Max, I just found your channel and I can't thank you enough. I've always been intimidated to do anything other than oil changes, and bc of that, I have a non-running XT225 and DR650. Your style of presenting information is top notch. I'll likely have those bikes running by summer!
Thanks for the how to clean carbs vids and this one. This what truly makes youtube worth while. I cleaned my 98 zx9 carbs put it back together and now the carbs are leaking so I have to take it back apart to sync the floats. I should of listened...
i just bought a 2001kawasaki EX 500 and it has a shit ton of problems. but with your videos i at least now have a direction to go in how i could get it up and running again. thanks so much for this!
I just bought a 1984 Honda Sabre 1100. I'm tearing apart the carbs at the moment and found this video to be SUPER helpful. Right now, I can get it to turn over but no luck getting it to catch so I'm going through it piece by piece. Thanks for the great vid! Btw, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is my favorite book of all time. :)
I saw this video serie a long time ago and i can't believe you're still answering people. I found it very helpful and inspiring! I'm in no way a mecanic but i learned a lot "figuring stuff out" and your video was also helpful. It made we want to buy an older motorcycle and rebuild it (something like an old CB...really like those...).will do as soon as i got room for it! in the meantime i just take very good care of my more recent bike! Thanks a lot man!
best video to start learning!! really, i'm a guy that dont know anything about motorcycle, right now im getting the grasp of it! great video,. thanks!!! hope you make another video to check the problem that maybe appear in normal running bike
Thanks very much for your excellent breakdown, i'm working on a Suzuki RF600 that is having starting/running problems and it's guides like this that really make a difference to the novice, I especially like your positive attitude at the end of part 2 towards just giving it ago without making it sound too daunting, thx mate !
Great video! I want to learn more about fixing and repairing old bikes in my spare time, this video was great to explain the basics of a motorcycle and how it all works together.
Thanks so much. You do a great job explaining. Makes a huge difference in a video when there is a total lack of profanity. Your vocabulary (present [ie: preezent], occluded, etc.) speaks to your intelligence and training in your occupation ( maybe EMT or the like?) Again, very enjoyable to watch.
thank you soo much man!, I recently bought a Ninja zx6r f3 but it doesn't runs, it needs a carb clean and perhaps other things but this is troubleshooting process is just simply amazing, thanks again and keep up the good work!!
Just finished the first and second of this series, thank you for taking so much time to make these videos. I'm very happy you read Pirsig. You're very encouraging and I love the way you break things down. It's exactly what I was hoping for. I'm going to learn everything I can from you. I ride a 1981 CM400 with (I believe) a CB450 motor and transmission in it. It's my first bike and I love it so much :) Of course now I'm dreaming of exactly what you scorn at the end... a red Ducati 916 :)
dude! You have a gift for teaching! i am legally blind and have had experience teaching, but you should make videos showing more specific things like HOW you are cleaning certain connections and HOW you do x, y, and z! this would greatly help me! Keep doing what you're doing man! btw great vernacular
Thanks for watching and Im glad it was helpful. This was more of an overview video, if you check out my channel I have videos up on how to repair all of these problems
I like to fix old bikes on my own to (With help from friends as well) I started with the Suzuki FXR 150 to understand the basic of twin cam carb, then move on to Hyosung gtr250. same engine basically only its a Vtwin. Restored quite a number of em and yeah, your list of things to check is totally true. I like how you summarize it and thinking that you could be my reference when i start with 4 inline.
3:30 coils are tricky buggers. Great info. My battery was low too. Popped in a new one and hey presto new bike! I also noticed the Cdi connections had water able to get in them is the bike was washed or left in the rain.
I could really use you as a neighbor. Just bought 2 CB350 Fours that don't run - and I'm a BANKER (yikes!!!). Have I got a lot to learn. Thanks for your clear and detailed explanation. I suspect I'll be referring to your vids a lot (and finishing Zen and the Art of MC Maint.)
@beesage No worries man glad to help, I worked on an RF600 last year they are awesome bikes, I hope you get it running soon. Let me know if I can be of any further help.
tNx your a GOOD MAN... You know Mr. Max i want to know how to fix a motorcycle because I'm job less and alot of motorcycle here in the Philippines thousand of motorcycle or maybe millions... and some of the motor technician are not so good... that is why i want to be like YOU... :-)
@mrmaxstorey I ended up selling the bike last month but before I did I managed to get it running pretty decent from watching your videos. One thing that I wish that I did when cleaning my carbs and needles was push a thin wire through jets and holes to break free any blockage. I depended soley on cleaner and air pressure. I didn't see that recommendation in your cleaning video but a few people mentioned it to me after I had put it all back together. Keep up the nice vids bro.
