transalp out -- sound like CDI's?

gothamAlp · 03-06-2006, 07:35 AM

sunday. just over 35 degrees so it's time to ride again.

cruising along just fine, start to lose power, look at my trip meter and think 'too early to switch to reserve' but go ahead and switch to reserve anyway, still losing power and then she dies... on the uphill side of a bridge, of course, with nowhere to stop.

end up getting towed. put some gas in. bike turns over but won't start.

y'all got any wisdom for me?

gothamAlp · 03-06-2006, 07:55 AM

tried starting it -- and now it starts again. wtf?

is CDI failure intermittent -- at first?

Kamala · 03-06-2006, 08:35 AM

I don't know if it sounds like the CDI! The bike will run on 1 cylinder when one of the CDI's craps out. Mine did the CDI thing last fall. 1 cyclinder Quit (and came back after a while) but I was able to limp home. Did the tack show 0 revs too?? (means the CDI for the rear cylinder) The bike have the new CDI carrier? (repositioning them sideways rather than up and down)

wdeTA · 03-06-2006, 08:53 AM

May be a carb issue. I've had similar problems with mine. Running fine, then stalls at stop sign and won't restart. Removing and cleaning them well is the first place to start. Eventually mine got so bad I started replacing parts. Culprit turned out to be the float valve and seat. Not terribly hard or expensive to fix, but nothing showed any obvious problem, so hard to diagnose.

Also possible the petcock is misbehaving and fuel isn't getting through. ~$16 for a rebuild kit.

CDI issues tend to affect just one cylinder and the bike keeps running, just poorly.

Dale

gothamAlp · 03-06-2006, 08:56 AM

thanks, GDF.

tack revs. bike has only 7K and the old CDI carrier; new one is in my top case and going on in a few hours.

the mystery remains...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostdogfart

I don't know if it sounds like the CDI! The bike will run on 1 cylinder when one of the CDI's craps out. Mine did the CDI thing last fall. 1 cyclinder Quit (and came back after a while) but I was able to limp home. Did the tack show 0 revs too?? (means the CDI for the rear cylinder) The bike have the new CDI carrier? (repositioning them sideways rather than up and down)

gothamAlp · 03-06-2006, 08:59 AM

thanks, wdeTA.

carbs were cleaned 1,000 miles ago. new petcock installed 200 miles ago -- my mileage was down and a few TA gurus recommended changing it. turns out the culprit there was the fuel/air mixture was 3 turns too rich.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdeTA

May be a carb issue. I've had similar problems with mine. Running fine, then stalls at stop sign and won't restart. Removing and cleaning them well is the first place to start. Eventually mine got so bad I started replacing parts. Culprit turned out to be the float valve and seat. Not terribly hard or expensive to fix, but nothing showed any obvious problem, so hard to diagnose.

Also possible the petcock is misbehaving and fuel isn't getting through. ~$16 for a rebuild kit.

CDI issues tend to affect just one cylinder and the bike keeps running, just poorly.

Dale

CNag · 03-06-2006, 05:03 PM

Perhaps a small crack in a wire.. causing a short?

gothamAlp · 03-12-2006, 11:07 AM

so... rode a lot this weekend and the same thing happened as i was switching to reserve. loss of power and then nothing. wouldn't restart.

as my luck would have it, 2 minutes later a guy on an old beemer drives by, stops. turns out he runs a bike shop. says to me: 'i know this bike.'

we look in the tank; there's still some gas swishing around. he says: 'you've got enough gas to ride this thing cross country."

he pulls off the vacuum line and hits the start button. says: 'you're getting fuel.' puts the vacuum line back on. opens the choke wide open, starts the bike. it stumbles a bit, then he gives it a lot of throttle and everything is fine.

he says: 'you've got -- or had -- some gunk in the vacuum line. or in the fuel tap strainer. clean it out when you get home. oh, and by the way, hondas never die.'

and he rides off.

p.s. i ride to the next station without incident. fill up and then ride home 2 hours in pouring rain feeling very lucky -- and like a learned something.

p.p.s thanks to all who replied with suggestions. in the meantime i did install the new CDI holder and order new CDIs as well. if/when they do go, i'll be prepared.

03-06-2006, 07:35 AM	#1
gothamAlp ^OP happy to be here Joined: Dec 2005 Location: flagstaff, az Oddometer: 805	transalp out -- sound like CDI's? sunday. just over 35 degrees so it's time to ride again. cruising along just fine, start to lose power, look at my trip meter and think 'too early to switch to reserve' but go ahead and switch to reserve anyway, still losing power and then she dies... on the uphill side of a bridge, of course, with nowhere to stop. end up getting towed. put some gas in. bike turns over but won't start. y'all got any wisdom for me?

03-06-2006, 07:55 AM	#2
gothamAlp ^OP happy to be here Joined: Dec 2005 Location: flagstaff, az Oddometer: 805	tried starting it -- and now it starts again. wtf? is CDI failure intermittent -- at first? gothamAlp screwed with this post 03-06-2006 at 08:11 AM

03-06-2006, 08:35 AM	#3
Kamala Beastly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Nashoba Valley Oddometer: 11,567	I don't know if it sounds like the CDI! The bike will run on 1 cylinder when one of the CDI's craps out. Mine did the CDI thing last fall. 1 cyclinder Quit (and came back after a while) but I was able to limp home. Did the tack show 0 revs too?? (means the CDI for the rear cylinder) The bike have the new CDI carrier? (repositioning them sideways rather than up and down) __________________ I might be old but I saw all the great bands Live! I have changed an Audi A6 Water Pump, I can do anything!

03-06-2006, 08:53 AM	#4
wdeTA TransAlp Adv Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Boulder, CO Oddometer: 373	Carbs?? May be a carb issue. I've had similar problems with mine. Running fine, then stalls at stop sign and won't restart. Removing and cleaning them well is the first place to start. Eventually mine got so bad I started replacing parts. Culprit turned out to be the float valve and seat. Not terribly hard or expensive to fix, but nothing showed any obvious problem, so hard to diagnose. Also possible the petcock is misbehaving and fuel isn't getting through. ~$16 for a rebuild kit. CDI issues tend to affect just one cylinder and the bike keeps running, just poorly. Dale

03-12-2006, 11:07 AM	#8
gothamAlp ^OP happy to be here Joined: Dec 2005 Location: flagstaff, az Oddometer: 805	update. so... rode a lot this weekend and the same thing happened as i was switching to reserve. loss of power and then nothing. wouldn't restart. as my luck would have it, 2 minutes later a guy on an old beemer drives by, stops. turns out he runs a bike shop. says to me: 'i know this bike.' we look in the tank; there's still some gas swishing around. he says: 'you've got enough gas to ride this thing cross country." he pulls off the vacuum line and hits the start button. says: 'you're getting fuel.' puts the vacuum line back on. opens the choke wide open, starts the bike. it stumbles a bit, then he gives it a lot of throttle and everything is fine. he says: 'you've got -- or had -- some gunk in the vacuum line. or in the fuel tap strainer. clean it out when you get home. oh, and by the way, hondas never die.' and he rides off. p.s. i ride to the next station without incident. fill up and then ride home 2 hours in pouring rain feeling very lucky -- and like a learned something. p.p.s thanks to all who replied with suggestions. in the meantime i did install the new CDI holder and order new CDIs as well. if/when they do go, i'll be prepared.

03-06-2006, 05:03 PM	#7
CNag Lets Ride Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Raleigh, NC Oddometer: 46	Perhaps a small crack in a wire.. causing a short?

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