Virago suddenly gutless!

[sunhuntin]

mods, feel free to move to the right place... im not sure what the problem is, so just stuck it here for now. cheers.

ok, so ive been having a few troubles with the ol girl over the last few months. refusing to start etc. put a brand new battery in it about 3 weeks ago. she then failed to start on that, so borrowed the charger off a neighbour, which seems to have fixed the starting issue.
she feels like she running at about half power. normally, its fine after shes gone to the giveway 2 blocks away. today, however, she ran bad the entire way into work and home again. almost like something is strangling her. normally, pulling away from the lights, im half a block away before the cars have even moved. today, i was lucky to get across without stalling. lucky to pull away from anywhere, actually.
started her after work and put the choke on to see if it might be cold. normally, on choke, it revs like hell. today however, she was running how she normally would. tried going to reserve, even though i know the tank is full, and that made no difference either.
theres next to no reason to change gear now, as the only thing it does is stop the revving noise, no increase in speed or power. can have the throttle wound almost right round and still only going 30k. its bloody horrible. ive taken her on the open road last week and up a steep hill yesterday to try and blow out any possible blockage, but no change.

going to take her to mechanics tuesday, but i would prefer not to, so if anyone could throw some possible solutions my way, it would be appreciated. dad thinks spark plug, but we dont have the tool to change it.

thanks in advance,
signed, very frustrated

[Crasherfromwayback]

It's fouled a plug and is running on one cyl.

[sunhuntin]

so a new spark plug should fix the issue? thanks for the quick reply. :niceone:

[98tls]

Would start with changing the plugs,clean the air filter and drain the tank,carb.

[Latte]

+1 - when the nisser drops a plug I have to flintstone it to get off the lights :(

[Maha]

I knew he was gutless right from the get-go.....:clap:

[Crasherfromwayback]

so a new spark plug should fix the issue? thanks for the quick reply. :niceone:

Start it up...and check which header pipe is cold. Then you only need to replace the plug in that cyl!

[FJRider]

Theres next to no reason to change gear now, as the only thing it does is stop the revving noise, no increase in speed or power. can have the throttle wound almost right round and still only going 30k.

thanks in advance,
signed, very frustrated

If it's reving ... but going nowhere ... it may well be the clutch..

No revs at any time ... may be the plug.

But sounds like the clutch. (my bet anyways ... )

[98tls]

If it's reving ... but going nowhere ... it may well be the clutch..

No revs at any time ... may be the plug.

But sounds like the clutch. (my bet anyways ... ) The other plugs probably fine,and will rev,had an issue with water that turned mine into a TL500,the rear cylinder reved fine but:nono:

[sunhuntin]

rear pipe is cold, but i always thought it was a dummy pipe and not actually hooked up? theres exhaust coming out of it though, but the two could be connected somewhere?

i shot a video detailing the noise, using choke and taking it off again. seems to be running better than it was this afternoon, but its hard to tell without taking it on the road.

[Crasherfromwayback]

rear pipe is cold, but i always thought it was a dummy pipe and not actually hooked up? theres exhaust coming out of it though, but the two could be connected somewhere?

i shot a video detailing the noise, using choke and taking it off again. seems to be running better than it was this afternoon, but its hard to tell without taking it on the road.

On muffler may run cooler than the other...but check the pipe closer to the cyl head. Be careful not to burn your hand! If the header pipe is cold...that cyl ain't firing. I'm sticking with a fouled plug in one cyl!

[sunhuntin]

i checked the pipes right next to the motor, and the rear didnt even get a bit warm, whereas the front was hot to the touch. gonna see if supercheap or similar are open tomorrow and get the tool to take the plug out and put a new one in. gonna be interesting. lol.

[Crasherfromwayback]

i checked the pipes right next to the motor, and the rear didnt even get a bit warm, whereas the front was hot to the touch. gonna see if supercheap or similar are open tomorrow and get the tool to take the plug out and put a new one in. gonna be interesting. lol.

That being the case...you've got yaself a fouled plug alright! Nice cheap fix at least! Give me a call when you tackle the job if you need help.

