Bike wont go ? A simple checklist to work through

**FROSTY:Me** · 27th September 2005, 12:10

Quite often we get the same sorta question resurfaceing -My bike dont go what do I do ??
I thought it wouuld be cool to work on a simple checklist for newer riders to work through to make life easier for you guys
A bikes actually pretty simple --as long as its got Compression,Fuel,spark and air it should run.
So folks howsabout giving your imput into this and Ill modify this first post -cut n paste your stuff till we have something that reads halfway decent.
Keep in mind that we need to keep it in simple terms not make it sound complicated.

**Sniper** · 27th September 2005, 12:13

Bike won't start. Check your kill switch and petrol tap are on. (Simple I know, but I was caught out by this)

**FROSTY:Me** · 27th September 2005, 12:16

Mate who hasn't been caught out by honda kill switches--well yea all the dash lights are on yea the bike turns over- ya can just hear the mechanics on the floor in histerical laughter when ya admit ya left the kill switch off

**Sniper** · 27th September 2005, 12:21

Oh yes, and on the fuel side of things, when performing your own maintenance, make sure you reconnect the fuel hoses properly. If not, you may find a tank of fuel on the ground in the early morning.

**kerryg** · 27th September 2005, 12:26

Start with the obvious. Before you worry about the CDI or the injection system or whatever check the blindingly obvious things: kill switch off, ignition on, fuel in tank, fuel tap turned on, battery has charge, clutch lever pulled in and/or sidestand retracted(if it has a cut off switch). Eliminate those first and only then go to the next level of investigsation:

**unhingedlizard** · 27th September 2005, 12:27

Essentailly (sp?) to work an engine needs Fuel, Air and a source of ignition. SO:

Fuel: Tap on? Fuel in tank?
Air: Leaks?
Ignition: Kill Switch off? Battery shot? Keys on?

Really anything more terminal than these needs some help.

Feel free to add to the list.

**scumdog** · 27th September 2005, 12:27

And never forget the power of a tank of stale fuel... you can try anything you want but if the fuel is 'off' it'll never go.

(For the benefit ofthose that prak up over the winter or go off overseas).

**bugjuice** · 27th September 2005, 12:27

biggest tricker - kill switch and in gear with the kickstand down, or might be in neutral but the green light doesn't show until you flick the gear lever around ever so slightly..

else with the 4 things - fuel, spark, air and compression (including exhaust back pressure on smaller bikes), it should go.. so check those in roughly that order

**SlowHand** · 27th September 2005, 12:54

man that dam kill switch!! When I click, I always look like I try a little harder to start the bike, just so people dont realise that Im stupid....
The ignition seems to catch a few others out tho.

**FROSTY:Me** · 27th September 2005, 18:21

Originally Posted by scumdog

And never forget the power of a tank of stale fuel... you can try anything you want but if the fuel is 'off' it'll never go.

(For the benefit ofthose that prak up over the winter or go off overseas).

Funny ya should mention that ol son---a lil trick Ive learned -bung a few litres of race gas in with the stale gas shake er up and bingo we have life again--yea yea I know but frosty who has access to race gas.

**Sniper** · 27th September 2005, 18:45

According to Aitch, Kerosene is race gas??????????

**RiderInBlack** · 27th September 2005, 20:26

Cold starts. Get to know your bike's prefurances. Found a few that if I didn't get the choke and start right first off, lead to flooding and one bitch of a start. A bit of patience and a good run down hill foxed most of the floodings I had (not so easy to get to the spark plugs in a lot of sports bikes).

**Aitch** · 27th September 2005, 21:10

Originally Posted by Sniper

According to Aitch, Kerosene is race gas??????????

No, according to Aitch avgas is kerosine....now you going to tell me that race gas IS avgas....

**James Deuce** · 27th September 2005, 21:14

Originally Posted by Sniper

Bike won't start. Check your kill switch and petrol tap are on. (Simple I know, but I was caught out by this)

Friggin' did that this morning. More than an hour late for work and turning the bike over for 30 secs when it normally fires first pop.

Stop

Breathe

Friggin' kill switch was off. must've bumped wheeling it out of the gargre.