Just got my V-Star 1100 Custom out for the first ride of the year. I put a new battery in late last summer. She started first time, but every so often she dies when I'm gearing down. The bike seems to still have power to the lights etc. If I wait a couple of minutes she starts back up again.
Could someone please help me figure this one out?
Thanks,
Tim
mailto:Suuuubertat (at) yahoo.ca
If the bike is re starting, I am assuming it is not an electrical problem. Your description of what the bike is doing is sort of vague. How long since new plugs? How long since a new air cleaner. How long since a carb sync? Is the idle set properly? Are the valves "ticking" nicely as they should? Did you have some type of stabilizer in your fuel when the bike was stored? These are the places I would start looking. If you give a bit more detail, I'm sure more folks will chime in to try and help you out. Good luck!
Dan
If it's sputtering out and dying, I'd agree with Dan - that it might be stale fuel, wet fuel (with water), gummy carbs or possibly fouled plugs or clogged fuel / air filters. If it's cutting off abruptly, I'd check things like the side stand switch. If the bike has been sitting on the stand all winter, it is possible that the switch is sticky. Probably a blast or two of WD40 would clear things up if this is the case.
Does this problem show up only once the engine has warmed up, or is it pretty much from the outset of your ride? Electrical components and connections most often fail due to heat cycling, and they often work fine when they're cold but not so much once they've heated up.
Thanks for the info Dan & PG.
I checked the air cleaner and it was terribly dirty. Caked with grease, oil and a couple bugs. I've purchased a new one and will be replacing it this weekend. I do know the idle is set properly as I had that done during a service last summer.
I bought the bike used last summer and unfortunately I don't know when the plugs were last changed. Judging by the state of the air filter not too recently. Likewise the synchronizing of the carbs (is this a tough job?).
I don't think heat was a factor as it's still a little on the cool side up here in the Toronto area. It doesn't seem to sputter out, more of a sudden ceasing of all power.
Thinking back, I did notice on a couple of occasions last summer that when giving it a touch of throttle while gearing down it was sometimes empty (nothing happened). Does this make sense? I didn't think much of it at the time as I had attributed it to the 2 holes that the previous owner had drilled in the front section of the exhaust.
I hope these added details help in the diagnosis of my problem. I'll be trying what has been suggested already and let you know how I fare.
Get a can of "Seafoam", put it in the tank as directed the next time you fill up. It may help to clean your carbs out a bit if they are not too bad. See PM
Dan
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