(04) 8018 666

Pete

[sunhuntin]

cheers pete. will give you a call if needed. :)

[The Pastor]

is the virago 2cylinder?

[CookMySock]

That being the case...you've got yaself a fouled plug alright! Nice cheap fix at least! Give me a call when you tackle the job if you need help.Yes, but why? A modern four stroke engine in good condition shouldn't do that.

Steve

[98tls]

Yes, but why? A modern four stroke engine in good condition shouldn't do that.

Steve Plugs probably/possibly havent been changed since 98 so have done well all things considered.

[one fast tl1ooo]

I knew he was gutless right from the get-go.....:clap:

Well put :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

[sunhuntin]

Plugs probably/possibly havent been changed since 98 so have done well all things considered.

should have been changed at the last service, but the mechnics failed to put water in the battery, so changing plugs probably didnt get done either. a friend has given me the plug numbers, so will get those tomorrow and put them in, and then, if im feeling adventurous, i will check the air filter.

link to youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKIAtHKx0xg
when my hand goes away the first time, i am putting the choke on. you can hear the noise change when i shut it off again towards the end of the video. doesnt seem to change much when the choke goes on, though the rev sound should be a lot louder and faster.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Yes, but why? A modern four stroke engine in good condition shouldn't do that.

Steve

Because when/if you run a modern engine with the choke on for too long...our shit fuel will foul a plug.

[sunhuntin]

ok, my friend has said the pipe i am touching IS fake, so i need to get the bike out so i can access where the rear pipe actually is. but the video still shows the noise, which is fine as thats what the video was shot for.

[Paul in NZ]

Weathers shit here so if you get stuck, we could jump in the car with a few tools and come take a suizz??

[gwigs]

Yes, but why? A modern four stroke engine in good condition shouldn't do that.

Steve

Plugs can just malfunction,even new ones, it happened to me just recently...plugs were only 3 months old.

[sunhuntin]

Weathers shit here so if you get stuck, we could jump in the car with a few tools and come take a suizz??


cheers paul. should be ok, thanks for the offer though :first:

[one fast tl1ooo]

? Have you washed you'r bike??. It could be water around the spark plug cap..
.Could be worth a try.

[sunhuntin]

? Have you washed you'r bike??. It could be water around the spark plug cap..
.Could be worth a try.

i never wash with water... just straight polish. only time it gets wet is when its raining. good suggestion though.

[Paul in NZ]

Depending on its mileage, id suggest a compression / leakdown test at some stage too. If a valves tightened up = no compression = no run ;-)

[Paul in NZ]

cheers paul. should be ok, thanks for the offer though :first:

It was entirely selfish - I'm a bit bored and about to do something stupid that does not nee doing :apint: or - weed the garden in the wet :nono:....

My cunning plan was to fix your bike by magic in 5 mins and then go fishing along the coast :clap: on the way home.... A quick look at the weather report shows thats not happening either ......

[scumdog]

Yes, but why? A modern four stroke engine in good condition shouldn't do that.

Steve

With the crappy fuel in NZ it is not an uncommon happening...

[FJRider]

ok, my friend has said the pipe i am touching IS fake, so i need to get the bike out so i can access where the rear pipe actually is. but the video still shows the noise, which is fine as thats what the video was shot for.

Is your bike similar to this one .... ??? As I see it, the rear pipe is real ... but will have a heatshield to stop you getting cooked. The pipe colouring should tell you if its real/fake. Even if its not getting hot at the moment ...

[sleemanj]

I have owned an XV250. Which ran on 1 for a while.

Unless the design has changed, or my memory is bad, the TAIL pipes are not fake. I do seem to vaguely recall a "decorative" header for the rear cyl on the right side, the actual header is tucked away, again, from memory.

Anyway, you very definately have two cylinders and both very definately should fire, and running on 1 cylinder very definately makes for a workable but gutless ride.

