Why wont my Suzuki Bandit start?

A

andy a

New member
I have stripped the carbs twice, checked the spark a million times, there is definatley fuel in bowls, cleaned the fuel tank out, replaced the fuel filter, oil change, air filter changed, it turns over it just wont fire, i have an actual motorbike mechanic helping me and he is flummoxed also.

there is not a lot of fuel in the tank. When i initially fired it up after refitting the carbs and airbox and set the fuel tap to primary it spat fuel out of the 2 drain hoses in between 1&2 and 3&4. this stopped eventually.

Any ideas, please dont repeat any of the above ideas.
thanks for the reply arthur dent,

1. nearly flattened my battery doing so
2. no vac leaks at manifolds
3. noticed that there is a slight misalignment hear but this shouldn't stop it firing up.
4 the bike ran on 3 cylinders last week so would assume plugs are gapped all right, (changed to irridium plugs)
5. not fouled
6. tightened
7. compression testing tomorrow night
8. spark is in correct order
9. whats CDI ?
10. plenty of juice in new batter always left on trickle charge over night
11. can you elaborate more on the fuel cap air thing please
12. fuses should be ok never touched them before
13. starting procedure is ok clutch in etc

had a cup of tea instead of beer, beer is tomorrow night for champions league football :)
firstly dan, i think flooding could be a strong contender

hi arthur dent,

yip coils are fine we have swapped them about in some prelim testing but they are back were they where and are fine

im def going to try running it with the cap open tomorrow, but if there is fuel coming out the bowl drains when i open them would this not indicate this not being the problem ??

if the kill switch was off i dont think it would crank at all ?? ill check tomorrow

cables are all right

checking idle screw could be worth a shot

definatley in neutral

I will post what happens in the next couple of days cheers for helping.

Andy
 
The first principle of diagnostics is : PROBABILITY.

One checks the most probable thing first.


I've always found THE single most LIKELY mechanical FAILURE is nearly always THE MECHANIC. (I speak from experience here)

So, did you follow proper procedures in fitting the plug wires? Don't check the book. If the coil wires were always switched the book won't help.

What is the proper procedure? Take a plug out, put a plug back in. Put on the lead. Go on to the next one. Repeat.

If you didn't do this and there is even a remote possibility of reversing the lines due to compatible lengths, switch these now.

A CDI is a capacitor discharge ignition system. It thus follows: your capacitors could be dead as door-nails and you're getting no spark.

We do not check a modern ignition system without regard to my first rule of thumb:

Which is: I've always found THE single most LIKELY mechanical FAILURE is nearly always THE MECHANIC. (Still not an insult I still speak from experience here).

If a fellow checks fire on his plugs without gapping and grounding them the capacitor ignition system can in fact FRY.

Sorry, Bud, you may have murdered the beast. That ale sounds better now doesn't it?

But you can check this safely. Take out a plug, clamp it securely to a grounded portion of you engine and in a darkened shop try the ignition switch and starter button.

What do you mean you haven't been hitting the starter button?

OK...

Did the blue spark fly on the plug you've got out ?

Yes?

Then check the fuel. DUMP the old stuff in the lawn mower gas supply and curse me later when that won't start.

But in the mean time put new fuel in. I've had bikes simply refuse to fire old fuel. PERIOD.

So change it.

The jets in the carb can still be plugged solid even after a lower end rebuild of the carb.

So it follows a bit of compressed air through all holes to determine if there is still a hole is good, and a good soak in carb cleaner (yes, the whole carburetter) for a week might do, or a new carb for each cylinder professionally installed is best.

New carbs can be cheaper than new bikes... and won't your mechanic like you so much more ?

Then there is the choke...

What do you mean you haven't tried that yet?
 
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