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 =)

Im glad i can correct you i wasnt the one who overfilled it, the last owner did. Oil in the machine now is on leven when measured warm. But you defo could be right about oil in the carbs, we'll see tommorow

Alright so i found out that intake boots are separated. Which i guess is not normal, this could explain the weird behavior of it running with choke, because more of more/false air. I ordered new ones.

https://i.imgur.com/ThSSqbj.png
https://i.imgur.com/tWbOjbv.png

yep, that would explain.... got to say that never saw manifolds de-laminate so badly..... go for originals, not alibaba stuff, such a nice bike deserves it!

Shade tree mechanic on the job
 

So, part 2 of Post # 10 above from under the shade tree might be the gremlin:

"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."


That is one nasty looking manifold...am surprised motorbike would even start. Hope the new ones do the trick, and save your right knee.

Hi Pannekoek, if you don't want to wait weeks for aliexpress, you can order replacement here (dutch site)

https://www.uitlaatstore.nl/yamaha-x...grubbers-xt600

It's where I got mine from

haha, im suprised how well the bike ran when driving home, it was missing some power.

I decided to order from ali because it saves good money which i dont have a lot of right now, and i've got other modes of transportation. Usually to the netherlands it takes 10-15 days which is ok

Here we are, back again.

Carb Boots replaced. Managed to start it with the choke on, pushed in the choke, turned off. never got it started again....

Starting to really get annoyed by this motorcycle.... :(
Strange thing is, with the choke in, the idle ran like normal and steady.
Pulled the plug to check and it was soaking wet as well.

Don't think it's likely i'll buy a kickstart bike anytime soon...

https://i.imgur.com/xQDt7LT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7R02SOX.jpg

See, told you there was a reason it was only 800 euro :)


Jokes aside, you are not so clear:


"Strange thing is, with the choke in, the idle ran like normal and steady."


Choke PUSHED in, means the choke is OFF



or "choke IN" meaning it's on?


If it floods the plug like that it could be that choke doesnt really close the passage, i.e. not really OFF.



Also, i hope the previous owner wasnt trying to correct the problem of the boots with a bigger jet or other idiocy.


Last, we need to hope that you put it all back right after your boots and carb clean, it could be some silly mistake in reassembly that will be hard to help you find through forum posts.



Annoying after only a few weeks? you still dont know what suffering for your moto means :)

Im glad to say again, i dont think its a nugget.

With the choke engaged somewhat, i was actually able to drive it.
And when it drives, its quite good! Plenty power, pulls well.

Air filter is pretty oily because of the fall sometime 3 weeks ago.

About the last owner, yeah he was a bit of a nugget so it might be a good idea to look into that, it could be to rich, or to lean. I dont know.

Lets not forgot it drove fine with stock settings before i got it home, so something must have happened. Or yeah he could have put in a bigger jet to combat the broken boots.

Here's a vid of her running with my hand on the throttle, trying to be steady
https://youtu.be/1hAnoYQ1cF0

if the filter is a foam one, then oil is no problem, they are made to work oily



if the filter is the original paper one and it is contaminated with oil , then the oil could be disturbing the air passage making you run rich


if its paper filter, try to remove it and see if it helps.

Keep on kicking
 

Ouch, my right knee hurts just reading your XT tale!!


I'm out of ideas.


I could get one to start by spraying WD 40 straight into the air cleaner housing rather than using the choke....and after it started and warmed up it would start without the choke.



Keep on kicking, you at least knows it runs.

Well guys, nothing worse that could have happened. it got stolen:frown:
It wasn't insured for theft, because i thougt. well who's gonna steal an old bike. And i was just able to drive it...

Maybe it'll come back to you, if not, Plan B
 

Well, that really sucks.


Where are you?


I've a Plan B - if you're interested, I've a 1982 XT550 with only a couple of thousand miles on it that I will donate to you to replace your lost XT600. Has USA title, pretty clean and very low miles. Been in dry storage for 20 years, engine turns over. It's a kick starter, so you're familiar with the b****.


It's located in Denver, Colorado, USA, dry storage.


PM me and we can chat if interested.


In the meantime, maybe yours will come back to you after the thief realizes he can't get it running.



I'm like you, mine's not insured for theft, as I believe it'd be a fool who would even want to steal it....but after six motorbike rides around the globe and over a million miles on motorbikes, I learned the world is filled with fools.

If the air filter is oily, first take it out and try to ride it, see how it goes. I've seen air filters that were "a bit oily" stop the bike from running at all well. They're supposed to be "slightly damp" with oil, not dripping! Squeeze the filter as hard as you can, several times, and wipe excess off with a rag and it's right.

WTF!? thats really bizzare! Dont feel bad about not insuring, none of my old bikes are insured for theft, just not worth it, even if you find someone willing to insure you.


The only bike I dont like to leave outside without a heavy chain is the 1986 BMW R80G/S, as these have now stupid high prices and i know it can attract attention... but the rest of my 80' bikes? I never worry about them.


try to post about it in some dutch forums like www.motor-forum.nl with pics of the bike.

With that amount of oil in the air box has the filter become blocked ?

Cheers
Min