My problem was due to the battery boiling dry when the regulator was overcharging, I bought the bike in Motueka all working, and rode back to Christchurch, 30 minutes from home there was a bang and total power loss, got it going again and got home after putting some water in the now totally dry battery, but only one cylinder. Seem to recall that it required a new coil and also the CDI needed replacing.

If a plug replacement doesn't resolve the issue, I'd take it in to a shop for them to have a look.

[Ixion]

rear pipe is cold, but i always thought it was a dummy pipe and not actually hooked up? theres exhaust coming out of it though, but the two could be connected somewhere?

i shot a video detailing the noise, using choke and taking it off again. seems to be running better than it was this afternoon, but its hard to tell without taking it on the road.

Yes, the chrome plated rear pipe is a fake. Just bolts onto the frame. The real rear header emerges from the back of the rear cylinder, just behind the battery, and dives directly downward (toward the ground) then does a right angle loop and connects into the front pipe just in front of the silencers.EDIT. The "real" rear pipe isn't chrome. Just rusty. And much skinnier.

Spark plug's as good a place to start looking as any. You can do a quick and dirty test. Remove the front cylinder plug cap and try and start it. Repeat with rear cap removed (and front on). It should start OK on either cylinder, but be gutless (obviously, only half power). If it won't start at all on one or other cylinder, that's the dud one.

[sunhuntin]

It was entirely selfish - I'm a bit bored and about to do something stupid that does not nee doing :apint: or - weed the garden in the wet :nono:....

My cunning plan was to fix your bike by magic in 5 mins and then go fishing along the coast :clap: on the way home.... A quick look at the weather report shows thats not happening either ......

aw, sorry paul! you should have said in your first post and i would have happily had you come up! as it was, went plug hunting at super cheap and repco, and neither had the plugs, and we dont have the tool to remove them. so off to paragon tomorrow to pay dealer prices.
you could come tomorrow if you want. :devil2: would be good to see you again. :niceone:

fj... the bike is in my profile pic.

sleeman... you are right, its the header which is fake. should have been clearer.

ixion, thats great advice! :clap: will file that away for future use. ive already decided to replace both plugs at once and see if that fixes the issue. if it doesnt, heigh ho, heigh ho, its off to the shop i go.

[FJRider]

I am supprised the bike's tool-kit does NOT have a plug spanner in it. Standard in most kit's .... have you looked ???

Nice bike by the way ...

[sunhuntin]

thanks. :niceone: no tool kit with the bike. no owners book either. not surprising considering shes had 7 owners before me. lol. otherwise, we would have been fine.

[Paul in NZ]

No problem - got one of the kayaks out and went for a stella fish while Vicki sunned herself on the beach...

Um - I'd be a teeny bit suspicious re the electrical system - do you have a voltmeter?

[sunhuntin]

kayak sounds good. only done that once at camp, but quite enjoyed it. good fun. not so much a fan of fishing though. imagine hooking something really big... youd be towed for miles. lol.

no, dont have a voltmeter. hardly have any kit here. :nono: :spanking:

[Paul in NZ]

kayak sounds good. only done that once at camp, but quite enjoyed it. good fun. not so much a fan of fishing though. imagine hooking something really big... youd be towed for miles. lol.

no, dont have a voltmeter. hardly have any kit here. :nono: :spanking:

Even a decent sized kawahi will put a big bend in your rod and give a fairly good fight from a kayak with the leapin n splashin and ziggin n zaggin n all... excellent fun!

If you can get the bike running on two, it would be interesting to see if there is enough juice getting to the battery or if the rect / reg has gorn phut. Low voltage might be causing issues?

