[ricky_1605]

Nice work done but somehow i feel the gap between the rear tyre and mudguard is too much. Did you get that modified?

[350biker]

Originally Posted by ricky_1605

Nice work done but somehow i feel the gap between the rear tyre and mudguard is too much. Did you get that modified?

No i have not modified anything on the mudguard. It is actually the way i got it from the company.

Somehow I too had a feeling that the gap seems to be too much. Is there any way i can lower the same ??

[ricky_1605]

Originally Posted by 350biker

No i have not modified anything on the mudguard. It is actually the way i got it from the company.

Somehow I too had a feeling that the gap seems to be too much. Is there any way i can lower the same ??

You have to get the supporting bars shortened which will involve cutting and welding but you have to be careful because too much cutting will harm the look even more.

[white-rabbit]

Guys,I met with a minor accedent las week,which resulted in braking of gear lever,foot rest bend and LHS mirror broke.I drew the bike home immediatly after accident.After a week,today,I tried to start it.Kicker is having less load.But it is not completely free.Any Idea,how to get it running?To add,Self is not running(hope because of long timer no start).Any help is greatly appreciated.I tried adjusting decomp cable etc

[Ride_4_Fortune]

I tried starting my RE STD 350 yesterday after 3 weeks of parking it at home. After 3-4 kicks, it started but died immediately and never started again. I suspected fuse, spark plug, electrical connections and mixture flooding. All these were ruled out after inspecting them. I suspect carburator block now. But the Bullet was running fine when I used it before parking it.

The Bullet was recently shifted to my home town from Coimbatore and I had to drain the fuel tank before this. I had filled it again with fuel (bought it in a can) and was running fine till I had parked it 3 weeks ago. There is also enough fuel in the tank now. Also I presume ignition timing hasn't changed as no influencing factors.

T-BHPians, could you guys kindly give your inputs to identify the issue. What else can cause such problems !

The bike is at my home town (a place called Mathuranthagam on NH 45 - 80 kms from Madras) and I am yet to find a good mechanic around my area. In case any one of you know a good Bullet mechanic, kindly let me know.

[BulZire]

Did you try toe starting ? i mean just push it and start without using the kicker.
you did not mention about the Battery, is it in good shape ?
If Keeping it without use for 3 weeks and if it just do not start now , first suspect should be the battery in case of CI-CB point Bullets.

Else, try flushing the fuel tank and clean the carb once. the problem may be due to the fuel which would had been adulterated when you bought it in a can and used it.

[VW2010]

Did you check the battery?

Things i would check

1) Battery
2) Fuse in the tool box
3) Spark plug
4) Insane idea - But do try - Keep the bike in the hot sun for few hours. My bike gives me a good workout when i park it in rain. Wont start unless the connections are dry enough
5) Check if the ignition switch is properly on. I found that sometime the switch is not exactly 100% on and you wont see even the amp moving.

What sound are you getting while you are starting?

If you are smelling some petrol do the following?

1) Close fuel
2) Switch of the ignition
3) Give some solid exercise to your legs and give some kicks
4) Do not use choke during this time
5) Say after 5-10 kicks, switch on the ignition and give it a whack. If you hear the engine trying to start, switch on the petrol( no choke) and give it some try.

[Ride_4_Fortune]

@Bulzire and VW2010, The battery was checked. Was showing around 11.96 V with ignition ON. Also the bike was parked under shelter and protected from rain. Also I had tried what VW2010 had mentioned about free kicking. Mostly blocked carb could be the culprit.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

If the battery was dead it wouldn't have started even once. I think it's to do with the fuel line which has perhaps got clogged with some dirt. Does the horn work? If it does not, then check the electrical connection. You never know what rats can do to your wiring.

[sriku]

Check the spark plug gap, check if there is a spark by holding the plug against the engine head fins and giving a few kicks. Primary suspects are the coil, spark plug itself, points.

As you suspect a blocked carb, open it up and clean it properly. Wouldn't hurt to get a new filter element as well, depending on the condition of the existing one. Check the rubber pipe between the air filter box and the carb, if it is damaged or cracked, replace.

I would replace the fuel in the tank as well, to ensure there is no rubbish in there that is clogging the fuel line.

Without cleaning the carb and ensuring there are no foreign particles in the fuel, please refrain from any more attempts at kick starting the bike. Set the air screw of the carb to a richer setting and kick without throttle input.

All the best.

[ArizonaJim]

Ride_4_Fortune

You say that you ruled out the spark plug but, did you replace it with a new one?

Although it is rare, occasionally a spark plug will break down inside so it no longer will carry the voltage to the electrode tip.
If there is a layer of carbon on the central electrode, that can "short out" the plug so that although it is receiving enough electricity it will not produce a spark.
Although the carbon can be cleaned off it is easy to overlook the small amount that will short out the plug, therefore it is wise to replace the plug rather than to clean it.


