I finally bought a compression tester a couple days ago. Not sure what took me so long, every home mechanic should have one. Yesterday I went to look at an old Triumph that was for sale near me... it felt good to roll in with some tools and do a few tests on the bike before making an offer. When I bought my first motorcycle two years ago I had no idea what to look for when buying an older bike. I got lucky and ended up with a solid motorcycle.
I find on most bikes, ATV's and other types of 4 stroke Small Engines that, Valve clearance & timing is one of the first things to check if you have a heck of a time starting it & know Spark & Compression is good. This is a really good video for people getting into this trade!! Good stuff Bud!! DEv
The value in service manual (170psi) is for a "dry" and warm engine. The engine in the video was cold & "dry", and has 160psi. If the compression came in really low, I would have performed a wet compression test or leak down test.
Keep looking on ebay and maybe some forums. Be patient, I'm sure one will be available soon. I have seen some people use RTV silicone on their leaky boots. I can tell you that it does not work that great, however, given the situation you are in, it might be worth a shot. Make you check for vacuum leaks after the repair. I have a vid on that as well.
i think there's compression on my bike as i can hear something like swallowing or gulping air when trying to start, or could it be that jets are all clogged up?
I got this problem with my 125cc kawasaki underbone . . Sometimes its hard to start and kinda slips or just doesnt have any compression.. my clutch was changed last month.. It also has rough idle.. it's not consistent and hotter than normal.. i ride the bike everyday so i can tell that its warmer than before.. Carb was cleaned also.. It seems like it has low torque when im under small load and i hear tik sound, im not sure if that's pinging..but it only comes when i open the throttle wide while under load..if not under load, opening the throttle just give me the feeling of no power, making noise but no power then i have to lower the rpm then clutch feels like got enganged and power backs in.. Ive been fiddling with a/f scew bht it seems to change nothing..my bike is all stock..no mods or anything.. almost 30k and none of the parts were replaced except for sparkplugs and tire Engine is the same with kx110 but with 125 displacement It accelerates quite slow, the rpm rise slowly .. like every gear is so long ..except 1st and 2nd..
Heyy man i can’t get mine to work I bought it brand new and I followed all the steps but I notice when I put the spark plug in the engine doesn’t want to run and then when I take the spark plug out the engine runs perfectly but when the spark plug isn’t in the engine all the air come out from where the spark plug goes instead do you know why is it doing this ?
what honda engine is this ? i bought a bike with same model motor but missing wire harness here in Vietnam the guy used Ethernet wire on every thing please help
i wanted to warch the mechanic video . but while i was watching it something caught my attention at the minute 3:43 you see a little speck light flying from the gas tank to the floor. people into spiritual stuff call them orbs and they seem to have their own decision in what direction to go. as to mechanic its a really nice video well explained and simple to understand it . thank you for the video. keep on uploading good videos like this . seek the lord first before anything else.
I dropped my bike and caused fairing damage by the right mirrow where the battery is. The battery seems to work perfectly fine. It ran just fine after this to put my bike on the barge from Alaska to Seattle. That day, it rain fine until I left and shifted into 3-4 gears. It started to stutter and felt like it was losing power. I parked and then it stopped starting. Do you think you can give me an idea of what could be going on?
I have a 1999 Husky WR125. The plug has been fouling and never has before. It is in the shop for new fork seals and he is going to check the carb adjustment. If I perform a compression test, will that give me a good idea if the rings are bad and causing the problem? Thanks for the great video.
@@HTMR So when I press the start button I dont hear any noises. I dont have the compression tester yet but if I did shouldn't I hear noises when I press the start button.
I don't know about good spark but that's a way to check for bark and the bike only fires on one stroke so I don't think you should keep kicking to build up compression the motor can't do that
that's the thing matt I'm trying to figure out if I should get a whole new engine cuz I don't have a compression Gage It had a leak before I add new gasket all around now nothing but before wen I knew of leak I couldn't set idle so I'm thinking new engine or comparison one more thing I had damaged wire that leads to side stand????? I try to hard wire it but it go tru a metal divider so I'm not sure cuz it has something to do with a kill switch or what I will send you pictures
Sounds like you have carb issues dude, if the bikes carbureted try cleaning the carb or if you live in an area that changes climate a lot you might have to re-jet it. Try cleaning it first to try and save a little bit of cash, even though the jet kits are no more than like 60 bucks give or take. Either way I suggest you clean the carb first then re jet it if the issue continues... but definitely sounds like fuel issues. Hope this helps bud.