@skinz1234 Well, the reason I initially suggested you perform a compression test is because of possible problems like this. If you have a stretched timing chain, not only will you hear a rattle in the belly of your engine, but you will also have low compression. By testing your compression and comparing that against acceptable readings which can be found in your repair manual, you can see if that may be the source of your problem, and then go about diagnosing it.
Hi, thanks for the reply. I followed the voltage down to the ignition switch. I removed the switch and upon closer inspection, realized that a few wires were not even making a connection because of corrosion on them, and one of those was the 6v in from the battery. So I'll take it apart, clean and resolder and see what happens. Thanks!
Thats a good place to start. Make sure it has oil in it, put in a battery and try to get lights. See if it turns over. See if it will fire on starter fluid. Throw some gas in there and see if it starts. Most likely it will need a carb cleaning and a flush of the tank, probably it will get going without much trouble. Check out my video on restoring the Honda Supermagna for a good example of a typical restoration process
We all use E10 here, if you leave it for many months it will gum up faster than regular gas, but for daily use its pretty much the same as regular gas. I never use Stabil because I dont mind cleaning carbs, and I prefer not to burn additives in my bike.
@1life93 Well my seca is sold unfortunately, but if I recall, if it was the neutral sensor it probably wouldn't crank at all. Just go down the list in the video. Have you sprayed some starter fluid down the air intake to see if it will start? If it does momentarily, then you known you have spark, and it is probably a fuel issue. Have you checked compression? Have you checked spark on all 4 plugs? Watch the video again and perform the tests I described, you'll find the problem.
thank you for your video it really helps. have a 1100 Yamaha classic didn't start. so I checked gas, spark, air. found out the gas was not smelling as strong as I known it to be so I put two dry gas bottles in the tank let it sit till next day. not to kill the battery that I just charged. I throttle it 6 times hit the start button and magic.
All I gotta say is, thank you so fucking much for your vids man. I bought a used gsxr 750 and it was in worse condition than I originially thought. I had some knowledge before but your vids have given me the confidence to tackle tearing my carbs apart, checking my valve clearances and I'm sure will be of even more help in the future.
@Steve96076 Yeah something I do is use a set of welder's cleaning tips to clean my jets. I didn't really want to show it in the video cause if you force them, you can expand the aperture in the soft brass and ruin the jet, so i didn't really want to encourage people to destroy their parts. Most often, air pressure and chemicals will do the trick, but yeah sometimes you need some mechanical cleaning. Anyways, glad you got it worked out.
Sometimes those clutch/kickstand safety switches go bad, disconnect the wires and see if it is electrical, connect and disconnect them and see if that helps. If not and you think your clutch is seized, first make sure you have adequate and clean oil. Make sure your cable is adjusted properly. And finally if that doesnt solve it, your clutch might be seized, but dont worry its not nearly as big of a deal that it is in a car or truck. Not hard to replace
Well yeah you can take the ignition out, then run a continuity test across the leads and see if there is an on/off difference when you turn the key. However, I would start at the battery, and test for voltage. Then make sure the ground is good. Then follow the hot wire from the batt, testing for voltage all the way, until you find where the voltage ends, thats probably your faulty component
Sometimes you will get this with old damaged coils, they have small cracks in them which get bigger as they get hotter. Cold the coil operates perfectly fine, but warm the larger cracks allow spark to escape, giving a poor spark and stumbling motor. Also check for vacuum leaks, which may operate on your rubber boots and seals in much the same way
@mrmaxstorey "these bikes are made for people like us" get in there and fined the problem....great advice max dude thanx for being the guy that helps the lower living people that dont have money to hand a random smuck there hard earned money...do it yourself and learn thanx...
I would just like to say thank you in advance. I have always had an interest in motorcycles but never owned one. Until now! I bought myself and old 79' Cb650 that was told "won't start and if it does it runs like crap for a minute then dies"... now why would someone with no experience buy this bike?? Because after watching some of your videos I decided the best way to get into motorcycles and building was to start with a project that is all ready f**ked so I have no fear of ruining it lol. With that being said with your videos I problem solved so far to just a bad battery with damaged cells...replaced that and as of tonight it tries to turn over now, wouldn't before. Next step... Air... Compression... Fuel.... and god forbid spark! Thanks again for the help and whatever help comes next. (Ps. Will be making a new youtube account to chronicle this whole process, hopefully from a no mechanical experience guy with a dead bike to a guy with some mechanical knowledge and a daily rider! I'll share the new page when it comes so you and your followers can see what your help looks like in the moment lol)
mrmaxstorey Compression as of tonight. 1:120psi 2:110psi 3:90psi 4:120psi Any pointers where to start? I'm hoping since it's just the #3 that a lot lower its just a valve issue or something but what do I know lol
mrmaxstorey Hey! So this is the new account that will have videos up eventually. Have not fixed the compression issue yet, but took apart, cleaned, and reinstalled the air box/filter etc. Bike will now trys to start, sputter from time to time and has backfired a few times but still no start....did however find tonight that one spark plug (#4 cylinder) is not sparking at all...we'll see what replacing that does lol (Correction: previous post compression was listed wrong. its actually #1-120psi #2-90psi #3-110psi #4-120psi . . . Dont think that really matters though.
