The dealer not having the key blanks etc. >:(... well, that's another issue altogether.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 01/22/14 at 15:51:57

It's Ellis Repair Service. They have lots of motorcycle blanks hanging on the wall. I was tempted while I was there to get a copy of mine for the bike but I have both original keys for my '87 so I don't really need one.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/24/14 at 11:37:24

Praise you Steve! I called Ellis Ima carry the ignition in, $28.50!!!! I know where I'll be heading monday. Next question guys, if I take my rear seat off there is alot of wiring etc exposed how do I go about putting on a solo seat and moving these things outta sight???

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Dave on 01/24/14 at 11:54:31

485A4D5A5C5E5853525850020A3B0 wrote:

Next question guys, if I take my rear seat off there is alot of wiring etc exposed how do I go about putting on a solo seat and moving these things outta sight???

One thing at a time....Grasshopper. Get the bike running, make sure it runs, drives, shifts, brakes.....and is a bike worthy of keeping. When all the bugs are worked out, then you can start to make changes...that way if something goofs up you can then chase it down and identify that it was maybe caused by the recent work.....or a new issue. If you start moving and changing the wiring right now....how are you going to be able to resolve the running issues that got this bike parked in the first place?

In the meantime.....go to the top of the Rubber Side Down section, look for the Bike Build threads.....and look to see if any of the builds can help you get some ideas.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 01/24/14 at 12:26:19

Yea that's what I keep telling myself, get it running, get it running. I'm just so excited!!! ;DThanks everyone.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 01/24/14 at 20:14:23

Glad to help. Hope you get it running soon. They're not all ripoff artists.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/24/14 at 20:02:04

Just an update, cleaned the carb, installed the new petcock, changed oil and filter, plus replaced the spark plug. Tried to turn the bike over and the lights would come on but the bike won't turn over ... we charged the battery for what we thought was long enough it read 12.5 volts on the multimeter but we checked the starter and it read zero. I'm so bummed and itching to ride :-/. We even took the spark plug out and made sure it would go into gear and roll, it did thank God! So I doubt the motor is seized. Put the battery back on the charger and it's been charging all day. Could it just be a bad battery??? :-?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 02/24/14 at 20:05:22

Bummer. Check the battery and see what the output is. If the battery is good you probably have a bad connection or wire someplace.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by mpescatori on 02/25/14 at 01:58:28

2E3C2B3C3A383E35343E36646C5D0 wrote:

Something tells me :
1) the starter button wiring is bad,
2) the starter solenoid is toast,
3) the big red cable from the battery (+) to the starter motor is not on tight,
4) the starter motor itself is dead.

In that order.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/25/14 at 08:26:16

Appreciate it yall!!! Gonna see if the battery charged right this time then if anything carry it to advance and check the battery to see if it's just bad if not start on your check list, thanks! ;)

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by old_rider on 02/25/14 at 09:10:59

Could be one of the safety switches is loose or disconnected also... if your battery is putting out voltage and its not getting to the starter.

1. solenoid
2. clutch switch
3. neutral switch
4. stand switch

Every started a savage before? Put in neutral, hold in clutch.... some bikes you don't have to hold the clutch in.
Just trying to help you cover all the bases.

Hope this helps :)

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Dave on 02/25/14 at 09:13:17

Did you pull the clutch lever in while you tried to start the bike? I have had mine disconnected for a while.....I can't remember if the clutch safety switch only works when the bike is in gear......or all the time?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by old_rider on 02/25/14 at 09:14:53

Even if its in neutral you have to have the clutch in.... wife thinks its silly.... but puts up with it.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Dave on 02/25/14 at 09:36:50

5B5850465D505146340 wrote:

Even if its in neutral you have to have the clutch in.... wife thinks its silly.... but puts up with it.

My wife thinks I am silly as well.....and puts up with it!

My stick shift car is the same.....the clutch has to be pushed in before the starter will work.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/25/14 at 10:19:07

Ok guys, put the battery back on, it read 12.5 volts lights came on but still didn't turn over. So... we jumped the starter and it cranked up ;D. So needless to say the starter switch needs to be replaced right? And once it was running.. After a min or two it began to smoke a little bit from where the header comes off the engine and also where the header and muffler meet... tell me it's not the header?!?!? :o

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by old_rider on 02/25/14 at 10:26:28

Take the switch apart and clean the contacts..... and did you jump the solenoid or the starter itself with the switch pushed in?

Might be a leaky header pipe gasket, see if the two bolts at the top of the pipe are not loose, and just might need to tighten it up at the muffler clamp for that one also.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/25/14 at 10:28:59

Jumped the solenoid.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by old_rider on 02/25/14 at 11:28:51

Then it might just be a bad solenoid, did ya tap on it with a screwdriver? sometimes the solenoid sticks.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/25/14 at 11:42:01

We honestly tapped it with a pair of scissors and that's how we got it to start when pushing in the starter, it sparked then started right up... After looking at the clymer manual it says corrosion may occur so we might pull the starter off and clean it and see what happens, if not move from there I guess...

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by old_rider on 02/25/14 at 11:47:55

Yup, its a process, but looks like you got it in hand. Clean up the connections on all three, starter, start button and solenoid. If it still don't start.. without the solenoid jump, get a new solenoid.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/25/14 at 11:58:25

Thanks! I'll keep this page up to remind my husband in the morning. His mom gave us the bike and said she'd pay for it at a shop but... my husband being a guy was like nah we got to learn some how lol might take longer but I'll definitely appreciate my bike more. ;)

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by old_rider on 02/25/14 at 14:36:14

That's exactly what i'm doing....LOL.... with my wifes savage, I'm selling my big ol' Harley and getting a savage for myself in the future.