I have a 250cc pitbike and it's been sitting in the shed for ages.. had a look at it today and the kick won't kick properly, and the electric start won't work. (Keeping in mind it hasn't been started in years) what should I do to clean up and make the thing run
NEVER place the spark plug inches from the open plug hole when doing this spark test... Unless you like putting out fires. What will happen is that when you crank the engine fuel will be pushed out of the open plug hole and meet your spark.. Result, no eyebrows.
and identify delete by using the starter fluid technique Ennis car idling after I took cylinder apart and try cleaning carburetor good like I thought I did LOL I get nothing I get a spark but nothing the air filter is dirty it needs to change but I don't know my only guess is that it has something to do with the size stand wired not being wired right or it has no compression at all I know a compression gauge is only like 40 maybe $80
Matthew - I'm trying to start up my honda hornet 250 1996, it was starting fine, but i noticed fuel leaking on carbs so i pulled out carbs and used metal epoxy to patch the micro holes on carb, used silicone gasket maker on each carb, silicone was crap at it can't handle gas, it starts but still with leaks, pulled out carb again, remove silicone, used threebond on each carb, and now no more leaks but bike doesn't start, i used the old plugs and still the same, battery is good since i'm using a charger, i havn't tried the last step you did, question is - i should remove the inline 4 carbs and spray each cylinder with carb cleaner or wd40? then try starting it? no kickstarter on my bike, need help badly.. hope to hear from you
+Joms F Most epoxies will not hold up to fuel. So if your bowls have holes in them, replace them with new or used from ebay. Next, order the proper gaskets for the carbs, don't ever use sealant. Use carb spray or starting fluid if carbs are off. However, just spray into the carbs rather than taking them all off.
CAN ANY ONE HELP i have a 110cc it has good spark and compression, the bike wont turn on though could it be because the carby on it is too big and theres a gap between the carby and inlet manifold
Matt - is it possible to check compression of an engine that’s been removed from frame - engine still assembled.....can’t seem to find how to make it kick to check with it out of the bike
A motorcycle technician told me that if you don't have a kill switch, you can ground the spark plug like you did. Why would have you have to do that though?
Hi I'm hoping you can help me I'm resorting a honda cm200t and its my first I know it's old but its all I could afford at the time and I've replaced the small spark advancer that replaced the points and breaker system off the 1980 model mines was registered 83 in uk but I don't know how to fix the timing as it won't start all I get is an odd pop from exhaust as if trying to start please help
Awesome video! Just got a Honda CB125S, and I have been trying to get it to start. I checked the spark plug as you did in this video, haven't properly checked compression, because I do not have a compression test gauge. Sprayed some starting fluid into the engine as you did and it ran for a second or two. After that, I charged the battery and put everything back together and got it to start for a second or two, but it dies out very quickly and cannot get it to run without it dying. I can only guess that maybe its a timing issue?
Alright, cleaned the carb and put everything back together again and got it running, but it won't idle and throttle seems sluggish. Adjusted the idle screw and it doesn't want to seem to idle below 4k rpm, and eventually dips and wants to die out. I also started hearing a knock or metal sound every now and then which I know is a bad sign, so I'm guessing its a valve timing issue?
Seth Swenson Seth, did you clean the pilot jet and all carb passages? That is what meters fuel at low speeds. Have you gapped points and adjusted timing?
My Honda atc has very good spark but it will not start ( it’s not the carby!!!) we were putting fuel straight into the motor and nothing was happening anyone know what this could be?
About 5 months ago my KTM 300 went through water & turned off . It started for about 3 mins and shut off , it never powered up after that ! I put it in the storage for a couple months, now I have time to work on it ! What should I do ??
my motorcycle has wet spark plug issue how do I determine if it's oil or fuel and what's causing it. Don't know if that's relevant but I also hear minor knocking when I do slightly hard acceleration especially when I'm in the wrong/higher gear for that speed.
I’d say change the spark plug to eliminate that, see if it’s doing the same, then I’d see what’s with the carb, adjust the valves, and see if she still knocks? Also google works too!
hi my bike cut out last week I'm not sure why I was at the traffic lights and all of sudden it just died down no noise or anything I changed the spark today and it still won't turn over it only makes the sound when you hold the brake and starter button can you help me please
i have a 90cc dirt bike. it sat for a couple of years. I decided to crank it up one day it took about 20 min but I got it running ok. I turned it off after I rode it.went back to see if it still crunk and I kickstarted it and nothing happened. you can hear the gears turning in the engine. do yall know what it could be
Hey I have a 125cc dirt bike I believe that not enough gas is going through cause once I got it started and after 5minutes of riding it died on me like there was no gas left but I checked there was gas and now it doesn't start what should I check
Thx M8 , What was in that can you sprayed to get it to fire?, as i have a good spark and comp... but cant get my 138QMB 50cc to fire up, Thx Paul PS you need to work on screwing them holes!!
MatthewMCRepair Figured out my problem (only with the help of these great helpful vids people upload on here), no gap on the inlet valve, Spent a ton on new parts ie carb/cdi/coil/plug ect ect, and it turns our to be a 0.004 gap LOL!!!, well we live a learn!! my scooter has only 1000miles and im told the valve seats sometimes take a little time to settle, Just one last thing, i adjusted the valve to get as small gap as i could as iv no feeler gauges, Scooter then started ok but only with a little throttle (so i know that the no valve gap was the problem) iv not run it until my feeler gauges i ordered get here to set the gaps correct, What im trying to ask is once the gaps are set correct do you think this will allow the scooter to start normally without adding a little throttle ??, Thx Paul
+bus driver I have no idea. I've never heard or performed such a test. Get the service manual and follow the trouble shooting section for spark issues.
my bikes starts sometimes and sometimes it doesnt. I have spark and the carb is clean. I have compression. I sprayed ether into the motor without carb on it just like you did and even with spark it didnt start.