Mr. Max tnx for the video i love it so much... you inspired me... by the way can you make a flow chart of spark?? like what you did.. so that i will know if the flywheel is the problem or maybe the ignation box etc.. how we can test it... Thanks alot may Good Lord Bless You... Have a good day...
@mymrhelpdesk Unfortunately thats a reality where I live and many other places in the country, you can only get gas that is 10% ethanol. You're right Id rather have just straight gas but its not available... gotta do the best with what you got
Not typically, it would have to be a major leak as in if one of the boots was completely missing. Usually it just pops or misfires. Have you checked to see if gas is getting to that carb? Perhaps the spark plus is fouled?
@Steve96076 Yeah set your float heights, I have a video up for that. Also make sure you dont have a little piece of gunk preventing the float needles from closing, and that you put everything back together correctly obviously, no broken hoses or loose float bowls.
Well dude as you saw in the video, your project could have a lot of things wrong with it. But my first step after getting a new battery for it, is to spray a little starting fluid in the air intake, and see if it fires
issue could be your points and condensor. Check if the head is making contact. slowly turn engine over where the small cylinder hits the points, make sure they are top dead center. i have a kz 400 did all the things you did to find the points were bad
Well, like this video demonstrates, theres a lot of things that could be going wrong. If you have heard this bike run, I would try to determine what has changed since the last time you heard it run. Was it 2 years ago and the carbs are all gunked up now? Is it possible the slides are stuck? Did you blow the head gasket? Run through the checklist in the video again and see if you can determine what has changed
What a top man you are, highly rate a person like you sharing your knowlege! Okay, heres my issue with my bike and i cant seem to figure it out, Im getting a very weak spark on my bike ( Gilera SC125 ) , ive replaced the ignition coil and CDI box, still weak spark, fully charged the battery, checked all connections as well as earthing connections, all in tact, still weak spark, what could the issue be? Thanks!
I see we are in agreement. I'll watch the video again and make an annotation if I misspoke. I do these videos extemporaneously, without a script, sometimes things fall through the cracks. Thanks
Great overview, thanks! Troubleshooting my MZ Mastiff right now, that has XT660Z engine and carbs. Will start cold or after sitting for a while, but stalls after a minute of flawless operation. When warm, will run shorter. Loud caughing in engine and out of exhaust when struggling after run. Had carbs aflush with cleaning fluid, tank cap or air filter removed - makes no difference. Opening carb drain shows, that fuel is flowing in (and drained out) as soon, as petcock gets open. No other adjustments of mixture took place. Next stop will be spark probably... Have you put together petcock troubleshoot, as mentioned in part 1, btw? Good luck!
Yeah I have a couple petcock videos up, I wouldnt discount tho the possibility of mixture or fuel delivery problems. Did you physically take apart the carbs and clean them properly? Float height set? Valves checked? Vacuum leaks?
@mrmaxstorey dude i work everyday doing carpentry im a honest person qnd i try to do things the right way man and what yourdoing for people i have respect for you man if i could help everyone i would but we r not superheros....right on max keep the hope alive!!!!
@Zandargwide Yeah go ahead and do the other ones but you might not even have to spend any money, check out my carb cleaning video it shows the process more or less, and yes you do need to sync them after cleaning.
sweet, these two vids are exactly what I've been looking for Got a 2012 Honda CBF 125 and it just wont bloody start. Knocking coming from the bottom end and then bike just died.....stripped engine, piston was worn, replaced it and the rings....still wont start. the knocking has gone now (it even used to knock while just turning the engine over before it fired.....all other components are good I think I have identified the problema s the fuel pump but still not sure.....not enough fuel pressure and it seems to be milky after going through the pump (clear in tank, milky just before the entry point of injector when the injector hose is removed) The fuel filter is in the pump (non serviceable) and someone said I will have water in the pump...emptied it completely left it to dry out for a few days too. Still wont start.
@Boricuaso77789 Well, the video pretty much details everything that you need to do. I know its a lot of stuff but if you go back to pt 1 and check every single point that I described, Im pretty sure you'll find the problem.