I like the simplicity (well its easier than all the newer bikes) of the model and how it has stayed pretty much the same since the early 90's (I hear the 80's models were a little different).

So if you learn how to work on one, you can work on them all :)

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 02/28/14 at 09:43:09

Sometimes I just want to throw in the towel! >:( Went out today to try to crank the bike..no luck. Yesterday I pulled the starter off and cleaned it then put it back on. Husband said he checked the starter solenoid and it read at 4 volts and no corrosion on it. Soo.. Once again we arched it and last time it jumped and cranked up...then time it was turning over but wouldn't start. Maybe we are thinking it is a clogged fuel line because the fuel filter wasn't full with gas. Yet when we took the line off gas was running out so we are thinking it is pinched. But I mean I'm starting to get frustrated with this thing not cranking and my husband saying well we got 3 months til we are suppose to haul it to Gatlinburg TN, we have already had it for three months and barely progress so I'm starting to feel left out on riding while he takes off on his. :-[ Maybe I should take it to a mechanic? But dang I don't want to go broke

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Dave on 02/28/14 at 10:44:38

There is nothing wrong with taking it to a mechanic......if you can find a good honest one that does not have a ton of overhead cost. There are still people out there that will work for $ 25 and hour and do a good job, and I can hook you up with several of them in this area. They are hobbyists or retired folks that don't need you to pay for their 401K, Health Care, IT guy and executive suite offices. The dealers are high profit and need to be if they are going to stay in business.

Find some local folks that can help hook you up with the right mechanic. The Savage electric system is pretty simple if you know how to trace some wires and do some troubleshooting.....just jumping the thing without troubleshooting the cause is not going to help you figure out where the problem is....and will continue to frustrate you. You need a proper diagnosis and cure!

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 02/28/14 at 12:53:39

Was the carb bowl full of gas? There's a little screw on the bottom of the bowl you can open to make sure there's gas in there or to drain the carb.

I see where you said you pulled the plug. I know it's silly but sometimes the simplest things are overlooked trying to find something harder to find, you did put the plug wire back on? Make sure the kill switch isn't set to off. I've been caught by that once or twice until I got used to such a huge button. (Not like a Honda kill switch at all)

When you hit the start button after pulling in the clutch, do you hear 1 relay click or 2 clicks or no clicks?

I'd still be happy to ride over one day and see if I can help. I'm only about 20 miles away.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by S-P on 02/28/14 at 20:26:01

6E7C6B7C7A787E75747E76242C1D0 wrote:

Maybe we are thinking it is a clogged fuel line because the fuel filter wasn't full with gas. Yet when we took the line off gas was running out so we are thinking it is pinched.

If you have a Raptor petcock take the inline filter off. I had the same problem. I took the inline filter off and it worked fine.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 03/04/14 at 08:29:47

Thanks guys! I relayed all of this to my husband.. He works second shift so it's hard to get him up and working.. :-/ it's usually me working on my own bike lol. I bought a new air filter yesterday. Question... When we got the bike the filter was missing and there was a hornet's nest in there so a genius had the idea to dump gas in there (my husband's brother) ::) so fuel was sitting in it. I racked out the nest and cleaned up the gas...but should I still take it apart because fuel could be else where in the air box and cause problems? Or should I just slide in the new filter and it be ok?

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Steve H on 03/04/14 at 16:31:33

Pull the drain cap on the bottom of the hose. If there's any gas left in there, it'll drip out then you can put the cap back. Slip the air filter in and close the box.

Gas will evaporate pretty quickly in something like that. There's probably none left in there anyway but it won't hurt to check.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by Rich Brunelle on 03/04/14 at 22:06:13

My interest at present is discussion of the head oil leak. Is it true that the leak is likely the head plug not a head gasket. Also, would this cause an increase in upper engine clatter? Almost sounds like a loose spark plug without the backfire, or like my valves are playing marbles.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 03/17/14 at 14:39:04

Ok so got a new solenoid put in... still nothing. Lights come on but no clicking or turning over. Lights don't dim either. And yes key is on, bike in neutral, clutch pulled in, kick stand up. I cleaned up the starter as well.. A biker friend said starter relay? Where is it? Every time I Google it, the solenoid pulls up.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by verslagen1 on 03/17/14 at 15:37:04

technically you have a relay, not a solenoid (the decomp is a solenoid)

check that you are getting volts from the starter button to the relay.

or quick check, push starter button,
1st click is decomp (bend over and check arm moves),
2nd click is starter relay.

no clickety click? check battery.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by savagechick91 on 03/21/14 at 11:03:21

Ok once clutch is fully pulled in and I press the start button, there is only one click. I see the decomp arm moving like you say. Battery read right voltage, I'm thinking it has to be something between the starter button and that relay. I traced wires and everything looks good though.

Title: Re: The good and the ugly, help!!!
Post by verslagen1 on 03/21/14 at 11:55:06

Ok, the problem might be your relay.

sometimes they stick, mostly closed, but sometimes open.
take a plastic handled screwdriver and strike the rear fender just below the ig switch. That should rattle the relay enough to unstick it.

if not, take the seat off, and find a 3 wire connector and make sure it's tight. Next check for voltage at the relay when you press the start button on the 2 small wires on top. 1's ground other should be hot when pushed.