[sunhuntin]

ok, so we hit up paragon this morning for 2x spark plugs and the tool to put em in and take em out. put the new ones and fired her up... sounds much better!!! so im guessing the plugs were the problem... they were quite dirty. we also checked the air filter and decided it was clean enough.
we also finally managed to pop the sidecovers off for the first time ever after discovering the tool kit hiding behind the battery! sheesh... weve been under that seat heaps in the last month, and never even saw it. was pretty well disguised though. :dodge:
so i checked the tools i had in the tank bag and removed the double ups [hex tool, 10-12mm spanner, spark plug tool] and put it back. was going to put it in the hollow box opposite the air filter, but dad didnt think it was a good idea due to there being cables of some kind.
got dad to drill a hole in each of the side covers to thread cables ties through... my biggest fear would be having one flip off while moving, having lost the 500 cover that way. one of the clips was broken, so its lucky that didnt vanish years ago.

so, thanks to everyone who commented :2thumbsup , i have one bike that seems to be running fine. will take it out this afternoon weather permitting and just try it. i know where the tool kit is and i know that the sidecovers do come off. also now know how to change spark plugs and check the air filter.

paul... i imagine it must be tiring having to paddle all the way back. lol. good way to get some thrills though. i will keep an eye and see if any other issues relating to starting or running appear, and if they do, will investigate furthur.

[Crasherfromwayback]

so, thanks to everyone who commented :2thumbsup , i have one bike that seems to be running fine. will take it out this afternoon weather permitting and just try it. i know where the tool kit is and i know that the sidecovers do come off. also now know how to change spark plugs and check the air filter.



Glad you're all sorted. They're pretty bullet proof wee bikes and it's normally something pretty simple!

[Paul in NZ]

paul... i imagine it must be tiring having to paddle all the way back. lol. good way to get some thrills though. i will keep an eye and see if any other issues relating to starting or running appear, and if they do, will investigate furthur.

Nah - its easy if you don't go too far out and really, you don't need to, leave that for the boat people. Tricky part is coming back in through the surf - I kinda like it but it gives Vicki the shits.

[sunhuntin]

Glad you're all sorted. They're pretty bullet proof wee bikes and it's normally something pretty simple!

yeh i guessed it wouldnt be anything too major. this is the most trouble shes given me in 3 years together, but still worrying when so used to that reliablilty. if it wasnt for kb, i would have had to pay a mechanics bill to fix it!
usually i use the mechanic students at work, but that job is closed until next month some time.


Nah - its easy if you don't go too far out and really, you don't need to, leave that for the boat people. Tricky part is coming back in through the surf - I kinda like it but it gives Vicki the shits.

coming back in with the waves sounds like more trouble than its worth, though i guess you are going with the waves, rather than against them. i dont think id have the guts to go that far... the ocean scares me half to death. closest i get is walking in the ankle deep bit. lol.

[Crasherfromwayback]

yeh i guessed it wouldnt be anything too major. this is the most trouble shes given me in 3 years together, but still worrying when so used to that reliablilty.


When you fire it up from cold...try to not use the choke for too long. This modern unleaded shit fouls plugs big time...and they don't seem to burn off and come good like the used to. Best to fire it up...get the choke off asap and warm it up by holding the throttle open to fast idle it till it's warm.:2thumbsup

[sunhuntin]

When you fire it up from cold...try to not use the choke for too long. This modern unleaded shit fouls plugs big time...and they don't seem to burn off and come good like the used to. Best to fire it up...get the choke off asap and warm it up by holding the throttle open to fast idle it till it's warm.:2thumbsup

i hardly ever use the choke. only if its reallllllllly cold, or shes been sitting out in the rain at work or something. most of the year, the choke doesnt get touched, except for when trying to "fix" the running issues over the last few days. lol. usually i start it and then leave it to run while i put the helmet and gloves on. i actually wondered if not using the choke was the reason for the issues.

[Crasherfromwayback]

. i actually wondered if not using the choke was the reason for the issues.

Never the cause of fouling a plug.

[sunhuntin]

Never the cause of fouling a plug.

sweet as. so its ok to keep starting without the choke?

[Crasherfromwayback]

sweet as. so its ok to keep starting without the choke?

Absolutely

[sunhuntin]

awesome. thanks heaps for that! :banana:

[Pixie]

How long has the air cleaner been in it?
They can look clean,but still be clogged.This would make the bike run rich and likely to foul plugs.
Also,run a tank of Shell V-power now and again.This fuel seems to have the most effective detergent package on the market.