DR650 woe!

[andy230]

The DR has finally given up the ghost!  Can anyone give me a bit of advice…??

It’s a 1991 model, *extremely* handsome, US import, kickstart only.  650cc, single carb, single pipe.  It was always crap in the wet- I have changed the coil, sealed the ignition system (plugs, plug caps, HT leads coil etc) with that ‘orrible spray on plastic coating stuff, checked and cleaned all plugs & connectors, and wrapped all plugs in a wee home-made raincoat, with cable ties over it...

But I could live with it, as it was a pig to ride with a misfire in the wet, but didn’t ever actually stop working!  I even changed the plugs & oil a couple of weeks ago….

Where the magneto wiring disappears into the engine cover, there was probably once a solid rubber block.  This has long-since disappeared, and on Saturday, (having found my silicone sealant) I did as I had been intending and sealed up that little hole.  I was certain that this was not the cause of the foul-weather crapness, as when it started misfiring, I would look at this, and it was always pretty dry in that area…

Anyway, I went to visit some mates on Saturday.  It was bucketing down, and I wasn’t looking forward to the journey.

Hang on!  Its cured!  Delightful, no mis-fire.  So it must have been those wires going into the engine  (thinks I).

Sunday morning, I got back to the top of my road.  I am very chuffed. Then… it dies.

Wont re-start.  Like its out of petrol…  so I freewheel down to the bottom of the road.

Had a little fiddle, but decided it was either dirty carb (it’ll go away…!) or lack of juice.  It always starts, so imagine my surprise on Monday morning:

Chuff-chuff-chuff, sweat sweat.  Swear.  Fiddle, chuff-chuff, sweat more.

By 11am, I had foned in, and stripped the carb.  Checked fuel lines, tap, etc.

The fuel in the float bowl was bad- very gritty.  Ah, so that’s almost certainly it.  Nope.

Blocked jets- negative
Lack of fuel- negative
Have not looked at the plugs, but they are sparking.  Cos I can get it to run for a few seconds.  However, as soon as I try to open the throttle, even just the slightest fraction, she dies.

Pilot jet?  Nope, not removable, so I blew it through.  Vacuum diaphragm- also fine.  Airleaks, don’t think so…

Remember it stopped suddenly (like dirt in the jet, or loss of fuel), starts for a few seconds (so presumably not valve clearances or electrics), had a K&N filter about a year ago, so presumed ok.

Tonight, I will ensure its sparking, take the killswitch out the circuit, and make sure there is no problems with the side-stand wiring (previously removed).

Anyone else got similar experience?  Or advice??  Cheers.  Just gotta get the Skorp back into service.  Why does the DR only break down AFTER I’ve taken the cam-feed off the skorp??!! 

DR: lumpy but fine while the skorp sleeps in the garage awaiting spring
Remove essential oilway, as you never use the Skorp anyway.  Within 12 hours the DR is non-functional and the skorp is immobilised.  And I am reminded daily of my hatred of public transport….

a

[squirrelciv]

Looks to me like you've thought of everything. My suggestions are;

1 turn fuel on, get a very, very clean bucket under the carb drain off pipe and undo carb drain screw. This will tell you if you have a good flow of fuel to the carb and how clean your fuel is. Might have a blocked breather or fuel tap.

2 Get the plug out and actually check the spark is good and fat. You've changed the coil, but are you sure of the loom feeding it? Dolly went stuttery then conked out cos of the tiniest split in the coil live input wire. Also is it a new or second hand coil?

Not much matey but you know it's going to be a tiny fault causing a world of grief.

[andy230]

Hello Pat,

Long time no natter!

Yes, there is a tiny fault, but its doing my head in.  My hatred of public transport grows daily...!

Order of investigation will be as follows:

1) top up with fuel.  Its low, but there is flow from the disconnected pipe (on prime).  However, I suspect this bike prefers a good head of fuel.  Possibly pointing to a blocked/obstricted float valve?  Seemed ok when I had the carb off tho...

2) check magneto and coil resistances if available against book values

3) Look in the airbox.  But am certain its fine.  Also, from the way the fault developed I dont think its this.  Maybe filter has moved slightly, so its going lean?

4) Check sparks (two plugs- a bit of a retrograde step, like electric starters in my opinion!)

5) Check tappet clearances.  Just for completeness, I am also sure its not this (given how it died, and the fact it runs a little...)

6)  Remove the silicone blog where the wires go into the engine- broken wires somewhere??  This is the only change I made recently to the bike.  It was perfect for the 30 miles, then dies (happily, at the top of my road, on the return journey!)

7) Remove the carb ONCE more, and check all, including making sure the float floats (tho its not flooding), and checking every crevice and pipe, no just the obvious ones and the jets.

Check wiring of sidestand switch remnants, and take the kill switch out the circuit.