That can sometimes have an affect on the mixture, what do the plugs tell you? Is the bike running rich or lean? Also, are you firing on all cylinders? I will sometimes use a digital thermometer to measure the header pipes, and make sure they heat up equally when the bike is cold. An underperforming cylinder may produce less heat, whereas a cylinder running lean will get hotter much quicker. Oh and yeah a compression test would be a good idea too
Its less likely that it has to do with the gears as its a condition of your engine. You might be running lean in the range between 1/2-wide open throttle. This could be caused by a number of reasons, vac leak, clogged main jets, sticky slides. I would start with the carbs and see what you find
yes, the plug is attached to the motor, which is ground, which is attached to the frame which is ground, the mounts on the coil attach to nothing but the coil container, the do not have anything to do with the circuit, you can hold a coil in your hand and you will still get a spark at the spark plug
The plug is not a ground. It is connected to the motor, which is connected to the frame, which connects back to the negative on the battery, and thus the circuit is completed
Theoretically thats not a problem Ive done it for a while, but prime pulls gas from the very bottom of the tank, rather than ON which pulls gas from a couple inches above the bottom. The problem there is all the rust and sediment then gets pulled into your carbs. Are you running an inline fuel filter?
@DevWhyte Hey dude assuming everyone is telling the truth, it is unlikely that this will be a very difficult repair. Sometimes ignition switches are defective, wires get mixed up, fuses get blown, etc and all it takes is a little time to figure it out and get it right. One thing you can do is to jump the starter solenoid with a screwdriver, that should turn over even with the bike off, and it should confirm the bike isnt siezed and has a good starting system. Go from there.
great information and Im going to give it a go! my bike is backfiring and running poorly when cold. It occasionally stalls as well. If I open up the choke it runs much better. It takes a good 15kms befoe it runs smoothly. Does this sound like a problem with the carbs? also occassionally misses when idling.
@zxcvbnm21211 Sounds like you have an obstruction somewhere, be sure your vacuum hoses are hooked up to the petcock, and that there is nothing blocking the fuel flow, from the petcock all the way to the jets.
OK you should probably clean those carbs again anyway and this time be extra careful to blow out any choke passageways with carb cleaner and compressed air. Check out my video on vacuum leaks that shows most of the common places
@xXGnetiksXx Yeah I have restored a couple dirtbikes, don't have any on hand at the moment, but I always keep my eyes open for a good enduro or a big 2-stroke, they are a lot of fun
@ mrmaxstorey there is a bunch of ways to design a island you can box four cabinets and grab a slab of granit for the top ..or you can have doors shelves etc..what were you looking into doing dude...
Thanks for the video extremely informative, although a newbie on motorcycling I managed find that wet paper works night on rust, easily cleans it off. Also just a little question I've got a honda superdream which won't hold revs if you haven't got the choke on I've checked the air side of things, compression and spark but all fine. Any idea what the problem could be ? *by the way thinking of using this as a poster for my wall.
Hi.......great video's...I have a suzuki GZ 125 ...well its been out for the winter, have tried to start it and will just turn over, know more than that.....been told it could be the carburetor that needs cleaning out..should I be checking for something else...?
Thanks dude
I'm bogged down with frustrations with two bikes right now; you gave me a motivational and instructive tutorial.
Kudos.
Max, I just found your channel and I can't thank you enough. I've always been intimidated to do anything other than oil changes, and bc of that, I have a non-running XT225 and DR650.
Your style of presenting information is top notch. I'll likely have those bikes running by summer!
I really love this guy's way of explaining things and lack of ego, subd!
Thanks for the how to clean carbs vids and this one. This what truly makes youtube worth while. I cleaned my 98 zx9 carbs put it back together and now the carbs are leaking so I have to take it back apart to sync the floats. I should of listened...
i just bought a 2001kawasaki EX 500 and it has a shit ton of problems. but with your videos i at least now have a direction to go in how i could get it up and running again. thanks so much for this!
I just bought a 1984 Honda Sabre 1100. I'm tearing apart the carbs at the moment and found this video to be SUPER helpful.
Right now, I can get it to turn over but no luck getting it to catch so I'm going through it piece by piece. Thanks for the great vid!
Btw, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is my favorite book of all time.
:)
I saw this video serie a long time ago and i can't believe you're still answering people. I found it very helpful and inspiring! I'm in no way a mecanic but i learned a lot "figuring stuff out" and your video was also helpful. It made we want to buy an older motorcycle and rebuild it (something like an old CB...really like those...).will do as soon as i got room for it! in the meantime i just take very good care of my more recent bike! Thanks a lot man!
Hey glad to help
best video to start learning!! really, i'm a guy that dont know anything about motorcycle, right now im getting the grasp of it! great video,. thanks!!! hope you make another video to check the problem that maybe appear in normal running bike
Thanks for sharing what you have learned, mate. If we ever meet, your beers are on me. Cheers.
