Help Bike Won't Start...

[1Koolemom]

Hey Ladies,

Have been trying to start my bike for the past several days, but I won't start. This is my 1st bike ever owned. The battery is fully charged. My gas hand registers gas as well as I see gas. It's not flooded. Bought bike used with gas hand showing full tank of gas. Unsure how long gas been in bike. Bought some SeaFoam (advice from Auto shop worker that verified my battery was fully charged & not have a dead cell) to put in but unsure if that will help. Have taken off the air filter & sprayed starter fluid & it turns over but won't stay running. With it being foreign, Hyosung, Harley is approved dealer & their costs are high just for diagnosis.

Any information you can provide will be appreciated.

[Squeaky]

Well, if the fuel has sat in it a while it could be a clogged fuel filter or a gummed up carb. Not that I know how to get to either on your bike, but if you can find the bits you can certainly check on them and see how that goes. Since it turns over I'm guessing the spark plug(s) are ok.

If you can take the hoses off the carb and squirt some carb cleaner in there it certainly can't hurt. Might be worth taking all the gas out and starting with a fresh tank too.

[KansasKawboy]

I agree with Squeaky, it sounds like a fuel problem. Don't forget to check the simple stuff like is the petcock turned on. You can turn it off and disconnect the fuel line to the carb and put the line into a metal container then turn it back on and see if you are getting fuel to the carb. If it's the carb and you don't know how to rebuild it you would be wise to take it to the shop.

[Luna Tique]

I am the clueless one when it comes to fixing things but by the symtoms you are describing I think Squeaky & KK are on track. A bike with carbs not stored properly is a royal PITA to get started.:redface1:

:shrug: This will not fix your problem but may help you prevent it from happening again. Since stored fuel can go bad causing a gummy varnish to build up in your fuel lines and carbs YUCK. I use STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer when I am storing the bike for over 30 days

:hug2: Good Luck I will be waiting to hear how you make out:ears:

[bikerbunny]

Check that the kill (Engine on) switch hasn't been accidentally switched off
- on my bike this is on the right side handlebar with an round arrow on

I've been caught out on mine a few times with this-its there i so you can shut off the engine quickly in case of an accident but if it it get knocked on accidentaly the bike won't start.

[bikerbunny]

ignore last post as just re read your post and seen that it does turn over,so not the problem
sorry on my umth glass of wine!:fridayparty:and its only Thursday!

[Unforgiven]

I would drain the gas out of the tank, then drain your carburetor bowls. Put in fresh gas and add the correct amount of chevron techron fuel cleaner. Once you do that give it a shot. If it cranks, it's going to run pretty rough for a bit. Let it run and once it runs smooth enough to not cut out on you, ride it and it should clear up. Be careful not to put yourself in traffic where it could stall and put you in a dangerous situation. It may take 20 to 50 miles of riding to get it back smooth again if it does smooth out.

[indianscout]

If it starts and runs with starting fluid, perhaps you have a plugged fuel line. Eather way I would replace the fuel that's in it and clean the carbs.

[1Koolemom]

Thanks all for the suggestions. How do I clean the carbs?

[Inky]

You take it to the dealer and pay them to do it...............:rofl:

[ridingAK]

That would have to be my answer too. Fortunately there are a few more mechanically inclines folks around here who should be able to help you.

[Inky]

Or not...............lol

[Xrayted]

Sorry to hear your bike won't start. 1st off, I have a few questions... :D:

Did it start up and run when you bought it or is this a recent change?

Since this is carbureted, are you using the choke until it is warm?

Do you have the idle screw set correctly so it's not too slow?

Are you getting correct spark? One way to tell is to pull off the spark plug wire (only do 1 at a time), take out the plug, put the plug back in the cap and hold the spark tip near the engine block, about 1/8" away. Try to start it. You should see a little arc of spark. Do this to each, but like I said, only do 1 at a time. That way you can't possibly get them mixed up. Sometimes, if you don't have spark in one of them, it could cause it to die. Check the plugs by switching them if one doesn't spark. If the same one still doesn't spark, the plug wire may be bad. If it moves with the plug, then throw out that plug and put in a new one. That is just an easy replacement either way.

