Hey guys, hope everyones been having a good week...
Anyway, my Honda Shadow (VT500, circa 1983) seems to have stopped leaking gas which I am very thankful for. Thats the good news, bad news is that its also stopped running.
Actually, its gotten really hard to start over the last month or so actually thats the reason why I stopped riding it to work, I can't really trust it to start.
It cranks and cranks, and it makes this weird "popping" noise like its firing, but it won't actually "take" and start up. The popping noise isnt loud like a backfire, but its defiantly there...
Sometimes its just temperamental. Yesterday AM I decided I wanted to go for a ride, and went to fire the bike up. Pushed it outside and it wouldn't start. Let it sit for a few hours and then I tried again just for the heck of it, was a little hard starting but it fired right up.
Went to start it today, wouldn't start.
Grrrr....
Also worth noting is that when it DOES start, it doesn't run 100% right. There is that popping sound again especially in the higher RPMS, 6k and up although I rarely take it that high.
It is still present at any RPM over 2k, but its random and sporadic, over 6k it is regular and rhythmic.
Bonus information: The last owner thought he could get more power out of the bike by wallowing out the jets with a drill bit. Didn't work and he sold the bike cheap (to me, wooohooo) because it wouldn't run right. I replaced the jets and it ran perfectly for a while, but who knows what else may have been screwed up. Also, it has been re-wired. I don't know by who or how well it was done, but most of the electrical fixtures are original, just with new wires running to them.
I am NOT a mechanic nor do I claim to be, but IMHO if I had to guess its a spark problem. What should I check? Coils? What do you guys think? It also has a brand new battery and that didn't help. It will usually start with starter fluid...
Any advice is appreciated... Thanks in advance...
Anyway, my Honda Shadow (VT500, circa 1983) seems to have stopped leaking gas which I am very thankful for. Thats the good news, bad news is that its also stopped running.
Actually, its gotten really hard to start over the last month or so actually thats the reason why I stopped riding it to work, I can't really trust it to start.
It cranks and cranks, and it makes this weird "popping" noise like its firing, but it won't actually "take" and start up. The popping noise isnt loud like a backfire, but its defiantly there...
Sometimes its just temperamental. Yesterday AM I decided I wanted to go for a ride, and went to fire the bike up. Pushed it outside and it wouldn't start. Let it sit for a few hours and then I tried again just for the heck of it, was a little hard starting but it fired right up.
Went to start it today, wouldn't start.
Grrrr....
Also worth noting is that when it DOES start, it doesn't run 100% right. There is that popping sound again especially in the higher RPMS, 6k and up although I rarely take it that high.
It is still present at any RPM over 2k, but its random and sporadic, over 6k it is regular and rhythmic.
Bonus information: The last owner thought he could get more power out of the bike by wallowing out the jets with a drill bit. Didn't work and he sold the bike cheap (to me, wooohooo) because it wouldn't run right. I replaced the jets and it ran perfectly for a while, but who knows what else may have been screwed up. Also, it has been re-wired. I don't know by who or how well it was done, but most of the electrical fixtures are original, just with new wires running to them.
I am NOT a mechanic nor do I claim to be, but IMHO if I had to guess its a spark problem. What should I check? Coils? What do you guys think? It also has a brand new battery and that didn't help. It will usually start with starter fluid...
Any advice is appreciated... Thanks in advance...