I'll take you up on that :)
Thanks very much for your excellent breakdown, i'm working on a Suzuki RF600 that is having starting/running problems and it's guides like this that really make a difference to the novice, I especially like your positive attitude at the end of part 2 towards just giving it ago without making it sound too daunting, thx mate !
Thinking about buying my first bike and your videos are SO helpful.
Great video! You have a great approach and a talent for teaching.
Thank You
Great video! I want to learn more about fixing and repairing old bikes in my spare time, this video was great to explain the basics of a motorcycle and how it all works together.
Thanks so much. You do a great job explaining. Makes a huge difference in a video when there is a total lack of profanity. Your vocabulary (present [ie: preezent], occluded, etc.) speaks to your intelligence and training in your occupation ( maybe EMT or the like?) Again, very enjoyable to watch.
+David OneTon Paramedic :)
You are a very good mechanic, and extremely knowledgeable. Thanks for making these informative videos. Looking forward to seeing your CB200 finished.
thank you soo much man!, I recently bought a Ninja zx6r f3 but it doesn't runs, it needs a carb clean and perhaps other things but this is troubleshooting process is just simply amazing, thanks again and keep up the good work!!
Just finished the first and second of this series, thank you for taking so much time to make these videos. I'm very happy you read Pirsig. You're very encouraging and I love the way you break things down. It's exactly what I was hoping for. I'm going to learn everything I can from you. I ride a 1981 CM400 with (I believe) a CB450 motor and transmission in it. It's my first bike and I love it so much :) Of course now I'm dreaming of exactly what you scorn at the end... a red Ducati 916 :)
dude! You have a gift for teaching! i am legally blind and have had experience teaching, but you should make videos showing more specific things like HOW you are cleaning certain connections and HOW you do x, y, and z! this would greatly help me! Keep doing what you're doing man! btw great vernacular
Thanks for watching and Im glad it was helpful. This was more of an overview video, if you check out my channel I have videos up on how to repair all of these problems
thanks for lesson! you are very skilled man! greetings from Poland!
Hey man, thanks for taking the time to put this together. It is very helpful. Cheers.
Love your videos.Your doing a good job of being thorough
I like to fix old bikes on my own to (With help from friends as well)
I started with the Suzuki FXR 150 to understand the basic of twin cam carb, then move on to Hyosung gtr250. same engine basically only its a Vtwin. Restored quite a number of em and yeah, your list of things to check is totally true. I like how you summarize it and thinking that you could be my reference when i start with 4 inline.
I found your Carb videos first and found them (and this one) very informative.
Good man! :)
Really good motivation I'm still frustrated with my 1999 Laverda 750 s but I don't want to throw the towel in yet
I'm so glad i found your channel. your videos are always very comprehensive and clear! thanks man
Probably one of the best motorcycle maintenance channels I've seen. Appreciate the videos man!
3:30 coils are tricky buggers. Great info. My battery was low too. Popped in a new one and hey presto new bike!
I also noticed the Cdi connections had water able to get in them is the bike was washed or left in the rain.
Thanks for taking the time to make your videos and answer back
I could really use you as a neighbor. Just bought 2 CB350 Fours that don't run - and I'm a BANKER (yikes!!!). Have I got a lot to learn. Thanks for your clear and detailed explanation. I suspect I'll be referring to your vids a lot (and finishing Zen and the Art of MC Maint.)
i wanna be a motorcycle mechanic. and your videos really help. thanks dude! more power!
@beesage No worries man glad to help, I worked on an RF600 last year they are awesome bikes, I hope you get it running soon. Let me know if I can be of any further help.
tNx your a GOOD MAN... You know Mr. Max i want to know how to fix a motorcycle because I'm job less and alot of motorcycle here in the Philippines thousand of motorcycle or maybe millions... and some of the motor technician are not so good... that is why i want to be like YOU... :-)
@mrmaxstorey I ended up selling the bike last month but before I did I managed to get it running pretty decent from watching your videos. One thing that I wish that I did when cleaning my carbs and needles was push a thin wire through jets and holes to break free any blockage. I depended soley on cleaner and air pressure. I didn't see that recommendation in your cleaning video but a few people mentioned it to me after I had put it all back together. Keep up the nice vids bro.
@skinz1234 Well, the reason I initially suggested you perform a compression test is because of possible problems like this. If you have a stretched timing chain, not only will you hear a rattle in the belly of your engine, but you will also have low compression. By testing your compression and comparing that against acceptable readings which can be found in your repair manual, you can see if that may be the source of your problem, and then go about diagnosing it.
this is so awesome! thanks for the 'how to', man! this is exactly what I was searching for
Thanks for posting your videos i have spent most of the night watching them, i have subscribed and im going to spend today working through a list.