The other thing is, your carbs could be clogged like the others have said. There is no easy way to deal with that other than to pull them off and clean them. You haven't really said how mechanically inclined you are, so I don't know if that is an option. Most bike shops have a straight fee for cleaning carbs and setting them. Around here it runs from $200-400, depending on how many you have and how hard they are to get at. Without knowing your exact model to look up, it's hard to say.

We might be able to help talk you through more after you check these things if you give us the year, model # and any other info you have so we can look up that particular bike in detail.

No matter what you come up with, if you don't know how old the gas is, change it. Put some seafoam in the new tank, but only what it recommends. Putting in extra will actually cause more harm in some cases. The easiest way is to pull the line off of the bottom of the gas tank and then turn on the petcock valve to drain it. (make sure it is off before pulling the hose or you'll get drenched if it's gravity feed. Don't ask me how I know this. :lol:)

Good luck. I will check back to see if you've made some progress or need to move on to more intense issues. :):

[ridingAK]

Thank you x! I was hoping you or kit would see this thread. You rock!

[Kitsune]

I want to add to what X said- check the vacuum lines on your petcock. It could be a simple matter of a hole in the vacuum line (or it got knocked off) causing a vacuum loss, so no gas flow.

If you have a vacuum petcock, you probably have 'on/res/pri' settings. "On" is your standard, it uses the vacuum and fuel lines. "Res" is your reserve, drawing directly at the petcock instead of through a straw like fitting that sucks off the top. It also uses fuel and vacuum lines, both. "Pri" or Prime is used to initially fill up carb bowls if they're empty and there's no vacuum.

Look at your petcock and see if you have two lines. If you do, one is gas and one is vacuum. Before disconnecting anything, give them a visual once-over to see if they're connected tightly and in good shape.

If your bike starts and runs on prime, then it's a vac issue, either with the petcock or the hose, or the connection to the carbs.

To fix a vacuum issue, or fiddle with it a little further to get an understanding of the mechanics behind it, take a little paper tag or sharpie or something and mark one of the lines. Mark where it plugs into your petcock. (so you don't switch them accidentally when you go to reconnect them)
Disconnect them. Turn the petcock to 'prime' with a rag or something under it and see which one gas comes out of. The one the gas comes off of is *drumroll* your fuel line. The other's your vacuum line. Drain your tank into some kind of gas container. It might be fine for your car, cars aren't that picky.
At this point, also drain your carb(s?). Get a glass spaghetti jar or something and drain the carbs out the little bottom hose into the jar. You're turning the little screws marked 'drain valve' counter clockwise with the tubes in the jar to catch the drainage.
http://seaies.com/avatar/carb101006s2.jpg
Let it settle for a bit. The glass will let you see if you have any kind of dirt in your carb bowls/fuel system. Water could have collected in your fuel system, too. You'll see an oil/water difference and bubbles.

Close up the carbs, turning those screws clockwise 'til snug, put fresh gas in your tank (switch the petcock to 'on' or 'off' if you have it, first!) and reconnect your fuel lines. I'm not very experienced with vac lines, but I *think* if you pinch it off completely, it'll allow fuel to flow, because it's not sucking air, because a trick to using a vacuum petcock with non-vacuum carbs is to cap it off.

Someone else should correct me here. For the sake of testing, unless the carbs overflow and start draining out the drain tubes, try letting the tank fill the carbs in 'prime' and starting that way. Let it sit on 'prime' for a bit, though, first, to make sure you don't have an overflow issue. Your floats should still shut off the gas when the bowls are full.


IF you still have a problem, we now start looking at the carbs. This is a fairly new bike, so my money is more on dirty clogs or varnish than it would be on the carbs being set wrong.

