Forum

[Lessus]

Hello All.I wonder if someone can point me in the right direction.
Took my 97 Bullet 500 for its longest spin yet the other day, 5 Miles!,in very heavy traffic.
Lots of starting and stopping in very humid conditions.
Stalled the bike and it refused to start, just a wheezing noise.
As it was such nice weather I decided to have a sunbathe and let it cool down.
About 30 mins later it started ok, and I came home.
That afternoon (about 4 hrs later) I decided to go for another spin to see if there were any problems. Slightly longer to start than usual, but alas a mile later it phutted to a standstill. Managed to get it going again (every time getting longer to start) and limped home, with the throttle fully open at a heady 10 mph.
Once back home, nowt, dead as my confidence to go further than 10 yards!.
Anyway now its up at my local money pit (garage) awaiting attention.
Any ideas what it could be?..points?,crud in the works?,the tank was (allegedly) cleaned out before the last fill up. Plug is ok (a bit sooty). If its the points, why?, vibration, heat or just using it?.
This is the Last Chance Saloon for Ernie.

[Alan R]

Hi LESSUS---5 miles eh?--so you don't often give the bike a decent ride--say 50 miles--- in vary conditions then? I ask because that plug "reading" sounds like you just took the plug out at some time and "looked" at it--ie you didn't do what's called a plug "chop." And sooty is not ok--- a bit or otherwise--that's the sign of richness--it should be a light-to-dark coffee colour.My guess on mixture here is that's the idling jetting that's showing on the plug. That "wheezing" allied to non-starting after a hot ride and OK after 1/2 hour has all the symptoms of valve tightness (or the de-compressor ??).We had that one on top of the Clee Hills recently, didn't we Lone Wolf?? All "tears and I want to go home"---but you soon put him to rights, eh?--and a good DAY's riding as well. Other areas for consideration are}---air filter, in-line fuel filter with transparent pipes ( so you can see what's going into the carb.--- I have one of those dismantle-types.Part No 90007. £8 but a god-send).Maybe check-out the float & float chamber?? How's the exhaust system ?? Taken it to the local garage already ?? Hope you know these guys---£20+ per hour & we charge NOWT !! Keep us informed, please. Be seeing you--------

[Norm]

Alan, 20 quid an hour, what a bargain, wight be worth shipping our bikes over there for work. Out here 100 to 120 bucks an hour for a bike shop

[Alan R]

Hi NORM---Yeah,you're right. That's me living in a time warp (goes with the bikes I suppose?). Just been doing a few spot-checks and, allowing for "Brand Name" dealer charges, the average seems to come out at £45-60 per hour. Which just makes it worse for poor old LESSUS I suppose. You mean to say that a Champion N5 for my Morris 1000 is MORE than 50p now ??...Duckhams 20/50 is no longer green?...and a pint of "Old Scrotum special Reserve" costs more than a Gallon of petrol?? You'll be telling me there will be a WOMAN Prime Minister next------!!! Eh ??? You WAT !!!

[Phil Ashbrook]

Sounds way to rich , if the bike is std check for dirty air filter then if it still does the same drop your needle or get that mixture screw in the right setting using classic tick over speed up back off styles on the carb , see manual .

[Lone Wolf]

Wotcha.

Sounds like the tappets are set too close. Once the engine is hot, the expansion of the pushrods is keeping the valve slightly open. That's where I'd be looking.

[geoffro]

Les, have you checked the battery as i had nearly the same thing on my AJS and the battery completely died in the end and i finished up running on the alternator at 10 mph. Once i had stopped though, she would'nt start again untill i borrowed a battery and away we went. It's worth looking at.

[PeteF]

Errrr....you haven't got the choke on have you? Some people have got mixed up before with this. Up is off (no choke) on the 500 Mikarb. Trouble is they often start quite happily without choke so then you turn it "off"...........

[Craig]

Lessus,

As Well as all other Good Advice.... Carry a Spare New Plug & the Next time It happens Swap it over and See if it Starts & Rides Ok.

Some time back We Had a Long discussion on here about ,Mistery Plug Ills,Un Leaded & Ethanol etc.

Mut be a New Plug Not a Cleaned One & this test will only Cost Ya £2.50 for the Plug.....

Good Luck.

[Lessus]

Hi All.
Nowt to report as yet, as its still at the Garage, no doubt incurring "storage costs".
However with regard to the choke, little yellow handle that operates a plunger on top of the Carb...
Choke off is fully depressed, plunger fully seated in its housing. Choke on, is plunger raised to its full extent, or is it the reverse (as a previous post alludes to?)