Hi, thanks for the reply. I followed the voltage down to the ignition switch. I removed the switch and upon closer inspection, realized that a few wires were not even making a connection because of corrosion on them, and one of those was the 6v in from the battery.
So I'll take it apart, clean and resolder and see what happens. Thanks!
Thats a good place to start. Make sure it has oil in it, put in a battery and try to get lights. See if it turns over. See if it will fire on starter fluid. Throw some gas in there and see if it starts. Most likely it will need a carb cleaning and a flush of the tank, probably it will get going without much trouble. Check out my video on restoring the Honda Supermagna for a good example of a typical restoration process
We all use E10 here, if you leave it for many months it will gum up faster than regular gas, but for daily use its pretty much the same as regular gas. I never use Stabil because I dont mind cleaning carbs, and I prefer not to burn additives in my bike.
@1life93 Well my seca is sold unfortunately, but if I recall, if it was the neutral sensor it probably wouldn't crank at all. Just go down the list in the video. Have you sprayed some starter fluid down the air intake to see if it will start? If it does momentarily, then you known you have spark, and it is probably a fuel issue. Have you checked compression? Have you checked spark on all 4 plugs? Watch the video again and perform the tests I described, you'll find the problem.
Great video. Worth watching just to know how it all works. Thanks alot for your time making this.
thank you for your video it really helps. have a 1100 Yamaha classic didn't start. so I checked gas, spark, air. found out the gas was not smelling as strong as I known it to be so I put two dry gas bottles in the tank let it sit till next day. not to kill the battery that I just charged. I throttle it 6 times hit the start button and magic.
All I gotta say is, thank you so fucking much for your vids man. I bought a used gsxr 750 and it was in worse condition than I originially thought. I had some knowledge before but your vids have given me the confidence to tackle tearing my carbs apart, checking my valve clearances and I'm sure will be of even more help in the future.
Very pleased to be of assistance
thanks for laying it all out! gonna start working through that list!
@Steve96076 Yeah something I do is use a set of welder's cleaning tips to clean my jets. I didn't really want to show it in the video cause if you force them, you can expand the aperture in the soft brass and ruin the jet, so i didn't really want to encourage people to destroy their parts. Most often, air pressure and chemicals will do the trick, but yeah sometimes you need some mechanical cleaning. Anyways, glad you got it worked out.
Very cool video, I really liked your chart this is a very good way to approach problems ... thanks :)
Great, You have great teaching potentials. Thanks for putting these up!
Sometimes those clutch/kickstand safety switches go bad, disconnect the wires and see if it is electrical, connect and disconnect them and see if that helps. If not and you think your clutch is seized, first make sure you have adequate and clean oil. Make sure your cable is adjusted properly. And finally if that doesnt solve it, your clutch might be seized, but dont worry its not nearly as big of a deal that it is in a car or truck. Not hard to replace
Well yeah you can take the ignition out, then run a continuity test across the leads and see if there is an on/off difference when you turn the key. However, I would start at the battery, and test for voltage. Then make sure the ground is good. Then follow the hot wire from the batt, testing for voltage all the way, until you find where the voltage ends, thats probably your faulty component
Thanks for your help you were right. My problem was the regulator rectifier , I changed and everything is working just fine thanks again.
Sometimes you will get this with old damaged coils, they have small cracks in them which get bigger as they get hotter. Cold the coil operates perfectly fine, but warm the larger cracks allow spark to escape, giving a poor spark and stumbling motor. Also check for vacuum leaks, which may operate on your rubber boots and seals in much the same way
@mrmaxstorey "these bikes are made for people like us" get in there and fined the problem....great advice max dude thanx for being the guy that helps the lower living people that dont have money to hand a random smuck there hard earned money...do it yourself and learn thanx...
I would just like to say thank you in advance. I have always had an interest in motorcycles but never owned one. Until now! I bought myself and old 79' Cb650 that was told "won't start and if it does it runs like crap for a minute then dies"... now why would someone with no experience buy this bike?? Because after watching some of your videos I decided the best way to get into motorcycles and building was to start with a project that is all ready f**ked so I have no fear of ruining it lol. With that being said with your videos I problem solved so far to just a bad battery with damaged cells...replaced that and as of tonight it tries to turn over now, wouldn't before. Next step... Air... Compression... Fuel.... and god forbid spark!
Thanks again for the help and whatever help comes next.
