Bike problems

[GBUK101]

I've just had my ER-5 serviced and have encountered some problems that I didn't have before. I cannot take it back to the place I got it serviced as it is closed until next week. Well it all started like this, picked up the bike and it all seemed fine. Started to ride home and got a couple of miles down the road when I came to a roundabout and stopped to let traffic past. As I was waiting the engine cut out, so I restarted and it started first time. Get to another junction and the same thing happens. This time it takes a couple of goes to get it started but it finally starts. Ride further down the road and come off a dual carriageway to another roundabout, stalls again, this time it takes about 10 minutes to get the thing started and have to put some throttle on along with the starter to get it going. Set off again and this time there doesn't seem to be any power, start to accelerate and power comes on in little starts and stops until I reach around 40mph then it evens out a bit. Also as I accelerate it seems to have no power and then suddenly gets a sudden burst of acceleration.
Went to have a ride out this afternoon and some of the above happen again. It will not sit and tick over in neutral and cuts out after about 20 seconds. Will not start straight away from cold without putting a pit of throttle on when pressing the starter and then holding it at around 4000 rpms or else it cuts out again. I didn't have any of the problems mentioned above before the service other than when it started from cold having to put the choke on which raised the revs for a short time before settling down and then idles around 1000rpm after choke being closed. Any ideas?

[instigator]

Hmmm..

Never had those problems on my er5.

First off, make sure it's not something silly like the fuel tap is left on PRI.

I'm thinking it's possibly a blocked fuel line.

Whats the state of the air filter as well? Just curoius on that one.

[GBUK101]

[Bezzer]

Blocked/trapped breather/fuel hose???, if they've had the tank off might have trapped one somehow. Lift the tank and check the pipes are routed correctly.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[GBUK101]

Will have a look tomorrow. Is that a difficult thing to do, remove the tank? I'm a bit of a novice with the mechanics etc

[Bezzer]

Not usually but I've never worked on an ER5. Usually it's take the seat off and you should have 1 or 2 bolts holding the back of the tank to the frame, undo those then just tilt it upwards. You should get away with just doing that and looking underneath to see where the hose are running. Don't lift it too high and pull on the hoses, do it slowly as you are looking underneath so you can see what's happening if there was a hose trapped or whatever.
Best done with an emptyish tank because of the weight but in your case you really need to check ASAP because of the problems you've got.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[GBUK101]

Thanks, will check ASAP. I also filled the tank up tonight aswell

[instigator]

Easy to lift off the tank on an er5 mate, but there IS a nack to it and that's negotiating the fuel tap between the bike's frame and the engine block. It is difficult and brute force is required. You have to twist it around and streth the pipes to do it.

If you haven't go a hanyes manual, I suggest you get one as you have to remove 1 or two lines from the fuel tap.

[GBUK101]

Checked under the fuel tank and as far as I can see there are no trapped pipes. Had it running tonight, it started first time but cut out again after about 20 seconds again.

[Bezzer]

You've tried the easy bits, if you don't really know your way round the bike, I suggest you leave it until the "mechanic" is back. It's seems obviously related to something they have or haven't done and rather than you stabbing in the dark get them to sort it out.
____________________
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[GBUK101]

Thanks, I think I will do that. This is really pissing me off

[Bezzer]

Just a thought and something you would be able to check if you've got a manual- how many hoses come from the tank/tap 2- fuel and vacuum or 3- fuel,vacuum and breather. Have the garage put them back on wrong?, if you've got a manual it will show you what goes where and you should be able to follow them to make sure. Some bikes have 3 or more hoses and they can be mixed up letting the bike run after a fashion, used to get it regularly with carbed Blackbirds.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[GBUK101]

Thanks will have another look tonight. As far as I can remember there were two fuel hoses and one other which came from a black box attached to the under side of the fuel tank which looked like a black cable.

[stinkwheel]

Try running it with the petrol cap open. If there is a blocked breather, this will make the bike run properly. If it is not a blocked breather, this will make no difference.

Sounds like some sort of fuelling problem anyway. Possibly even water in the fuel?
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[GBUK101]

Thanks, will try that tonight. What would you do if there is water in the fuel?

[Bezzer]

You'd have to drain the carbs and drain and flush the tank. I've just had another thought but this one is a bummer - you said earlier your tank was full. Did the problem start after you filled up, you did put the right stuff in didn't you??? not diesel I hope or then again following on from Stinkwheel duff unleaded containing water. It's not unknown for water in the stations tanks if they are low or for them to fill the tank with the wrong fuel. If it's a garage you use regularly, have a word to see if there has been any other problems.
____________________
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[stinkwheel]

[fredsredhat]

This doesn't help you now but i'd say DO NOTHING if the garage knows you've been lifting the tank / draining the carbs etc they say you've caused the fault and do nothing about it. Take it back as soon as they open and play merry hell.

[GBUK101]

[Bezzer]

.That's OK then, time to wait then take it back to the "mechanic I think
____________________
I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[GBUK101]

Tried it with the petrol cap open and it did run longer than before (about a minute before cutting out from idle) it spluttered out of life. It also revved slightly by itself in the same way it did with the choke applied (but without the choke on) reaching about 2000 rpm for around 10 seconds before dropping to 1000rpm's and then finally dying after about a minute. It wouldn't restart afterwards and the starter motor started making clicking/buzzing noises.

[the grim reaper]

Just a thought, do you run with your lights on all the time? The clicking/buzzing sounds like a flat battery, it could be that your reg/rec has fried the battery and that's affecting the bike running. Possible but more likely to be fuel related.

Cheers

Grim
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Adverts don't always work: Remember that advert, where the army are running across the desert and they have a wounded man on a stretcher. They get to a ravine, the bridge is down and a caption pops up that says, 'What are you thinking?'. I don't know about you but I was thinking, 'Christ, I'm glad I'm not in the f***ing army'.

[GBUK101]

Spoke to the mechanic this morning and he thinks that it's either a blocked fuel pipe or a trapped fuel pipe. Arranged to go this afternoon but only managed to get about a mile before the bike conked out Now the thing won't start at all, probably a flat battery. This is really begining to piss me off.

EDIT: Borrowed a battery charger of a mate and the battery is charging away.

[DanceLikeAMon...]

So which garage did you end up using in the end?

(for those who aren't on the North Forum, he wanted to go to Parks in North Shields, and I told him not to on account of them being shit - always use Cramlington Motorcycles!)

[GBUK101]

I took it to Cramlington Motorcycles for the service. And he was brilliant

Got the AA out this morning and they managed to get the bike running again, the AA bloke then followed me up the road just to make sure it was running ok. I got to exacltly the same place as yesterday and it conked out again. So out comes the trailer and he towns me to Cramlington. Get's to the shop and the AA bloke has a word with the owner who takes the bike into the back and starts examineing it. To cut a long story short the carbs had pulled a load of petrol through into the engine (about 3-4 litres) which had mixed with the oil and filled up the engine almost completely. All the oil/petrol mixture had to be drained and the oil replaced. Well the bikes running fine now, you woundn't have thought a few hours ago it was not running at all.

Without doubt if you live in the tyneside area I would reccomend Cramlington Motorcycles without hesitiation. A top notch job, great value and excellent customer service.