Don't know if anyone can help diagnose long distance, but here's the scoop: Left home, bike running great as always, stopped for gas, then started right back up. Then went for breakfast, after which it wouldn't start, after about a 20 minute stop. Starter even sounded funny, turned over fine, but backfired & didn't even try to fire up. Did not hear the fuel pump engage when key turned on. Got it towed to a garage, they thought fuel pump, but then it magically started working, and they couldn't make it fail again, so off I go.

115 miles later, stopped for gas and water break. After gassing up, started right up as usual, drove it up to the front door to go in for water. Came back out and repeated the scenario above - sounds funny, backfires, wont start. Towed AGAIN. This shop says fuel pump is working (and proved it to me), but says timing seems off, and says he thinks stator is bad (not positive, but says he has checked everything else).

It's an '01 with 45,000 miles, maybe time for something to fail? There was no warning, it's been running great.

Any thoughts?? I hope he is right, but you guys are the experts, and now my bike is 200 miles from home...

Shut your fuel off at the petcock about 15 to 30 seconds before turning the key off. The heat while the bike is stopped, is causing the fuel to expand and push out of the bowl, flooding the bike. You can roll the throttle completely open...and hold it open...... and then start the bike, similar to the way we used to start the older carbed cars when they were flooded.
Those who have gone pumpless, have pretty much ended the problem.

I turn my fuel off at the petcock all the time now just because(I've ditched the pump), and even start the bike before I turn the fuel back on.....by the way, don't forget to turn it back on.

Either bad fuel pump relay or fuel pump. when it don't start check for power at the fuel pump plug if you have power and the pump isn't running you have a bad pump. If you don't have power at that point go back to the relay and check for power in/out of the relay.

I agree with the carb puke scenario above. Additionally, if the speedometer and fuel gauge are cycling back through to zero while you are cranking, your battery is weak and/or connections weak. This leads to weak spin, and weak spark, which all conspires to make it hard to start, along with the flooding scenario above. Hope this helps.
Try shutting the petcock off as reccomended, and check to see what the meters are doing. Most here have done something to help out the starter system. I installed 4 gauge wires and a 310 CCA battery. If your bike has an O.E.M. part number, it's only 270 CCA, which would not be helping the situation.

It's not acting like it's flooded. It's acting like an electrical problem. It's not firing or even trying to start, although there is fire to the plugs. The fuel pump is working, as are all relays and fuses.

davej wrote:
Either bad fuel pump relay or fuel pump. when it don't start check for power at the fuel pump plug if you have power and the pump isn't running you have a bad pump. If you don't have power at that point go back to the relay and check for power in/out of the relay.

My pump does not always run on key switch on, but it works. If you chop the petcock on shutdown, and turn it on prior to turning the key on, it's pretty much guaranteed to come on.

ks_scot wrote:
It's not acting like it's flooded. It's acting like an electrical problem. It's not firing or even trying to start, although there is fire to the plugs.

That's what flooded is. It drowns the spark. You have electric going to the plugs, but the spark(the boom) doesn't occur, because there isn't any air.
The pump isn't clicking, because there is pressure there.

By rolling the throttle wide open, you provide more air to offset the flooding, and the bike should catch and start. "Carb puke" is a pretty common problem with the Roadies do to heat. The ethanol blend in the gas, exacerbates the situation.

By the way, if you really think it is a fuel pump issue, then bypass the whole fuel pump and filter, by running a fuel line from the petcock to the carb,....like so....see, no pump....gravity is a law, not just a good idea

SKWEARpeg wrote:
Shut your fuel off at the petcock about 15 to 30 seconds before turning the key off. The heat while the bike is stopped, is causing the fuel to expand and push out of the bowl, flooding the bike. You can roll the throttle completely open...and hold it open...... and then start the bike, similar to the way we used to start the older carbed cars when they were flooded.
Those who have gone pumpless, have pretty much ended the problem.=====================

Yup,agree this (carb puke/flooding fuel into motor!) is likely culprit which some Yami bike shops are not up to speed on at all!

Its not timing,the timing setting in the ECU doesnt all the sudden change for no reason make the bike not start one min then start the next min running ok for a while & then go south again.

Poss causes:

* Dirt/contam in carb making float mechanism sticky resuling in flooding.

Before doing anything deep you could 1st try a healthly dose of seafoam or chevrons EFI /carb cleaner in blk plasitc bottle,use the more expensive version of the chevron efi/carb cleaner that states its the more concentrated version for max cleaning ability,both of those cleaners can also clean comb chambers/pistons/valves of excessive carbon too.

* Needle & seat in carb worn out casuing carb to flood requiring carb disassembly to re-adj float lvl.

* Incorrect float lvl causing flooding requiring carb disassembly to re-adj float lvl.

* As stated above heat from motor causing fuel to boil out of carb into motor flooding it,thats common issue with many R*'s.

Can fix that by properly insulating fuel system which fixed same issus i had on my 06 Silverado,took me approx 2hrs to do(without carb removal!) and $15-20 for special space age 2k deg adheasive backed metal faced insualting tape i got from autozone.

* Could also remove lrg sock airbox/aircleaner assembly and install a smaller aftermarket BAK .

Doing that allows a lot more air into carb area and also more air inbetween cyls too which usually reduces op temp in that area enough to stop carb from overheating enough to puke -boil the fuel into the motor flooding it.

But also keep in mind in somce cases the better flowing BAK requires going into carb to fatten/richen it up a bit too.

* Or you could go pumpless ,but keep in mind to do it right/completely (which is best way to go!)with a higher flow pingle petcock & pigle fuel filter along with installing a new larger higher flow needle & seat and a few other items it costs a lot more then other fixes .

This also requirs carb removal to install the new larger needle & seat and to re-adj float lvl for new needle & seat too making for a fairly big project time & money wise doing the complete job esp if your not thsat mechanically inclined or experienced when it comes to doing internal carb work.

As long as its not an internal carb issue like i sttaed above if its in fact carb puke going the insulation route is the fastest/cheapest/easiest way to stop carb puke esp for a not so mechanically inclned person.

Good luck.

Scott

Just a comment Scott...
================================

"* Or you could go pumpless ,but keep in mind to do it right/completely (which is best way to go!)with a higher flow pingle petcock & pigle fuel filter along with installing a new larger higher flow needle & seat and a few other items it costs a lot more then other fixes .

This also requirs carb removal to install the new larger needle & seat and to re-adj float lvl for new needle & seat too making for a fairly big project time & money wise doing the complete job esp if your not thsat mechanically inclined or experienced when it comes to doing internal carb work."

=================================

There are members here who have simply gotten rid of the pump and done nothing else, and they are doing fine.
Although the larger needle and seat is a fine idea, some haven't done it and experience no problems. My fuels filter is just a cheapy from AZ. I'm not experiencing any starvation issues that are not directly related to the level of the fuel in the tank requiring switching to reserve...ie I ain't got but about a gallon left in the tank, its time to switch to reserve, or else. .

The entire pumpless thing, can be accomplished for less then $60, including a 3.0 grizzley valve, a cheap gas filter(like mine), and some decent 5/16 fuel injection fuel line. I will agree, that some mechanical aptitude is good, even with the Tech Articles here.

I'm agreeing with SK 100%. It's the route I went. No problems, and at no expense... okay, I did buy a $3 AZ in-line fuel filter, FF 1203.