starting problem | GTAMotorcycle.com

starting problem

noor

noor

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i went to see a bike for sale today

1982 Honda FT 500 Ascot

The bike was in pretty decent condition and was hooked upto a trickle charger

Last time it was ridden was back in November - but now the bike won't start

The engine did turn over momentarily but didnt stay on

What could be the cause? Old fuel?
 
im just trying to narrow down the issue

it cant be the battery because the lights all turned on

not sure if spark plugs are an issue
 
Fuel, spark, air. Ethanol is hell for storage of older carbed bikes.
 
stabilizer was put in when the bike was winterized

not sure if the spark plugs were taken out

there was still quite a bit of fuel in the tank
 
The battery can easily have enough power to turn on lights but not enough to turn the bike over. Do you have a known good battery you could bring with you to the bike?
 
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If it is not turning over or just turning a bit and stopping, try another battery.

If it is turning over fine and not firing, check for spark and fuel. If either is missing, find out why... Could also be water in the gas.
 
would using jumper cables or a booster cable work in this situation or would a new battery have to be installed
 
noor said:
would using jumper cables or a booster cable work in this situation or would a new battery have to be installed
Click to expand...

boost it from your car and see if it starts. if it cranks and no start then it could be the carbs being clogged. if that's the case, wide open throttle, and apply the choke all the way. if it fires, then you're good to go. if not, then old fuel or clogged carbs. Did you empty your carbs before storage?
 
Dump the old fuel, fill with fresh gas.
 
Anyone know of a good bike mechanic in the Southdown/Lakeshore area that can provide safety certificates after doing an inspection?
 
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Do you have enough room for a push start on a slope? that is one way to confirm weak battery.....my money is you need a new battery or carb clean.

I would use extra caution with a cable jump start, do it wrong and can melt the lead battery posts, try a push start if have space down a slope....
 
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Carb bowls are dry. With possible restrictions to the passages due to old fuel. Make sure the bowls fill up with fuel while petcock is set to prime if it's a vacuum operated. [you can open the drain screw to make sure you have fuel reaching the bowls].
Connect car battery [make sure car is not running] and open choke [cold enrichment circuits] and WOT on throttle, then hit the ignition button, don't be afraid to spin for a bit if you are running of the car battery.

IF you didn't attach the car battery, you should probably attach your multimeter to the battery terminals and check the Voltage readings at the same time as you are engaging the starter.


You can also use quick starter fluid in the airbox to get the bike going. If it starts then then dies and there is fuel in carbs - then you have to clean the carbs, since old fuel residue is blocking the passages.
 
thanks for all the info

i did some research on the ft500 and found that it was to prone to starting problems

ive decided to not purchase it - i need something a bit more reliable

any suggestions on reliable vintage bikes?
 
How reliable are you looking for? How vintage are you looking for? Expecting something to work perfectly after having minimal maintenance and normally long periods of sitting over 20 or 30 years is a tall order.

If you want cheap, reasonably reliable and old(ish), a few options are 250 (zzr or ninja), ex500, klr 650. Most of these were sold for decades with minimal changes so parts/knowledge are easy to find. Ken (kneedragger88 ) probably knows everything there is about the 500 and most of the 250.
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