ANOTHER STARTING ISSUE (gun in my mouth)

[jamesryankennedy]

I am at my wits end here people. I'm just getting my bike out of storage for the winter and she won't turn over. It has charge, spark, new gas (including seafoam), and starter cranks strong. I have since cleaned all the usual safety switches, replaced my spark plug, and charged my battery SEVERAL times. I hate to be that guy but I need some help.

[jamesryankennedy]

Side Note: Petcock has been tried in ON and PRI. I have used my choke as well.

[raul10141964]

1- check for spark
2- disconnect the fuel line from the petcock an move to PRI to check for fuel flow
3- if fuel flow open the drain on the baton of the carb to remove any old fuel
4- try starting fluid

[Water Warrior 2]

When draining the float bowl of the carb you should give it a couple taps with a screwdriver handle to dislodge any junk in the bowl and possibly dislodge a stuck float.
Also remove and check the air filter to see if any small critters found a home for the winter. A mouse nest inside the filter will surely stop a lot of proper air flow. The air filter has to be removed to see inside the filter. They are a reverse flow air filter compared to the norm. Air enters the filter from the inside and exists through the outside of the filter. The airbox itself is a sealed unit so the air can only go directly to the carb. The air inlet for the airbox would be a safe place for a mouse to live in.

[jamesryankennedy]

Raul/water warrior: Thank you for the quick reply, guys. I will check each one of your suggestions when i get home after work this evening. I do have a few questions.

1. How do i go about draining the carb baton on my 09 gz?
2. Where is my air filter box located/how do i get to it?
3. How do i properly apply starting fluid to achieve the desired intent?

Also, is it normal for my battery to be draining extremely quickly after trying to turn over my bike a few minutes?

[peanut]

I was having battery issues too. Well, really for me it was user error. But I did notice the bike turned over less and less as I tried. It was either draining the battery good, or looked a lot like it.

[mainlinecoffee]

I am pretty sure there is a drain valve at the bottom of the float bowl,the air filter can be accessed by removing the left panel rear of the engine and starter fluid is pretty simple but you want to have a fire extinguisher close by, I set a gz550 on fire with the stuff one time.

[jonathan180iq]

Yep. A little screw sits right in the middle of the float bowl. Just loosen it and the bowl will drain.

Is there fresh gas in the your gas tank? Priming the carb with old gas after draining the float isn't going to accomplish much.

[Water Warrior 2]

Raul/water warrior: Thank you for the quick reply, guys. I will check each one of your suggestions when i get home after work this evening. I do have a few questions.


Also, is it normal for my battery to be draining extremely quickly after trying to turn over my bike a few minutes?

Oh you can bet on it. Bike batteries are a lot smaller and don't have a great deal of reserve power like a car. After 2 or 3 tries to start a GZ you will have a half dead battery that both the starter and ignition system have to share with poor results. The ignition system will not produce enough high voltage to feed a spark plug. No spark no fire in the cylinder.

[jonathan180iq]

And once you've done all of the things that you need to do to ensure a happy starting environment, it may still take a while for the bike to rev to life. Just remember that while it may seem like an ever-elusive goal, you're really just around the corner from having a purring bike again.

If you need to, hook the bike up to the batter tender for a while before you give it another go and then leave it hooked up while you're trying to start it.

If you feel like the battery is weak and not giving you the punch that it's supposed to then you can also boost your bike off by connecting your motorcycle batter to that of your car - just make sure that the car is NOT running. It's not like trying to boost off another car. The alternator output of the car will overload the bike's electrical system and you can melt things that don't need to be melted.

[Fawlty]

I would also be wary of continually pressing the starter button. Make sure you give it a rest between tries and only give it a few seconds burst. Good luck!

[mainlinecoffee]

Burnt up starter is no Buena

[Water Warrior 2]

Starters create a lot of heat and need a cooling off period. Alantf can give a good description of what happens when he shows up. All I know is they can fry themselves easily with a long start effort.

[mainlinecoffee]

I did it on a 87 honda elete in about 15 seconds.

[grasshopper]

OH YEAH! be careful with the starter. Make a list of things to check and mark them off as you do them. Remember you need to start with the simple stuff first. here is a simple you tube video to give you some idea....http://youtu.be/cdif7gaWDLc . it is not the same bike but it gives you a good idea how to start your diagnosis. Good Luck.:tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

OH YEAH! be careful with the starter. Make a list of things to check and mark them off as you do them. Remember you need to start with the simple stuff first. here is a simple you tube video to give you some idea....http://youtu.be/cdif7gaWDLc . it is not the same bike but it gives you a good idea how to start your diagnosis. Good Luck.:tup:

Good one. Nothing like a hands on tutorial. That bike was a very old Honda with chromed metal fenders.