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[Alan R]

-----------do you remember an old B&W film from the 1960's I think called "The Casting of the Runes"?? Keep hold of your Tesco receipt !! My GL1000 is that Honda Rune's great grand-daddy!!------come to Daddy (sob-sob). God--time for bed--night,night.

[Beezabryan]

Why you up so late? I got an excuse, I can't get comfortable being as the damaged bits are niggling. I am fully aware that I should "avoid alcohol" with the meds but I'm slurping a decent measure of Jura. That should do the trick

[Dennis]

UPDATE, drained the tank, put a gallon of super in, stripped the Amal and cleaned it out, checked plug for spark fitted new fuel filter (ordered yes del today) switched on and kicked it over. Nothing, not a bean, would not even kick back at me.

[Les H]

Hi Dennis that's a pain, but Did you turn the petrol on? You didn't mention it so I'm just checking...not trying to be funny. The Amal will need full choke, but check with the tickler first that you can feel the float bowl has petrol in it but don't flood the carb so much that petrol overflows from the carb. If that's all ok and you have said you have a spark, then it becomes harder to diagnose remotely. Sometimes the exhaust valve can stick open very slightly when the engine is left for a longish time, and the lost compression will not always be noticeable if you haven't started it recently. Check by comparing the compression with the decompressor valve actuated and then closed...there should be a big difference. You could try dribbling in a little fuel in the plug hole to get it to fire. I often use this method to quickly eliminate a carb/fuel shortage. Another way to get an engine to start is to direct propane gas directly into the carb mouth with an unlit blow torch. Any engine making a decent spark with no other problems will always fire easily with this source of fuel. if these last two methods do not result inat least one bang of firing then it has to to be the ignition system...but one step at a time....It's always easier when hands on...but hope some of the suggestions help.

[Dennis]

Thanks Les, covered most of your points, petrol on, it`s getting thru i took plug out and was damp, lots of compression. I keep an Optimate connected up but i leave the battery on the bike just a long shot but would that have done something ? I don`t understand how such basic engineering can be so XXXXXXXXX My Hog was jam packed with electronics, injection, alarm etc. never caused a problem. Is there anyway to test the ignition, i`ve been told the Boyer Mark III can be troublesome.

[m1ks]

Frustrating isn't it, mine just stopped starting, starting and running fine each time i've fired it up since getting it, starting to get it ready for MOT, swapped the silencer back to the stock one, that and the fact it had been sitting outside under a cover in the recent wet weather being the only differences.
I'm sure that mine is electrical, the very annoying thing for me is the only dry we're getting at present is during the day while i'm at work, soon as I get home it's non stop pouring down.
So until I can get out there with my limited electrical knowledge and multimeter it sits there niggling at me.
Hope you get yours sorted soon.

[Norm]

Bouyer can't be the problem if you have spark. One way I like checking for spark after kinking it over for a few minutes is to rest the plug on the head with the electrode sitting over the plug hole, then give it a kick and it you get a "Whoosh" of flame you know you have spark. Keep your eyes out of the line of fire

[Les H]

Hi Dennis. So the fuel and compression is ok, so it must be the ignition. The Boyer has two sets of coils and magnets so will produce one spark for every one engine revolution. There is a chance that something is faulty in one of the coils (Short) that the spark you see is the spark at TDC on the exhaust stroke but you have no spark on the TDC of the compression. Try to set up the plug so it is visible when you crank the engine with a thumb on the plug hole. As you kick the engine you should see a corresponding spark when your thumb is blown off the plug hole with a pop by the compression. If the spark is not vible at that precise moment (You might see a spark at another point in the crank rotation) then something is wrong. This is a very quick method to implement, and worth a try. Otherwise you will have to go through some basic checks...I guess you have seen this?: http://www.boyerbransden.com/faultfinding.html

[Dennis]

OK lets hear it, had another go today, determined to solve it. Felt sure it was electrics, fresh fuel, clean carb, all mechanicals checked, just not firing. Took the plug out again and tested as per normal sparking ok, BUT, noticed the spark was also jumping the ceramic. Gave the plug a good clean in the sandblasting cabinet, back in, started first kick ................................to all who took the trouble to try and solve my problem, thanks, i hang my head in shame, at my age i should have known better .........................

[Alan R]

Hello matey !!!------------- funny how we all get tied-up with the technicalities from time-to-time and the simple things pass us by. No one INCLUDING ME !! said to try another plug, did we ? And yet that's one of the first things you tend to do without giving it a second thought. So we now have a row of heads hanging in shame----what's the plural noun for that, I wonder ?? Answers on a postcard please.