I think it might be the float is not set correctly because when I took the plug out, it was completely dry after about 10 kicks with the kick starter but I will try a new plug as well. Thanks
If your bike requires a key or switch in order to turn your bike on then yeah definitely the key has to be in the “ on “ position. That’s how the bike receives its spark... but if your bike doesn’t have a key or a switch just a kick start then you don’t need any of that, just make sure the kill switch is off so the bike can receive the spark it’s suppose to get. Hope this helps, goodluck bud.
hi matthew i have a 1992 ninja 600 it has gravity feed. before i removed the carbs it ran. when i put them back on it only runs with starting fluid then dies. my petcock has no way of telling you if its in prime or on but i tested it by trying to start it with the fuel line off. fuel still comes out. so im not to sure why it only fires with starting fluid. please help lol
The petcock should flow no matter what in PRI position. ON/RES positions will need engine vacuum in order for it to flow. Sounds like you are not getting fuel for some reason. Did you hook up the petcock vacuum line?
Hey i have a 125cc thumpstar has been sitting for about 1-2 years and i got it running got new airfilter and new fuel and went at it for about 30 mins it fierd up and she was pretty smooth. but today it was running perfect after i went for a little i left the fuel on by axcedent then i tried starting it and it just would fire. what would be the problem ?
Maybe the float needle is hanging up or dirty causing it to flood? When this happens, is there any fuel leaking into airbox? Pull the spark plug, is it wet or dry?
MatthewMCRepair Found this on a note Default Using the Correct Starting Fluid in a Two Stroke. Using starter fluids such as ether based or any starter fluid made for starting 4 stroke engines will cause severe damage to a two stroke motor. Normal engine starter fluid should not be used in a two stroke is because it does not contain enough lubricating properties to protect the piston and cylinder walls. A 4-stroke engine gets oil from the crank case and it is moved up and down on the cylinder walls to keep it lubricated. Every upward motion a piston makes in a 4-stroke engine carries oil to the cylinder walls to lube the piston and cylinder; this means the engine is automatically lubricated so when you spray starter fluid in to start the motor the cylinder walls have oil on them. Two strokes are lubed by a gas and oil mixture, they do not have oil in their crank case so if you don’t have gas and oil mixed to start the engine you will not have lubrication between the piston and cylinder walls, this will cause major scoring on the pistons and the cylinders. In conclusion, use only WD40 as a starter fluid for your two stroke engines. It contains enough petroleum in its formula to protect your engine on start up.
my bike is running smoothly in idle condition. if i throttled my bike, engine getting turn off. I tried fully open petrol screw, half open petrol screw and one and half rotation open. but engine getting off. in idle speed, engine runs smoothly. i can't ride my bike due to this problem. if i throttle my bike, its getting thum and off.
I picked up a project 1990 yz 250 2 stroke i did get it started after alot of kicks and it ran then died.i did a compression test and it had 195psi and does have spark .I read the manual and did all the ignition test it said I had a bad primary coil on my ignition coil and and the stator was out of spec..i ordered brand new parts and I did the same test and they somehow are still out out spec. what would be the next move? thanks in advance
MatthewMCRepair the spark looked pretty weak to me. the first statorcoil was out of spec. the new and second stator was out in a different area the stator says 36-54 I'm getting 79 the company said they wind it different so that's ok for there product. then the ignition coil says .26-.36 I'm getting .7. on the primary coil the secondaryis good on both.
That spark looks good to me. Double check to see if you have the ignition timing correct. Install a BRAND NEW plug and try starting it again. If plug comes out dry, it's not getting fuel. You can try adding a bit of fuel down plug hole and see if it will fire.
I've a low pressure carburettor, it's been cleaned along with the float and jets but still not working. could it be an air leak and if so where and how do I find it. thanks jon
@@gnarsick ground out = electrical power connected to a huge chunk if metal that has no electricity, so it can absorb it/extra excess electricity turns to heat=meltdown components.
Hey man, can you help me with this? I can't get my r125 malossi 180cc bike started. The (new) battery and a jump-starter is connected so it cant be the supplied power. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ODovMpLXnIU.html. I have suspicion that the starter might be bad. I had this problem before I installed the 180cc BigBore kit too, but to a much lesser degree.
My bike will run after getting jumped like 15 times then when u get going it will start to bog then get all power back bog again and then shut off plz help
junterb Amba that’s most likely your stator, my scooter had same problem, change it and I’m good! Also the connection or the wire that connects to the spark plug could be broken or kinked somewhere
+Nick Barringer Your quad has a decrompression mechanism, so it will be low. However, I typically see service manual call for about 60psi with a decomp. Double check with your service manual on what it should be.
I think you're supposed to check the suck squeeze before the bang blow,routine consumables are usually placed in remotely accessible places for a reason, it's like having toilet paper in the kitchen, sure you can run out there every time butt its only going to make you a shitty Runner