While you've got the spark plug out be sure to test to see if it is sparking when the engine is kicked over. If it is not, you will know that the problem is electrical.

I'm sure you already know this but for those who don't, the first thing to check is the battery and the ignition switch.
This is easily done by turning the ignition switch on and then turning on the headlight and honking the horn. If the light fails to light and the horn fails to beep you've found the basic problem.

To check the spark plug and spark, remove the spark plug.
Re-attach the spark plug wire with the plug laying against the cylinder head in a position that allows you to see the electrodes.
Turn on the ignition.
Push the kick starter (or electrical starter button) to rotate the engine.
You should see a bright blue spark snapping across the spark plug gap.

If there is no spark and it is an old spark plug, replace it and test it again.

If there still is no spark check the "kill switch" on the right handlebar if your bike has one. (More than once, "helpful hands" have been known to "push the button" without your knowledge.)

Check all of the fuses.
Try turning the ignition switch on and off several times leaving it on while you test for spark again.

If still no spark, if your bike is not computer controlled, open or remove the cover for the ignition points. Push the kick starter to rotate the engine while watching for movement of the ignition points. They should be closed for most of the revolution and then open briefly when the cam lifts them. If they don't move you've found a problem.
They should open at least 0,4mm. (Check your owners manual for the proper gap.)

If they open and close properly, rotate the engine so the points stay open.
Turn on the ignition switch and while watching the electrode on the spark plug, bridge the open ends of the points with a screw driver or some other metal object to temporarily close them and to complete the electrical circuit). You only want to complete the electrical circuit with the screw driver so don't adjust anything.

That should produce a very small spark at the points.
If it does you will know that the wiring, fuses and ignition switch are working properly.

If no small spark is produced by bridging the point gap it indicates that either power is not reaching the points because of a bad fuse or wiring connection, faulty ignition switch or defective ignition coil. ( With some wiring systems the ignition switch has a separate set of contacts for the ignition coil so even though the headlight and horn worked it doesn't necessarily mean the ignition switch is good.

When you remove the screw driver or metal connector so that they are no longer completing the circuit it should produce a very good spark at the spark plug electrodes.
If you get the small sparks at the ignition points but no spark at the spark plug it indicates either the ignition coil is defective or the spark plug wire and its connector is the problem.

Spark plug wires have been known to go bad, especially the ones that use carbon to conduct the electricity.
Check to see that the spark plug wire is fully inserted into the ignition coil terminal. A Thumper like the RE can shake them loose.

The connector cap between the spark plug wire and the spark plug can also be a problem so make sure the cap is fully attached to the wire in a positive manner.

You can try replacing the spark plug wire and connector temporarily with an insulated wire to see if the coil is creating the high voltage but beware!
The output voltage from an ignition coil is over 15,000 volts which can knock you clear across the room if it gets to you. In a worst case situation it can be fatal.

Examining the wiring connections and fuses is fairly straight forward.
Unfortunately, testing the voltage at the coil requires the use of a volt-ohm meter and not everyone has one.

For those who do, with the ignition switch on and the ignition points open you should be seeing 12 volts (or nearly 12 volts) on both of the coils low voltage terminals when checking the voltage to the engine case or some other ground.

For those who don't have a volt-ohm tester they should consider getting one. There are usually some very good ones available for a moderately low cost.

The other members pretty much covered the fuel issue and what to look for so I won't get into that area.

Good luck.
Jim

[Ride_4_Fortune]

@sriku, ArizonaJim - Thanks for your inputs. I pretty much covered the tests you guys have mentioned about the spark plug check including putting a new spark plug. The result was the same - no firing. So as of now, I would check the carb to see if it is blocked. Also I would see the electrical terminals as you have mentioned.

[sriku]

Originally Posted by Ride_4_Fortune

@sriku, ArizonaJim - Thanks for your inputs. I pretty much covered the tests you guys have mentioned about the spark plug check including putting a new spark plug. The result was the same - no firing. So as of now, I would check the carb to see if it is blocked. Also I would see the electrical terminals as you have mentioned.

So did you see a strong spark when you tested the plug?
sometimes the connecter cable to the spark plug also could be a problem. Let us know if you see a spark or not. Based on that we could further debug.

If you do not see a spark, go get a new coil and try that. If the old coil hasn't been damaged, you'll still need a spare around sooner or later, so it won't go waste.

I went through hell with my Std 350's electrical issues. So I took the easy way out and replaced the entire wiring harness. Total peace of mind now.

[deutscheafrikar]

You need three things to run
1. Fuel
2. Ignition
3. Compression

I would check for proper compression.
Then I would check for fuel.
Did you remove the spark plug connect the high tension lead, hold it against the top of the head and kick?
or did you remove the spark plug add a cc of fuel and kick and try that?

[350biker]

Dear All,

I am now planning to put a windshield on the bull. Have tried local showroom and auto spares shops. It seems that the windshields are no longer manufactured.

Can any one please help me in sourcing the same? Would appreciate the help.