XT600 stalls during ride, doesnt start anymore
 

So i fixed the key/main drive gear nut issue, no more big rattle sound. Just a slight one, but that's ok.


While i was driving the engine stalled i tried to kick it, started it after a while, drove close to home and then i just walked it home.

Tried a bunch of stuff.
- It has spark
- Fuel comes out of the hole if you screw it open
- Tried playing with fuel/air mixture screw
- choke or no choke

It all didn't work, next thing i guess is opening up the carbs,
Another think, there was like 500ml of oil coming from the airbox when i opened it, not good. Cleaned as best as i could..

yes, it's too much...
if it's not "revving while tipped over" (i.e. one-off) issue you might like to find the reason.
and having this amount of oil in airbox i'd clean the carbs anyways, even if bike still starts..

i have some ideas of what the problem could be but if you dont post some pics of the bike as promissed, i am not helping :laugh::mchappy:

Ok, im making some pics tommorow :)
I'll post m here

So, Here's the pictures i promised for Guzzi
https://i.imgur.com/PS7OyUG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IHxl8nW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ghRhIF9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fmubaK3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dus6KF0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Erid8fO.jpg

BTW i do have the side panels, they are just inside.
Tried to kick it a few times a minute ago but to no avail.
I would love to hear what you guys think, and with that feedback i'll get the bike back on the road!

very nice, love those oh-so-nineties pink! if you decide one day to do a sex change operation it will fit you great :)

The one thing i dont understand is what is going on behind the cylinder, on left side... looks like you have the e-start alternator cover but without the e-starter... can you take a close up pic? odd...

if you havent cleaned the carbs then do... but from my experience it is never a reason for a bike not starting "all of the the sudden", specially if it was running before and fuel gets to the carb.

just dont do like some people (also in this forum) who clean the carb ten times hoping that the problem will go away through cleaning and not fixing :)

You say you have spark, but just to make sure: disconnect the side stand switch, sometimes it plays mind games.....

If you see good spark when you take the plug out, then try to see that you still get good spark with the plug back in its hole and another one connected to the lead. When there is no plug, engine turns around easy and fast and you might see a spark, but with a plug mounted maybe not.

if it's kickstart model, check that the de-compressor system is not holding the exh. valves open slightly.

then after hearing about the oiling problem you have it could be simply a motor with very low compression thats blowing oil past the rings, sending oil to the breather/filter. An engine with weak compression sometimes starts ok when cold but becomes a bastard to start when hot.

try to do a compression test at a mechanics garage and tell us what result you get. I still suspect there was a reason you paid only 800 euro.... ;) it's too nice to cost so little.... hope im wrong

Alright Guzzi,

I could be the decompressor but i doubt it, seems to engage like its supposed to, i made a video engaging the kickstart by hand. I might have installed it wrong, is the stock position upright, or pulled tight..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2xJ...ature=youtu.be
Im hoping this still is the issue, seems like an easy fix. I do have to agree about the carbs, it ran just fine.


For the compression, Seems very unlikely i know the owner, and he was the first one and i drive it home 200km's without any troubles, plenty powerful too.

Heres some pics. There's no button for E-start btw.
https://i.imgur.com/zCSNpdx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yT3JFuR.jpg

mine is an e-start so I dont have direct experience. I do recall lots of people saying that it's not that easy to adjust the mechanism so it works as it should.


You definetely need a decompressor to kick a 600 single, so what you can do is make it manual operated instead of automatic..... thats the lever i have in all my british singles.

Did you see the video? It engages shortly and taps back into place. i was thinking maybe the timing is incorrect.. Im going to try and manually open it, and then closing it if it runs..

Edit:
So i tried it with it open, kicking it was easy. But it didnt budge. Guess i'll have to check if the sparkplug is wet, that would mean it would get fuel right?

Maybe some last options?
 

Nice looking motorbike!


I'm no expert on these, and an admitted shade tree mechanic. Had one similar and 2-3 around the same era.. between them they might be why I need a replacement right knee :-)



1) One would run fine until it warmed up/got hot, then it'd die - problem solved with a replacement CDI.


2) One would start, run fine until hot, then pop/fart and die. Would not re-start until it cooled down - problem solved with new intake manifold(s) - the old one was warped, so it was not simply replacing the rubber O rings and patching cracked plastic around the outside.


Will be interested in how your problem is finally sorted out.


Regards,



'Dr.G', Chief of the World Adventure Affairs Desk, CITY BIKE magazine. Professional Motorcycle Adventurer/Indian Motorcycle Racer/journalist/author/global economist/professor/World's # 1 Motorcycle Adventure Sleeper & Wastrel

Alright so another update!

I was just going over things again with my book and i got it running! not for long, but i'll explain what happened so we can find out what the issue is, i have my suspicious.

1. I checked the spark plug again to see if it sparked, and also with another sparkplug installed. Check!

2. I adjusted the play on the decompressor cable to have about 3mm of play.

3. I checked if fuel flow was free from the gas tank, and it was. When i did this i left the tap closed by accident, after this i gave it a wack and it coughed. pulled the choke and there she went. with the tap still closed. Pretty smokey but she went. Then i put it the choke and it shut right off.doh

I pulled the spark plug after trying to start it some more and it was soaking wet. I smelled and it wasnt oil, it was gas. I think we might have a stuck float valve, so its going to be a thorough carb clean i guess.

What do you lads think?

Hi...love your XT. That colour combo and being a kick start would be quite rare?

If your float valve was stuck you would have fuel flowing out of the overflow vent pipe/ drain. Spark plug wet probably because only ran on the choke?Sounds like the carb does need a clean though. Possibly has crud in the bottom of fuel bowl that may get picked up by main jet combined with a clogged pilot jet under load causing it to suddenly lose power/stop . The fact it will run with choke pulled and stalls when pushed back in almost certainly means clogged pilot jet/ circuit. With a kicker engine you want the pilot jet and pilot screw circuit sparkling clean to ensure easy starting when not using choke! Before you pull the carb though, check the fuel bowl float level is correctly set 6 to 8mm below top of fuel bowl, using the clear tube method on the fuel drain as explained in the XT600 workshop manual. My data shows that the pilot screw on XT600K bikes is 1 and quarter turns out from bottom as the base setting.

Thanks for the quick respone, tommorow i have time on my hands so i consider that a good moment to work on the carb, now just hoping its indeed the issue at hand.

ok, but remember to do all the usual things that you should do when you bring a bike home: valves adjustment, new air filter, new plug, new gasoline (not the one that was in the tank for who knows how long) and last, measure compression with the de-compressor disconnected, just to understand condition of the engine.
check that the membrane in the CV carb is good and soft....

The oil in the airbox is probably because you overfilled the engine. You need to check the oillevel when the bike is warm, otherwise it will often show up too low as some oil drains from the frame into the engine.

At 500ml, some might have been sucked into the carb this wont help the combustion much =)