9) Cet out the big hammer....!!!!

cheers for now, will let you know what I find. It WILL live again...

a

[steveD]

I eally cannot for the life of me understand why you are having such problems. If anything needs doing to either of my bikes I just take them to my tame bike mechanic one day and pick them up fixed, problem solved. It also helps that I earn more than him so I'm better off working and paying him to do the fixing and I spent many a year getting my hands oily, not anyt more!

Hope you resolve the problem.

Cheers SteveD

[andy230]

hi steve

London rates!!!  I certainly dont earn anywhere near the £30 an hour I would have to give mechanics to work on my bikes.

Also, I've paid for work to be done and its been crap (cracked castings due to overtightening, fork springs in upside down, etc).  So no, I wont be doing that.  However, the same guys are great with cheap race spares, etc.  Lovely guys, but too busy and too dear.

Similarly, they want to change tyres and oil, and fit top boxes.  Not work on my 16 year old, reasonably filthy bike, with no lecky start, with all the quirks and nuances which do with it.  If I really pushed them, they'd investigate, but say 2 hours at the hourly rate above... sorry, but no!  And if they spend 3 hours, and can't find the elusive gremlin, I'm then 90 quid poorer, with a still broken bike!

The bike cost 150.  No way, is it going anywhere near a shop!

 

Catch you soon, big man,

a

[Steffan]

Had something very similar with Skorp some time back. Would start but wouldn't run and would stall on throttle opening. I suspected water in the tank as it cleared itself with persistence and a lot of cursing. Drain the tank and refill with fresh and a good dollop of dry fuel

Steffan

[andy230]

Cheers, Steve, didn't see any water in the stuff I drained from the carb (float bowl) and subsequently *thru* the carb after that, but a good place to start...

See you, persistance and cursing I can do!

a

[guest7]

hi steve

London rates!!!  I certainly dont earn anywhere near the £30 an hour I would have to give mechanics to work on my bikes.

Not for the first time am I reminded how lucky I am to have easy access to good mechanics. Jethro is only a phone call away and he is bloody good.

For years I used a guy called Dick Jones (I still do use him in fact), and he had this amazing ability with electrical problems. He would listen to the symptoms, ponder the situation and then cut open my loom, test a circuit and say "Hmmm, thought so". Then he would fix the problem (which had eluded me for days) in two minutes and charge me a cup of tea and a Kit Kat from the local caff.

Some of you sad old Classic Bike magazine buffs (I include myself in that category) might remember Dick's pristine Suzuki Super Six restoration featured about 12 years ago. And before anyone pipes up and says "How could I remember that?", I'll just add that most CB readers can remember most of the mag's content back to '81. We are that sad 

Cheers
GC

[andy230]

Well, a bit of further investigation, wire tracing, head scratching, kicking (and screaming) and sweating revealed what we all know, the root of all evil on 17 year old bikes is, in fact the kill switch.

It was making a little contact (occaisionally) in the “run” position, meaning that it didn’t run.  This was due to a conductive paste, formed from grease, water and copper particles which had formed over the contacts.

I had originally checked it just by using it to kill the engine.  Ie.  “Yes it works, no it doesn’t”.  It wasn’t till I got the multimeter onto it and stripped it that I saw the problem.

So I’m very happy!  And back on 2 wheels.  So I can keep the skorp sorned for now, and get more miles from this beautifully careworn modern classic.

Yippeee!!  I think you all know the feeling of smug triumph I have just now.  Quite apart from the fact that it was the most elementary problem, and one which I initially disregarded!!

Thanks for help,

a.

[squirrelciv]

Glad to hear you got the old girl going again

Truth is, more often than not, it's a very little problem that causes the biggest headaches to find and solve. I mean if she blew a hole in a piston you'd know exactly where to look

[andy230]

hey pat,

well I have plans for when the engine dies...  I am thinking about a diesel.  Cement mixer engine??

Long term project, but then I can run her on veg oil (very slowly admittedly).

Only could be better if she was pre-73 so no tax...

a

[002]

Andy !   
             You Tight Arse....!!!!!!!!!!     



Jethro

[andy230]

Andy !   
             You Tight a***....!!!!!!!!!!     



Jethro

....'kin right!

a

[OMEGAMAN]

Well, a bit of further investigation, wire tracing, head scratching, kicking (and screaming) and sweating revealed what we all know, the root of all evil on 17 year old bikes is, in fact the kill switch.

It was making a little contact (occaisionally) in the “run” position, meaning that it didn’t run.  This was due to a conductive paste, formed from grease, water and copper particles which had formed over the contacts.

I had originally checked it just by using it to kill the engine.  Ie.  “Yes it works, no it doesn’t”.  It wasn’t till I got the multimeter onto it and stripped it that I saw the problem.

So I’m very happy!  And back on 2 wheels.  So I can keep the skorp sorned for now, and get more miles from this beautifully careworn modern classic.


Glad you got sorted, but why didn't you use your "smug Triumph as transport" whilst the DR was kaput?

Yippeee!!  I think you all know the feeling of smug triumph I have just now.  Quite apart from the fact that it was the most elementary problem, and one which I initially disregarded!!

Thanks for help,

a.