Biker help please

[KINGPRAWN]

Anybody own a yamaha virago/TR1?
I have just bought a yamaha TR1 1000cc Vtwin... I cannot get the front cylinder to run. I valve bought different coils! I have removed and cleaned the carbs twice, cleaned out the tap, new plugs and caps.. It does have a healthy spark! I have compression... But not 100% convinced that fuel is getting into the chamber.... How can I prove this apart from obvious wet plug...how wet is wet.. It's doing my head in now!!!!

[xs1100515]

I'd love to help but have no idea other than sell it and buy a Honda .

No seriously the Yamaha should be bullet proof.

If it's got a big fat spark and the fuel is getting through all I can suggest is to check the carbs are both working correctly and check the compression. I assume with two carbs its one for each cylinder and one might be faulty. Either too much or too little fuel. I'd also check the chokes for both working.

Start at the air filters then work your way through the chokes and throttle linkages and shafts. Something may be slipping.

My knowledge of carbs is ancient.(and probably irrelevant) All my bikes had one.......simples. My Blackbird is injected. I had a GT750 Kwacker a number of carbs but I never ever looked to find out. It just kept going and going and going..............I never had any issue. I had a triumph spitfire with twin SU's and a Viva with twin strombergs and an Alfa GT Junior with twin webbers. They were always out of tune. The shaft the choke butterfly's worked off or the throttle were always slipping. Every weekend I was stuck with a tube, one end in my ear and the other end in the carb. especially the Spitfire.

Best of luck. Sorry I couldn't be of help. I am sure someone on the site will know. Some have oil in the blood.

Martin

[xs1100515]

I'd love to help but have no idea other than sell it and buy a Honda .

No seriously the Yamaha should be bullet proof.

If it's got a big fat spark and the fuel is getting through all I can suggest is to check the carbs are both working correctly and check the compression. I assume with two carbs its one for each cylinder and one might be faulty. Either too much or too little fuel. I'd also check the chokes for both working.

Start at the air filters then work your way through the chokes and throttle linkages and shafts. Something may be slipping.

My knowledge of carbs is ancient.(and probably irrelevant) All my bikes had one.......simples. My Blackbird is injected. I had a GT750 Kwacker a number of carbs but I never ever looked to find out. It just kept going and going and going..............I never had any issue. I had a triumph spitfire with twin SU's and a Viva with twin strombergs and an Alfa GT Junior with twin webbers. They were always out of tune. The shaft the choke butterfly's worked off or the throttle were always slipping. Every weekend I was stuck with a tube, one end in my ear and the other end in the carb. especially the Spitfire.

Best of luck. Sorry I couldn't be of help. I am sure someone on the site will know. Some have oil in the blood.

Martin

[Highroller]

Does it run on one cylinder and if so how long does it take to start from cold? My XV almost always runs on one cylinder when started from cold for a good while until the plug dries out although mine is on a single carb setup. Even when warm it burbles between one and two cylinders on idle. You could also try warming the front plug up in the oven before starting it and see if this helps. At least it may help you to start narrowing down the issues. Also look at the carb balancing as it could be out.

[zedd]

check the inlet rubbers to make sure it is not drawing air , iv,e had that before on my old bike which turned out to be a split inlet rubber , also you could take plug out & squirt a small amount of fuel in to combustion chamber refit plug & give that a go good luck with it .

[Highroller]

Forgot to mention, check that the float isn't sticking closed.

[Daisy]

Have a read through here maybe eve n post on there :-http://viragotechforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=26961

I only have BMW bikes so cant really help without being hands on.

Good Luck

[Ian and Lins]

Is it CV carbs? Could be knackered rubbers. I did have this on a BMW G/S. Try and swap the carbs over if they are not 'handed'?
Interesting bike by the way. What you going to do with it?

[b-f-c]

Having looked after my wife's virago, I found that plugs are sometimes crap from new - on more than one occasion I bought a second / third pug to replace the front.

Are the leads fairly recent? Could be a break in there.

As for fuel, a method I used was to leave the plug out while cranking. Not the brightest idea, but it works. Stand well back, no naked flames and make it a short test.

[biker1981]

I restore old bike... never a v twin though.... getting them started after years being stood is tough. but I need to hear the engine splutter just to see the extent of the restoration,.

Sometime is you cant get them firing... and suspect is fuel.. its normally the carb. Sometimes it just needs help dragging the fuel through.

Im not sure if you should or if its the right thing to do ( small print) I get a small cap of of fuel and drop a few drops of petrol down the cylinder... stick the plug back in and see what happends.... don't over do the fuel... if you have a good spart chances are it will run for a little bit.

If your getting it it running for a few seconds.. chances are its fuel and least you know where to start... sometimes it fixes the problem after a couple of goes.

Please only do this if the piston a re free moving... and off your own back. Ive never had an issue. but im sure its not recommended in the owners manual.

[bluedirtydigit]

Was the bike running properly when you bought it? Have you tried undoing the drain plug on the carb to see if fuel is actually going in the carb? you say you have a good spark I take it you mean on both and not just one, from memory it's not uncommon for the front cylinder to play up but it's normally plug and leads being in the front it catches all the crud from the road. I would check the float level and the jets if it wasn't running when you got it how long has it been standing? let us know how you get on I am sure we can get it going if it ran before it will run again.

[KINGPRAWN]

Ok guys... Story goes... I'm the third owner, second owner bought it in 87 and put in the garage in 06 and there it's sat. It bought it knowing it smoked and wasn't running well, but was promised that when it was put away in 06 all was well.... Sound like a yarn but with the amount of history I got with it I'm quite confident to take his word, it's wanted for nothing and is obviously cherished. I have removed and stripped the carbs twice, new plugs and caps, I have found different coils and a different TCI (cdi) unit . Nothing makes any difference ( except with the other TCI it won't run at all.... But guess that could be duff??? It's identical but is one digit different on its case, but people say that that they're all the same??. It starts and idles beautifully . Gave it a blast up the road and the smoking has stopped but it won't rev clean and splutters at high revs , but won't rev past 5k ! ...have another TCI unit coming to try....if it's not that ... I'm spent!!!!!

[Aidan]

pm Dai, he's a motorbike wizard but he probably hasn't read this post

[dbug]

Can you swap the carbs onto the other cylinder ie put the known runner onto the non running cylinder then start it up see if it works ?

My money will be on a blockage in the carb - fuel will have evaporated in the chamber and left some crud in there that's dried out and caused a blockage. Had this a couple of times on some of my older bikes.

Break the carb open , float bowl off and anything else you can take off it and clean.

One option I used in the past was to stick the whole carb into a big tub of fresh petrol or white spirit and let it all soak for a couple of days. Then blow out all the jet holes you can find with an airline or an air can from maplins

[KINGPRAWN]

I wish life was that kind!!! Sadly they're handed!!!!