Specifically, I suspect your idle jets and/or choke mechanism. These *can* be easy things to fix, without taking much, if anything apart.

We're looking at a Hyosung GV250. I could be wrong, but if it's not running anyway, and it's carb issues, you can't go far wrong just cleaning things out, and if the cleaning doesn't work, you'd have to trailer the bike to the shop anyway. Why not take the opportunity to get intimate with your machine?

[Kitsune]

So, I was doing a little poking around in some free time I had during a break at work...
Your profile says you have a Hyosung GV250, so that's what I'm going from. :)

If you google "Hyosung gv250 service manual" you can get one for $10 online. That's a decent price. Free is good, too, but might take more searching.

Tech specs for your bike say you have Mikuni BDS26 carbs, which are two carbs, bracketed together. Not so bad, not so bad. I have four inline ones. :lol: Fun to learn on. :D

This site (http://www.seaies.com/New/sec2.html) has pics from a guy going over his GT250S Comet, which is a different model, but the same carbs, anyway. It should give you a bit of a visual, anyway, for what to unscrew to drain your carbs. He has good advice on there, like "don't break anything because they don't sell *parts* for these carbs, just the whole thing".

more later, gettin' paged to the OR. :roflmao:

Edit, later:
BTW that site details how to rejet your carbs. This isn't really your intent, you just want to open up the carbs, unscrew the jet (the brass things that look like thumbtacks) and clean them while they're off the bike. I'd buy a bottle of non-chlorinated brake cleaning spray (be sure to get a can with the little red spray tube taped to the side to channel the spray into the jet orifice) also, if you have a piece of wire laying around or can get a little bit of fine, copper cored wire from radio shack, a little bit of that bare copper, just a couple strands twisted together, does great for cleaning crud out of your jets. Brake Kleen dries without leaving a residue and is a great solvent for most gas-borne ickies... but it dries out your skin seriously, too. Wash your hands well after using the stuff and use some hand cream.

In theory, and according to that site, you should be able to do this with your carbs on your bike, and maybe even the tank on, too. It might be a tight fit, though. I'll know more when I'm at home and can look up a free .pdf service manual for you.

I wouldn't worry too much about the idle screw, it looks like it's so far under the carbs and out of sight that it'd be hard to *accidentally* turn down too low... but if it wasn't running when you bought the bike, it may still be suspect.

This may also be partially a choke/accelerator pump issue. Does it try to turn over any more when you give the throttle a few quick wrings first, then hit the starter button (with the choke all the way out) OR if you hold the throttle a quarter open (in neutral!!!) and then hit the starter button?

[Xrayted]

As for the brake clean stuff, if you end up cleaning your carbs, use nitrile gloves and some eye protection with that stuff. It's harsh. Again, don't ask me how I know this. :lol:

[Kitsune]

oh. def. eye protection. it burns like h3ll.

[Kitsune]

It takes some scrolling, but here (http://www.scribd.com/doc/14299700/Hyosung-GT250-GT125-Service-Manual) is a service manual for a GT250. It's a different model, but the carbs are the same. They're in section 4-0.

Another thing to consider is that the GT has a fuel pump- I'm not sure if the GV does. If it does, that could also be part of your lack-of-fuel problem, but I'm not sure if the fuel's not getting to your carbs, or just not getting up to your sparkplugs.

[1Koolemom]

Hello Ladies,
Thanks for the suggestions.:thumbsup: You are awesome...To began answering some of the questions. Yes when I purchased used end of April it was running. I rode several times a wk & it was a little hard to start several times but I had choke all the way open. Afterwards it was alright. Due to weather & my work schedule & was unable to ride for several weeks into May. Tried several times starting wkend before Memorial Day. No luck.

