A failure to proceed...

So, I'm pulled up at the lights (clutch in) and the Raptor goes from
idle to zero rpm in a gentle rundown of revs - no sudden cut out, no
coughing or spluttering.

Pull off road and try and restart - cranks over fine but doesn't fire.
Half a tank of fuel, Whack a litre of metho in in case the recent
heavy rains filled it full of water. Still won't think about firing,
just cranks over.

Check all the fuses, all look fine but swap them anyway, sounds like
the fuel pump is whirring (it's pretty quiet but i think i can hear
it). Put jumper leads on to ensure it's not low voltage but it just
cranks and cranks no hit at all.

No error message from the ecu on the display ("check" changes to
engine temp when cranking as it should), power commander lights up OK.
No plugs are unplugged that I can see.

Any suggestions ?

Only thing I couldn't check on the side of the road was spark (and
won't be able to until the weekend) which seems to be the obvious
culprit.

I'm thinking coil but am I missing a more obvious culprit.

Shouldnt be clutch or side stand switch as they prevent the engine
cranking at all, and the engine cranks over fine (and fails to crank
when either are engaged).


Anything else I should check ?


JL

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:54:28 -0800 (PST)

In the old days I'd have said "kill switch is on or shorting" does
your bike crank over with the kill on?

Zebee

 

Try spraying some Start Ya Bastard down the airbox when you're cranking.
If it fires that would indicate it's the fuel.
I assume you can't easily get to the front plug-lead to stick in a plug
and see if it sparks?
What about a broken cam-belt (or are they chains?)

 

Fuel and spark. If it has fuel you should be able to smell the unburnt
fuel coming out of the exhaust when cranking with the throttle open.
Spark? Get a friend to hold the plug lead whilst you turn it over, or
clip a timing light to the plug lead.

You're gonna have to split the cases, and isn't a raptor a long-dead
dinosaur?

Theo

 

On Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:54:28 -0800 (PST), JL wrote:


[...]

take out a plug and pour about a teaspoon of petrol into the hole. put
the plug back in, wind it up on the starter. If it pops, the problem
is (most likely) fuel starvation. From your description of the orderly
way it shut down, I'd be betting ECU though.

 

I'm amazed that no one invented the Guzzi style kill switch/start
button 40 years ago.

Theo

 

Nope. Kill switch off equals dead start button (no reaction)

JL
(good suggestion though - I didn't check that)

 

Thanks yeah that's a quick way of knocking fuel out of the equation
good one.

Yeah, that's why checking for spark is going to have to wait for the
weekend - too hard to get to quickly "some disassembly required"

Cam chain and yeah I suppose, but I would have expected to hear some
horrible noises as the engine wound down or when I cranked it. Besides
the engine turned over more freely with the throttle wide open than
closed (audible difference) which would indicate the intake valves are
at the least opening.

JL

 

Mmm ta I'll go the start ya bastard option into the air intake
suggested above - the air intakes are much easier to access than the
plugs.

Shit I hope not...that'll be expensive.

JL

 

Mmm good point- I don't recall smelling fuel come to think of it.

Ahh good suggestion on the timing light, that will be a good intial
shortcut to avoid getting everything out of the way enough to access
the plug - I can squeeze a hand in to clip onto a plug lead

Indeed, not to mention a recently dead motorsickle ;-)

JL

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:55:44 -0800 (PST)

Isn't it nice that someone finally thought of that!

YOu really need to know if you have spark.

Zebee

 

<shudder> Yeah, I know. Let's know how you go.

 

Hmm, good thinking. (and yes a chain would make more noise; I was
thinking of the Ducati belt-cams for some reason)

 

Take the spark lead off, get someone to kich the bike over as hard as they
can while you hold the end of the spark lead

 

that sounds VERY painful.

speaking from experience here (although it was a car spark lead, and the earth path was
hand-to-hand - in one out the other, via my chest. I wasn't the person holding the lead
at the time, my father was, but it was me who got shocked. NEVER AGAIN.)

 

Is it fuel-injected?

Is there an internal fuel filter attached/adjacent to the fuel pump?

Is all of this gear in the tank?

Has the pipe popped off the fuel pump and just whirring away pumping
nowhere useful?

Have you considered getting a proper bike ? <g>

All good suggestions..well..most.

 

Dunno, probably

Sounds like a possibility ! OK that's one to check if it's not getting
fuel

What did you have in mind ?

Hmmm

JL

 

I don't think that will stop it falling over...

JL
Are there still bikes made with kickstarts ?

 

postie...
also the yammy scorpio learner-bike has both a starter and a kick-start

 

Perhaps the recent rain gives a clue... I'd be pulling all electrical
couplings apart
and making sure they are clean. I've been caught out in this way after
having had
a bike taken home on a trailer