(Ps. Will be making a new youtube account to chronicle this whole process, hopefully from a no mechanical experience guy with a dead bike to a guy with some mechanical knowledge and a daily rider! I'll share the new page when it comes so you and your followers can see what your help looks like in the moment lol)
Good on ya hoss! Send me a link to those vids when you get them up
mrmaxstorey Compression as of tonight. 1:120psi 2:110psi 3:90psi 4:120psi
Any pointers where to start? I'm hoping since it's just the #3 that a lot lower its just a valve issue or something but what do I know lol
mrmaxstorey Hey! So this is the new account that will have videos up eventually. Have not fixed the compression issue yet, but took apart, cleaned, and reinstalled the air box/filter etc. Bike will now trys to start, sputter from time to time and has backfired a few times but still no start....did however find tonight that one spark plug (#4 cylinder) is not sparking at all...we'll see what replacing that does lol
(Correction: previous post compression was listed wrong. its actually #1-120psi #2-90psi #3-110psi #4-120psi . . . Dont think that really matters though.
I have been looking for videos like these for a long time, thank you so much for the great videos! Very helpful!
Hey I think you would make a really great teacher!! thanks for making these videos!
Mr. Max tnx for the video i love it so much... you inspired me... by the way can you make a flow chart of spark?? like what you did.. so that i will know if the flywheel is the problem or maybe the ignation box etc.. how we can test it... Thanks alot may Good Lord Bless You... Have a good day...
nice advice, thank you!! Enjoyed the video
@mymrhelpdesk Unfortunately thats a reality where I live and many other places in the country, you can only get gas that is 10% ethanol. You're right Id rather have just straight gas but its not available... gotta do the best with what you got
Not typically, it would have to be a major leak as in if one of the boots was completely missing. Usually it just pops or misfires. Have you checked to see if gas is getting to that carb? Perhaps the spark plus is fouled?
yeah probably a lean condition, check for vacuum leaks or low float height or partially blocked fuel jet
@Steve96076 Yeah set your float heights, I have a video up for that. Also make sure you dont have a little piece of gunk preventing the float needles from closing, and that you put everything back together correctly obviously, no broken hoses or loose float bowls.
Väga viis on palju abi olnud! Thanks.
Well dude as you saw in the video, your project could have a lot of things wrong with it. But my first step after getting a new battery for it, is to spray a little starting fluid in the air intake, and see if it fires
issue could be your points and condensor. Check if the head is making contact. slowly turn engine over where the small cylinder hits the points, make sure they are top dead center. i have a kz 400 did all the things you did to find the points were bad
Great troubleshooting concept
Thanks for taking the time to make these video's.
I'm really enjoying them and learning a lot ! :)
Glad to help. I hope you have an easier time than Im having with my GPZ900
Well, like this video demonstrates, theres a lot of things that could be going wrong. If you have heard this bike run, I would try to determine what has changed since the last time you heard it run. Was it 2 years ago and the carbs are all gunked up now? Is it possible the slides are stuck? Did you blow the head gasket? Run through the checklist in the video again and see if you can determine what has changed
What a top man you are, highly rate a person like you sharing your knowlege!
Okay, heres my issue with my bike and i cant seem to figure it out, Im getting a very weak spark on my bike ( Gilera SC125 ) , ive replaced the ignition coil and CDI box, still weak spark, fully charged the battery, checked all connections as well as earthing connections, all in tact, still weak spark, what could the issue be?
Thanks!
Ebay, online forums, or do a nationwide craigslist search for people parting out your bike. Usually you can come up with something
I see we are in agreement. I'll watch the video again and make an annotation if I misspoke. I do these videos extemporaneously, without a script, sometimes things fall through the cracks. Thanks
Its possible to get a coupe more months out of a battery that way. Usually I just replace them, they are cheap enough
Great overview, thanks! Troubleshooting my MZ Mastiff right now, that has XT660Z engine and carbs. Will start cold or after sitting for a while, but stalls after a minute of flawless operation. When warm, will run shorter. Loud caughing in engine and out of exhaust when struggling after run. Had carbs aflush with cleaning fluid, tank cap or air filter removed - makes no difference. Opening carb drain shows, that fuel is flowing in (and drained out) as soon, as petcock gets open. No other adjustments of mixture took place. Next stop will be spark probably... Have you put together petcock troubleshoot, as mentioned in part 1, btw? Good luck!
Yeah I have a couple petcock videos up, I wouldnt discount tho the possibility of mixture or fuel delivery problems. Did you physically take apart the carbs and clean them properly? Float height set? Valves checked? Vacuum leaks?
mrmaxstorey Now I can tell, that spark plug change made big difference, such a relief, finally. Is it hard to get to, though.
Enjoyed your logic and approach! Thank you!
You are awesome ,i'm glad that i found you hehe,i will watch all your videos
@mrmaxstorey dude i work everyday doing carpentry im a honest person qnd i try to do things the right way man and what yourdoing for people i have respect for you man if i could help everyone i would but we r not superheros....right on max keep the hope alive!!!!
