SZR stopped running. Need help where to start.

[imindoors]

97, 17k miles SZR, began playing up after 15 mile journey for first time.

Symptoms:-

Starts fine, idles ok but begins popping from exhaust after few hundred yards then engine stops.

Will restart if left.

No petrol or burning smells.

Has fuel. Oil and water OK.

Has 'race can' fitted but not done many miles with it and has always ran smoother since fitting.

Had a quick look yesterday fuel pump seems OK.

Spark plug light brown.  

Got long weekend off work so going to get the spanners out, but wondering if you people have any pointers what to check for first.

Don't want it to turn into replacing bits bit by bit if you what I mean. That's if I can source any.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Jim

[imindoors]

Update.

Bike won't start at all now. Flattened battery trying.

So I enjoyed that cardiovascular workout which we all enjoy from time to time, namely pushing a bike up a bloody great hill to get to home

Still all safe at home now.

Let the skinned knuckles and swearing commence.

Jim

[imindoors]

Right, been having a bit of a tinker. Stripped fairing, tank etc to have a good look.

Nothing obvious. Getting a spark when turning over, albeit with a very tired battery.

Rev counter and water gauge seem to be doing their own thing ie bouncing when turning over, never noticed this before.

Is it my imagination or does the CDI unit look newer than the rest of the bike. I wonder?

Only sustained one small cut to finger and swearword count surprisingly low at this stage.

Jim

[Ian]

Im assuming you have fresh petrol in the bike...old or stale fuel seems to be a favourite place to cause problems with some of the older generation of singles...Just a thought....Whatever else Jim keep calm or walk away!

HTH

Ian

[imindoors]

Yep. Calm as a calm thing on International Calm Day. Always have been, no use getting worked up. Life's too short.

The swearing was a trick I learned from my dear old Dad. I have seen him swear an 1850 Dolomite engine back into life. It was his version of mouth to mouth resuscitation . He used to have a fair old vocabulary too.

Jim.

Oh yes, bike  has fresh petrol but thanks anyway.


....................goes off to find some new (and perhaps hi-tech) swear words on Google.

[Steve H]

Rev counter and water gauge seem to be doing their own thing ie bouncing when turning over, never noticed this before.

Seems odd, have you got a loose earth somewhere ?.

[Ian]

I just re read your first post....I had a very similar series of events with my previous SRX-4. I was convinced it was fuel ..so was everyone else who heard it ....turned out to be a faulty Coil....perhaps if you could get a known good one and try that?

Regards

Ian

[SteveC#222]

Sounds electrical - not that I'm an expert...black magic electrickery.

Silly question, have you tried a new plug? I had a bike once which showed a spark against the head but ( as I discovered) wasn't sparking in situ under load.  after that work back - plug cap - lead - coil etc.

Probably something really daft when you find it - I spent 2 weeks once trying to find a short and when I found it it was a piece of plastic insulation about 10mm square in one of the switches that had cracked and fallen out.

[andy230]

Hello mate

Sounds like its maybe going lean to me.... (skorpion does the same, same motor, when its running out of fuel)

Water in the bottom of the tank?  I've had this, sommon with plastic tanks.

Blocked breather in the tank stopping fuel coming out?  Could also be this.

Does the SZR need the fuel pump?  I removed the skorp one, its fine on gravity feed.  The fuel pump is due to the pannier tanks on the 660 trailie application.

I'd run it till it cuts out.  Then open up the crosshead drain screw on the carb float bowl.  IS it flowing?  Is it wet with water?  Is there crap in there blocking the jets?

I's also check your earths, but I think it may not behave the same...

(And I've also had a generator/magneto stator go on an SRX.. Fine when cold, but after a mile or so it would start missing.  NEver actually stopped tho...)

You can check the stator and coil resistances against workshop data with a multimeter.  Coil HT lead & plug cap swap will eliminate these.

Good luck!  Let us know how you go,

andy

[imindoors]

Many thanks for all the replies, plenty ideas to try.

Going to have a look over weekend.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks again.

Jim

[Steve H]

Does the SZR need the fuel pump?  I removed the skorp one, its fine on gravity feed.  The fuel pump is due to the pannier tanks on the 660 trailie application.

Andy, if I remember correctly, unlike the Skorpion, the tank on the SZR is very low down and sits behind the carbs, so the pump will be needed for the lower section of the tank.

[andy230]

A-Ha!

Thanks steve!  Ignore me!  I suppose it could be a dodgy pump then?  Doesn't it rely on inlet vacuum?  Thus possibly perished pipe or something?

I like the blocked breather idea on the tank....  Or rather, I dont *like* it, but it may ba cause of.... blah blah!

Ok!  I'm going!   

a

[imindoors]

Yep the tank on a SZR is low down but they can be run without a pump if fuel level kept high apparently.

As it happens I bought a pump off ebay months ago cos it was cheap and they are known to fail so I may as well bung that on. I replaced all the fuel pipes last year because the old ones looked brittle.


Jim

[imindoors]

Think it might be coil. Zero reading on primary.

Ebay is your friend.

Jim

[imindoors]

Well I put new coil on, changed the fuel pump and reset the valve clearances They were a bit tight.

Fired up first time. Tickover less lumpy  and pickup off the throttle definitely improved. Could that be the valves clearances?

Not been for a run yet, that will  be the true test,  but things looking promising.



Jim