I do have the Service Manual from online and will look it over. I made sure all things were connected. I will try to get back gas out by using container, disconnecting fuel line & open petcock. I will look to see how to "drain carbs" as well as locate sparkplugs & see if gapped correctly. I see that it is not as easy as changing sparkplugs, oil, filters, rotate tires, etc in vehicles. :):I am mechanically inclined with vehicles that I have had over the years: Mercury Villager, Nissan 5speed, Datsun B210, etc.
I prefer to repair if I can save $ & if I have pics.

The fuel petcock has open, close & reserve. But since I have owned it I cannot get it to go into "Reserve" it way hard to move. I have not left open if I am not riding.

I phoned alot of the local Motorcycle shops & they all refer me to Harley's Dealership...I am afraid of the costs as a Diagnostic Test is $100.
I will try to see if I can do everything myself before I have to give to Harley's.
"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can fix it with pics & I will post how things come along. I may take me longer than the Harley's shop.

Good Evening...

[Luna Tique]

Good luck :thumbup:
I will be waiting to hear the news

[Mazer]

It may be a kinked fuel line. Since it is a used bike you never know what the previous owner was up to or the petcock is somehow not functioning properly. The gas tank lines are fairly easy to check yourself but the petcock can be a delicate issue. Good luck

[1Koolemom]

Hello All,
The Technician from Harley Davidson came on Thursday, 18 June & picked up my motorcycle to take to their shop & see what is wrong as it still would not start entirely for me to ride. It's been several weeks (almost 1 month) now since last rode it.

I am praying that it doesn't cost an arm & leg estimate as if it will cost more than I pd, I may try to sell for salvage.

I will keep you posted. Hopefully it won't take along time for them to find out what's wrong.

1Koolemom

[Luna Tique]

:zen: coming your way



http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/568773826_RFBiV-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/gallery/6394670_NAmsS#568773826_RFBiV-A-LB)

[waterlilly]

:zen: coming your way



http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/568773826_RFBiV-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/gallery/6394670_NAmsS#568773826_RFBiV-A-LB)
+1
I hope all turns out to be in your favour, and not to costly.

[Mazer]

Hey, any word on your bike yet????

[1Koolemom]

Hello All,

I hope "no news is good news."

Harley Davidson still has my motorcyle. I am scared to call to see whether the technicians have begun their diagnostic check & if any clue on the cost of repair.

I'll post when I find out something.
Happy Riding to everyone else.

1Koolemom

[Kitsune]

Any news? Even Harley mechanics should have been able to figure out what was wrong by now.


;) ;) ;)
j/k :)

[1Koolemom]

Hello All,

I have had the worst time trying to get information from Harleys Dealership over the past several wks. 1 wk ago when I did get to speak with a Manager, I was told that there were several aftermarket parts that they think may be the cause of issues with Battery charging & the fuel line.
The rectifier is what I was told needed to be replaced would be the 1st start. Supposidly the part is to be arriving within 2 days this week. (No update from this past Thursday before the 4th July) that the part didn't come in.

I will be going down within the next 1-2 days to see what is the problem so Harleys can put a face to my name & bike & see that I want my bike back sooon whether they can fix or not as this is ridiculous that they don't inform customers about the status of things.

So far labor since Harley's had bike almost coming on month will be $83. + part cost @ $74.00.

Any other thoughts as to how to handle since all dealerships, Yamaha, Honda, etc say that Harleys in town is the approved dealership to work on.

[Luna Tique]

Tell him you belong to an international forum of women riders that you will be recommedding we avoid his shop if he doesn't do something quick

Or

Sometimes a local shop not necessarily affiliated with any brand of bike is a much better way to go.
For the most part they are friendlier and interested in getting you back on the road quickly. Ask around I am sure there is someone near you if you can't get satifaction from the Harley Dealer.

