NC23 Track Bike Project - Not going As Smoothly As Planned..

[Mr & Mrs Cake]

We thought it'd be a case of some race fairings and a new battery and we'd be fired up! But even that is proving to be a complete pain in the arse! We've tried starting it off a jump starter; the motor spins but it won't fire. It hasn't ran in years so we're not too surprised in that. What we did find unusual is that even with the kill-switch in the "OFF" position, the engine will still turn over on the button. But we think that the switch may be cut into the fuel pump circuit because of the lack 'clunk' sound from the fuel pump when the key is turned with the switch in the "OFF" position. Could anyone confirm...?

A good battery that fits and doesn't take the fuse, new plugs, and some Easy Start and we may on to a winner, but it is so frustrating!

Thanks everbody! There will be more updates I'm sure...

Dave & Mand

[Jolan]

Did you clean the carbs's? Or otherwise just clean the cambers and flush the tank. New plugs, oil/filter, fresh battery, and some new juice and it has to start!

[Matchlessman]

Dave,

the fuel pump is one of those lazy ones that works off the engine revolutions so at tickover and standstill its rubbish and just pulses iratically and slowly.

My rrk is a complete arse to start if i leave it over the winter, it normally takes 2 charges of the battery before i get it to fire at all on one cylinder. after that its a half hour chore of coaxing it into life.

your best bets are to give the carbs a clean and then churn it over till it fires. It is a ballache though, if the battery is slightly flat, it seems to give all the power into turning the engine over and no power to the ignition.


Are you really Dave Cake? have you been tempted to call your children Wedding and Birthday?




Cheers


Ian

[Mr & Mrs Cake]

Thanks for the advice! It certainly sounds par for the course anyway! I'll drain the tank and put the fuel through my R1, that fuel will be older than the bike!!! I'll replace the plugs and filter whilst I've got the air box off to get to the carbs. I'll do my best with the carbs but I'm frightened to death of them because of all the fiddly little parts that lurk inside. Anything more than a squirt of cleaner and I'm stuffed! I might get brave and flick through the Haynes manual before reaching for the spanners. The new battery should give us more of a chance to see if we're getting a spark and see if the fuel is getting far enough. Once the engine is running I'll change the oil and filter, and drain the coolant.

Are there additives about that I can stick in the old fuel that will help clean the carbs...?

With regard to my surname it isn't Cake, unfortunately. It came about when I first started going out with Mrs Cake; We were at a Mallory trackday when I first met her dad. I had (and still do have) the slogan "I ONLY BRAKE FOR CAKE", so from then on I was Mr Cake. We quite like it :D

Dave

[Jolan]

Well the best thing is too use fresh fuel, but if for somehow that isn't possible there are some additives you can buy. I use Forte1 when i settle the bike in for a winter sleep. Haynes is a big help, but the simple solution is just too drain the carbs, and refuel the tank, or mix it up with some fresh fuel.

Good luck!

[Matchlessman]

Dave,

Ive had my Triarm (rrk) for about 8 years and for most of those ive been a summer rider. Its never needed the carbs off and normally starts after about 2 battery charges.

The only year it was a total pain was when i jumped it off the car and i then went through the whole voltage regulator dying thing.

First start after a winter is choke on, no throttle and just turn it over. just as the first battery is starting to die, you might get it to fire once.

Second battery charge is a bit of churning over and then it starts to fire. then it starts. once it starts, leave it be and dont touch the throttle. after a while it will pick up and then you can rev it.

Obviously this is what happens with my bike so yours might be different but it gives you something to go on.

And when its going.... take it for a spin. Ive no idea on what you currently ride but i can definately recommend taking a triarm out for a blat. Honda pre did the blade with the 400 and they didnt get it wrong.

and if its not quick enough, give graeme france a call.

[Mr & Mrs Cake]

Thanks for all the advice! It really gives us something to go off, and we'll definitely use fresh fuel when we get a new battery. We took the fuel pipes off to replace them so the fuel rail is dry, they had been replaced at some point but were too short so the fuel pump was taken off it's mount and was loose!!!

I ride an R1 on the road and I'm a good enough rider not to underestimate anything that came out of Japan in the late eighties and early nineties! Mrs Cake rides a Monster 620.

Dave

[trickyd400]

I don't know about wedding and Birthday, I'd go for Victoria and Reece! :)
The kill switch just kills the ignotion circuit, not the starter. very useful for cranking the engine after oil change to get the oil pressure up before you run it!