This is good. Kids should learn more like this than playing Video. Thanks
@Zandargwide Yeah go ahead and do the other ones but you might not even have to spend any money, check out my carb cleaning video it shows the process more or less, and yes you do need to sync them after cleaning.
sweet, these two vids are exactly what I've been looking for
Got a 2012 Honda CBF 125 and it just wont bloody start.
Knocking coming from the bottom end and then bike just died.....stripped engine, piston was worn, replaced it and the rings....still wont start. the knocking has gone now (it even used to knock while just turning the engine over before it fired.....all other components are good
I think I have identified the problema s the fuel pump but still not sure.....not enough fuel pressure and it seems to be milky after going through the pump (clear in tank, milky just before the entry point of injector when the injector hose is removed)
The fuel filter is in the pump (non serviceable) and someone said I will have water in the pump...emptied it completely left it to dry out for a few days too.
Still wont start.
@Boricuaso77789 Well, the video pretty much details everything that you need to do. I know its a lot of stuff but if you go back to pt 1 and check every single point that I described, Im pretty sure you'll find the problem.
That can sometimes have an affect on the mixture, what do the plugs tell you? Is the bike running rich or lean? Also, are you firing on all cylinders? I will sometimes use a digital thermometer to measure the header pipes, and make sure they heat up equally when the bike is cold. An underperforming cylinder may produce less heat, whereas a cylinder running lean will get hotter much quicker. Oh and yeah a compression test would be a good idea too
Very helpful and informative this and part 1 ... Thanks !!!
Its less likely that it has to do with the gears as its a condition of your engine. You might be running lean in the range between 1/2-wide open throttle. This could be caused by a number of reasons, vac leak, clogged main jets, sticky slides. I would start with the carbs and see what you find
On the pistonss inside the engine, or are you talking about outside the engine around the spark plug?
yes, the plug is attached to the motor, which is ground, which is attached to the frame which is ground, the mounts on the coil attach to nothing but the coil container, the do not have anything to do with the circuit, you can hold a coil in your hand and you will still get a spark at the spark plug
The plug is not a ground. It is connected to the motor, which is connected to the frame, which connects back to the negative on the battery, and thus the circuit is completed
I also found vacuum leak on intake boot at carb 2 pipe is very hot
Theoretically thats not a problem Ive done it for a while, but prime pulls gas from the very bottom of the tank, rather than ON which pulls gas from a couple inches above the bottom. The problem there is all the rust and sediment then gets pulled into your carbs. Are you running an inline fuel filter?
@DevWhyte Hey dude assuming everyone is telling the truth, it is unlikely that this will be a very difficult repair. Sometimes ignition switches are defective, wires get mixed up, fuses get blown, etc and all it takes is a little time to figure it out and get it right. One thing you can do is to jump the starter solenoid with a screwdriver, that should turn over even with the bike off, and it should confirm the bike isnt siezed and has a good starting system. Go from there.
great information and Im going to give it a go! my bike is backfiring and running poorly when cold. It occasionally stalls as well. If I open up the choke it runs much better. It takes a good 15kms befoe it runs smoothly. Does this sound like a problem with the carbs? also occassionally misses when idling.
Really emjoyed this . Very helpful and informative . Many thanks !!
@zxcvbnm21211 Sounds like you have an obstruction somewhere, be sure your vacuum hoses are hooked up to the petcock, and that there is nothing blocking the fuel flow, from the petcock all the way to the jets.
OK you should probably clean those carbs again anyway and this time be extra careful to blow out any choke passageways with carb cleaner and compressed air. Check out my video on vacuum leaks that shows most of the common places
@xXGnetiksXx Yeah I have restored a couple dirtbikes, don't have any on hand at the moment, but I always keep my eyes open for a good enduro or a big 2-stroke, they are a lot of fun
FYI - coils do not ground to the frame - they ground to the plug - that's how the spark is created, you can see it on any wiring diagram
@ mrmaxstorey there is a bunch of ways to design a island you can box four cabinets and grab a slab of granit for the top ..or you can have doors shelves etc..what were you looking into doing dude...
Really informative video series, thanks man!
Thanks for the video extremely informative, although a newbie on motorcycling I managed find that wet paper works night on rust, easily cleans it off.
Also just a little question I've got a honda superdream which won't hold revs if you haven't got the choke on I've checked the air side of things, compression and spark but all fine. Any idea what the problem could be ?
*by the way thinking of using this as a poster for my wall.
Great video Thank you !!! Helped me out a lot , thank you,,
Hi.......great video's...I have a suzuki GZ 125 ...well its been out for the winter, have tried to start it and will just turn over, know more than that.....been told it could be the carburetor that needs cleaning out..should I be checking for something else...?