Needed a damned tow today.....

[vadasz1]

I'll try to make this short.

On my way to work this morning the V ran pretty much perfectly.  Got on to the highway and cranked her up to about 140 KPH-ish (still have to re-clean my speedo as it is showing about 20KPH faster than what I am actually going).  Got to work and she sat from 7A-2P.  Got on her to go home and about 2 kms into the trek home I heard a fairly loud POP!!! and then the motor seemed like she was running on 1 cylinder.  Had to keep the revs up and when I was in 5th all I could muster out of her was about 60-70 KPH and WOT.  She stalled and I pulled over, cranked her and then she fired up but idled funny and wouldn't hold unless I had her gunned to about 4000 RPM.  I got back on to the highway and limped her to the next exit in 3rd and 6000RPM.  Called the CAA and towed my poor baby home.

Now I will have to find some time and take a good look at her to see why she is so sick.  And it doesn't help that I have been unemployed for the last 2 weeks.  Also painting the house and trying to find a new job will most likely take up all of my time.  I don't think I can even look at her to make some diagnostics for at least another week or two.

Damned..@#%$#$%#$%$#%

[kev10104]

I'm sure you will find the time.Any help you need just ask.

[Lucky]

i had a YICS do exactly that to it's hose once.  hose clamps took care of that..  quick to check.

[Raj1988]

Good Luck and hope it's an Easy fix

[vadasz1]

Lucky, I'll check when I get home this afternoon.

It fired on both cylinders but the exhaust note sounded funny.  Sort of like it was being bogged down somehow.  Sure felt weird to have it wide open and not going anywhere.

[YellowJacket!]

Is it leaking any gas from the carbs?  Similar thing happened to me when one of my carb floats got stuck except gas was pouring out of the overflow tubes.

David

[Rikugun]

Wow, sorry to hear that. It stinks getting stranded like that. I'm going through a trying time with mine right now so I feel your pain. I'm sure you didn't need one more source of stress thrown your way.

[rockinjer]

I just had this happen to me today on my way home, i was on the freeway going 65mph and went on the offramp and let the engine slow me down and when i got down into first gear i noticed something had changed bigtime, i got off to a side street after barely getting it to take off from the red light and it wouldn't idle unless i kept it at around 4k rpm, had to ride it back at about 35mph is all it would do in 3rd gear.

anyone solve this yet?

[Brian Moffet]

spark plug?  I had a similar problem (though no pop) when a cap came off my rear plug.  It would idle really badly at high RPM.  That shows a serious problem with either the low-RPM carb circuits (if it is the carb) or electrical. (The problem that caused me to rebuild my bike was in the high-RPM circuits, it ran fine at low RPM so that's not it)

Brian

[rockinjer]

spark plug?  I had a similar problem (though no pop) when a cap came off my rear plug.  It would idle really badly at high RPM.  That shows a serious problem with either the rpm carb circuits (if it is the carb) or electrical. (The problem that caused me to rebuild my bike was in the high-RPM circuits, it ran fine at low RPM so that's not it)

Brian

I'm sorry that i didn't state that i didn't have a pop noise either, but the spark plugs are exactly what i thought too, i drove it to NAPA auto parts on the way back and got new ones and threw them in after letting the engine cool, new ones didn't help i even checked for spark by holding them to the frame while cranking, boy one of them shocked the crap out of me, i dont think too clear when something breaks down on me after a long day. i might have some other ideas to try tomorrow if i have time.

[Kiwi]

i had a similar problem, a complete lack of power and running funny.  It turned out to be some worn out wires behind the TCI.  I wrapped them up in electrical tape and all seems to be fine now.

[vadasz1]

Finally got a chance to look at the V today.  After removing the left side fairing the damned thing just about slapped me in the face.  The bloody spark plug cap was completely off of the plug.  Can't figure how that happened.  Could understand if it was loose and on the top but this was completely off and hanging on the side.  Couldn't see it due to the side fairing.

So now she starts up real fine.  Just have to make sure the leak on the front cover is taken care of as well as the rear exhaust is leaking at the bottom of the Y pipe connection ( I think that is the clocking sound that I am hearing at idle).

Looks like it will have to wait till next week as this weekend we are attending a wedding.

[Raj1988]

AWESOME...Well not awesome that u havent been riding.. but awesome that its good to go now

[vadasz1]

So if things get fixed soon I WILL be in the Fall ONRoV ride.

[Night Vision]

.... The bloody spark plug cap was completely off of the plug. 

Brian gets a cookie

[inanecathode]

Finally got a chance to look at the V today.  After removing the left side fairing the damned thing just about slapped me in the face.  The bloody spark plug cap was completely off of the plug.  Can't figure how that happened.  Could understand if it was loose and on the top but this was completely off and hanging on the side.  Couldn't see it due to the side fairing.

So now she starts up real fine.  Just have to make sure the leak on the front cover is taken care of as well as the rear exhaust is leaking at the bottom of the Y pipe connection ( I think that is the clocking sound that I am hearing at idle).

Looks like it will have to wait till next week as this weekend we are attending a wedding.

Oh cool, well. Check it out, i've actually had this happen before. I was riding up a hill, heard a loud POP, no power, then after looking down there the front plug cap was completely off, wtf?
The way i figure, that rubber boot down on the end of the cap sealed against the ceramic of the plug, built up pressure, and audibly popped off. I just now connected those dots, cool.

[QBS]

Each cylinder has a drain hole that allows wettness that somehow got by the spark plug boot to drain out.  There is always a discolorization on the side of the water jacket below the hole.  Use of a pipe cleaner will render the holes open and prevent future spark plug disengagement.

[inanecathode]

Each cylinder has a drain hole that allows wettness that somehow got by the spark plug boot to drain out.  There is always a discoloration on the side of the water jacket below the hole.  Use of a pipe cleaner will render the holes open and prevent future spark plug disengagement.

Oooooooh, well i've seen a tonne of those plugged up, something else to check.

[Tiger]

Use of a pipe cleaner will render the holes open and prevent future spark plug disengagement.

I fire up the compressor and use the air gun to clean out these two wee holes...you can pop the plug caps off this way to, if the engine is hot and your about to check the spark plugs.

vadasz...good to see it was something simple that has kept you off the road all this time ::) Sorry but I can't put up pictures of monkeys, goats, asses, etc...LOL.

          8).......TIGER....... 8)

[Cdnlouie]

I love NV;s one liner... "Brian gets a cookie"  That pretty much says it all! 

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D