[Mazer]

First thing before you sign anything...make certain your bike is in working order and nothing is broken....This story about them taking so long and after market parts seems a bit fishy to me. Does your bike have after market parts on it??? Sometimes when unfortunate things happen in a garage - and I have heard alot of horror stories, the garage will cover for time so they can repair whatever damage was done. I hope against hope this has not happened with your bike, but you should be on your toes about it.
Next I would ask to speak with the service manager and ask him why it took so long to diagnose the problem. The diagnosis should have been done in a couple of days tops maybe 3.
Lastly the squeaky wheel does get the oil. Please let these guys know the time for fixing the bike is now, and that you really do want to spread the word about his garage to all of your friends in the motorcycling community but not if the communications system is so bad.
I wish you the best with your bike. I hope EVERYTHING turns out okay and your bike is fixed, good as new and ready to ride in a couple of days.
PS you might want to check around with any local Harley riders to see where they go...you might find the Harley place in the next town or 2 over might be better. Good luck

[Unforgiven]

Good luck getting it taken care of! I just cringe when I think about a stealership touching my bikes but sometimes it just can't be helped.

[KCDakar]

May I ask what the aftermarket parts are they saying is causing your trouble with the charging and fuel line?

[1Koolemom]

Hello All,

My bike is finally fixed as of yesterday, 23 July. :yahoo::ecstasy:Thanks for all that kept us in your thoughts. I picked it up today, 24 July @0900. I am soooo happy to have it back. The hold up per the Service Mgr was getting the part(s). They had to remove an aftermarket rectifier & relay. It took @ 2 & 1/2 wks for the parts. I have to take it back on Sat morning or on Monday as now my fuel petcock will not move to off as it was when it was picked up by 1 of their technicians @ 1 month ago or so.
Labor ate me up in cost as the parts were less than $100. I may need to take a Motorcycle Mechanic class as a part time job to avoid costs as this again.

There goes me purchasing a windshield ($180 & add'l 3 wks) or a new full helmet anytime soon.

I will put on Xmas wishlist. :):

Thanks again for suggestions & I will be posting again soon.

1Koolemom

[Luna Tique]

:yahoo: I am very happy you have your bike home again.
Sorry to hear it is NOT 100% :(:

Are they going to fix the petcock while you wait? :whistling:

[Kitsune]

your bike is practically new, why did it have a new reg/rectifier and relay? that's so weird.

I hate to say it, but if your R/R got fried, it could've been either a charging problem from within the bike(rotor/stator going and fried it) or without the bike (HD went to charge it and somehow farked it) My two cents on the starter relay, too, is that often these relays are mechanically based and will last a very, very long time unless they are shorted and for that reason melt on the inside, or some such. That also speaks to me of a full-system overload, maybe something connected wrong or something. Look VERY CAREFULLY at your wiring and make sure none of it is blackened, melted, or smells like burnt plastic.

I worry that in that month they somehow messed up charging something or connected something wrong and overloaded your electrics, then blew time to cover for it. Consider finding another HD dealership to do your work next time.

[Mazer]

She specifically stated tho that the R/R was an aftermarket part. It might have been an inferior product. Just my 2 cents

[1Koolemom]

Ladies,
Sorry it took soo long to respond & post online. The HD Dealership Manager who is very familiar with Hyosung bike(s) said & I have the old part that was added on & the original rectifier was still on not used since somehow the previous owner had an aftermarket rectifier added & bypassed. If that makes sense. There was a delay in the part coming in after they ordered & was told @ 1wk.

My bike has ran since being in the shop & I have been trying to ride daily. I have an aunt in town so I can't leave her at home w/my husband & kids too long. So I sneak away for about 1 hr or so & when weather is good I ride to & from work.

Thanks for the information you all provide..:D:

Ill take more pics soon.

1Koolemom

[Calif Girl]

By chance did the dealership show you/or offer to give you the old part?

[KCDakar]

Good to hear you got it worked out and you now are getting to ride! :thumbup:

But we need :LT: :D:

[KCDakar]

Good to hear you got it worked out and you now are getting to ride! :thumbup:

But we need :LT: :D: