Hi all, Its been a while since I have posted, but my 97 750 ss, which has been started regularly all winter, has decided to throw the towel in. It is refusing to start. Fuel is getting through, it has a spark, all be it a not to brilliant one. It turns over, fires occasionally but mainly backfires through the exhaust. I have the battery on charge but am at a lost. Help please.......
I'd jump start it from a car, and then I'd know the battery was in fact shot. But I'm not a mechanic.
97 SS........I assume it is a carb model? If you have Champion plugs, change them........spark is useless. Use choke but don't use throttle. Is pump running all the time? Check the airbox...............anything nested in there? But backfire in the zorst suggests lack of fuel (well, to me it does)...........depending on how often you started it over winter and how long you ran it for, I'm guessing crap in the float bowls has settled and formed mud or those damn crystalline residues...... AL
If left standing for a while I usually drain a bit of fuel from the float bowls from the carbs to prompt starting on my 900SS and also very recently changed both plugs which made a massive difference!! Usually fires first prod but FCR's seem to be a pig to start without choke anyway!!
No, nor am I, basics I can do, services etc but I am at a loss. It's been on trickle charge all night, just went and tried it, turned over healthily and promptly backfired. Turned it straight off. In the back of my head I am wondering if one of the belts has jumped a tooth or something.
I think thats the next plan before I get to depressed. I have just ordered new plugs ( next day delivery ) and plan to drain the float bowls tonight.
I stuck NGK plugs in mine and they completely changed how it had been running....... .....But check your belts just in case.........make sure all the timing marks line up etc
I have a switch on the pump electric supply............so I can run the carbs nearly dry if I'm in that sort of mood....
Al is right, the most common mistake (and I've made it myself) is to give the bike some throttle when you try and start it, try 3/4 choke only and then crank it, as soon as it fires take it down to 1/4 choke for it to warm up.
Well the plugs arrived, good old NGK's, whipped them in and turned her over and she started instantly. Takes me back to the days when I used to ride big capacity two stroke singles. Havn't had an issue with plugs like that for ages. Thanks to all for your replies.
Its not just Ducatis. My gixer had a plug or two intermittently going down causing it to be difficult to start but when it did it would ride like running out of fuel. Hours later, someone mentioned thye often drop a plug...there was a day lost on track in the spanish sun
