HELP bike quite!!!

[midnightrider1300]

Wife and i was riding Sunday afternoon, filled it up with gas rode 12 miles and bike QUIT. Wouldn't start, no lights came on and it wasn't hot. Called my son to bring a trailer, when he arrived the bike would crank but didn't run right acted like it was only running on 2 cylinders..got loaded and to the house. later that afternoon i tried to crank it and it cranked right up like nothing was wrong, I rode it to work no problem...Now my mechanic thinks it could be a fuel pump, BUT i hate to pay close to $300.00 for a part and that NOT be the problem... Has any1 else had anything like this happen to them?

[midnightrider1300]

not quite

[Mike G in SC]

If it happens again, suggest you pull the left side cover so you can see the pump.

Turn on the key and kill switch. Tap on it good with some tool and listen to see if it pumps up.

If it does, may be on it's way out. Might be able to clean contacts?

(You may be able to just bang on the side cover with your palm before you go to the trouble of removing it, while key and switch is on. My RSTD did this the other day.)

 

But search on this forum for GRAVITY FEED so you can avoid having to tow it.

You can do this with few tools and no parts and still ride the bike fine.

[Peder_y2k]

Wild guess, but could be water in the fuel from the last fill-up. Been raining there lately?

If there is a way to drain the contents of each carb, then one can look for water in the catch container, as it will sink to the bottom of the fuel.

If water is confirmed, add a water dispersant to the fuel tank, such as Heet or similar that absorbs the water and burns it up with the engine running.... or, drain the whole fuel tank and separate the water out by pouring the gas off leaving the water behind.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

''88VR

[steamer]

sounds like water to me. the tank had time to settle over night. Pull the hose off of the petcock valve drain some gas into a clear bottle make sure you set the valve to reserve so you get a sample from the bottom of the tank. I just went through the same thing, found a lot of water in the bottom of the tank.

[midnightrider1300]

ok I got my fuel pump off. I had debated on weather to go back with OEM or Mr Gasket. well Mr Gasket won out in the end, I also spent another $25.00 on an atwood fuel demand valve to keep from flooding the carbs if I forgot to turn off the gas... I also figured out I'd have to get some 90 degree elbows to run my fuel line threw to make the turn without pinching the line...any other suggestions would be GREAT

[Trader]

For folks who think they may have water in the gas, a few ounces of methyl hydrate works wonders.

Often used as gas line antifreeze