Virago XV535 EP12 - NO SPARK NO START Will it Run? 

Ah that’s fantastic, I’m so glad it helped. Much love from the U.K. 🇬🇧

Absolutely !

Dude that is very kind words and if I helped a fellow biker out with a few hints and tips and it worked then honestly that’s my reward. That’s what makes RU-vid such a great place. You’ve no need to wonder how much I absorb from others so I’m glad to be able to pass it on. Appreciate the comment. Happy biking and ride safe 😊

Thank you so much 😊

Hi there Mike, glad it helped. If nothing else at least these videos give you a good look round the engine to help understand where to look for problems. 35psi is extremely low compression on the rear, that’s practically dead, it could be cracked block, bad head gasket, badly seated, carbonised or broken intake or exhaust valve(s), valve stuck open and/or hole in the piston, broken rings, all sorts. Would be worth getting a cheap bore scope and poke it down the plug hole before getting the engine out. If you’re confident rebuilding it, it’s an easy strip down, but a replacement engine probably easier. If you have a quiet place to test it, turn the engine over with a spanner and see if you can detect any unusual noise or resistance. Also think about a leak down test, before doing anything drastic, which may tell you where the gasses are escaping. Could easily be something as simple as a big chunk of carbon sat on a valve seat, most likely exhaust side, preventing it from closing properly. Two other little tests I’d do, remove the exhaust, and blow compressed air into the port, with the valve open, may clear it, do the same on the intake side. The other would be poor a little oil into the plug hole and re test the compression. If it goes up, likely rings issue, but as I say that’s extremely low, so that’s less likely. Hope that helps, let me know how you get on. All the best from across the pond. 🇬🇧 Rich.

@@memybikeni9931 thank you! Yesterday I pulled the engine. No problem doing that,but having a problem removing the cam but. It's on there pretty good. Don't have any of those copper washers to jamb the gears and it's pretty hard holding a socket on the crank but. Gonna try a bigger wrench today. I removed the clutch plates. They were all stuck together and the clutch wasn't working. Fixed that. Think I'll try the compressed air thing today before trying to remove that cam anymore. Maybe I'll get lucky. Ttyl Mike

@@mlbaileyguitars another way of jamming the gears, use an old rag, that works just as good. Heat is the next thing I’d try on the bolt. There shouldn’t be any corrosion, not even aluminium oxide (alooominum in the USA 😂) , so it’s likely thread locker, and heat will break it. If you don’t have an impact gun, improvise with a 6 point hex socket on a T bar, and a lump hammer, to give it a shock after applying heat. It’s most likely you haven’t got a good purchase on it though if you’re having to concentrate on holding the engine still.

@@memybikeni9931 thank you! I will try jambing some cloth in the gears and heating it. I'll have a torch to do it this weekend. I sheared off a smaller ratchet trying to remove it. Then I tried a 1/2 inch and socket with a big breaker bar. Wouldn't budge at all. I pounded on the breaker bar with a sledge too. I've almost rounded the head now. If the heat doesn't work I guess I'll have to drill the head off. I don't want to do that,but gotta do what you gotta do. Aluminium lolol Cracked me up everytime I heard you say that. I'll let you know how it goes this weekend. Thanks again, Mike

Well,yesterday I drilled that cam bolt out. I had rounded it off and the torch I had wasn't doing it. There was alot of carbon in there. Some chunky stuff around the exhaust valve I cleaned it all up with fine steel wool and lacquer thinner. I then poured some thinner in there and it didn't leak down. I also did it from the other side of the valves. No leaks. I poured some on top of the piston and noticed no leak down. The piston wall looked fine as well as the piston top. The thing I did notice and I believe was the problem was that the sparkplug was partially cross threaded in there and the plug wasn't fully seated. Don't know if I did this or a previous owner, but I corrected it and now the plug goes fully in straight. I didn't remove the cams because I believe the plug was the problem. I'm gonna do the same on the front cylinder and see what's going on. I was able to get new bolts at a hardware store to replace the drilled one. Also,the head gasket looked fine and I'm just gonna put it all back together using it. I can always take all back apart again if I have to. Next time will be easier.

Thanks Stephen, there are a few mostly servicing and repair videos I have done, some on my old CB500, some more recently on my NT650, worth just clicking on the channel. I made this as a rat bike, so deliberately didn’t pain or polish. But a look I do like is black cases with the edges of the fins left as polished metal, so I could have tried that.

I must admit when she didn’t start I thought I had messed up the mechanical timing but then found no spark and breathed a sigh of relief. Had to be something I’d done.

Well done, good fix

@@memybikeni9931 ... ich schreibe lieber in Deutsch, denn mein Englisch ist nicht gut. ... Vielen Dank für das Kompliment. Leider habe ich viel Zeit benötigt, bis ich den Fehler entdeckt habe, weil ich dachte, dass der Vergaser die Ursache sei. Du hättest sicherlich nicht viele Tage benötigt, um das Problem zu beseitigen. ... Bei dem Motorrad meiner Frau (ebenfalls ein Bobber) war es also so, dass nur der hintere Zylinder zündete. Der Motor funktionierte, aber er lief wie ein Sack Nüsse. 🥴

@@wernerlampe8089 I think your English is far better than my German. Being British, that’s the only language I speak 😂 it’s usually a simple problem in the end, always best to start at the spark plug end and work back. That way you’ll normally end up with the least amount of effort and expense. Next time you’ll have a better idea of what to look for, its how we all learn isn’t it. Lot of people wouldn’t have thought to check the pick up coil, so you did well there. Does your bike have two pick ups ? I’m surprised it was running at all if not.

@@memybikeni9931 Hi my friend, ... thank you very much for your compliment in case of German and English. ... 🙂 ... I'm 65 years old and 50 years ago, there was almost no way to learn english in school. So I learned something with the help of the Internet and watching movies. ... Ok, that was off topic. ... The Yamaha XV 535 have 2 Ignition coils (as you showed) and one Pickup coil. To check the Pickup coil there are 2 more positions. One on left side under the side cover. That was the connector that you showed in your Video and that was my corrodet one. All pins were full of green/white backed powder. 🥴 ... The other position is the CDi unit it self (right side of the Fuel tank). ... But you know this already, I'm sure. 👍... Best regards from Germany, ... Werner

@@wernerlampe8089 I am glad we are friends Werner, it’s nice to be able to help each other from afar. I wish our grandfathers had been better able to communicate this way, it would have saved a lot of hardship. Much love from the U.K… Richard.

Thank you, I always say it is just nuts, bolts and spanners. Electrickery is something that scares a lot of people, but basic use of a multimeter can isolate a problem and narrow it down and even if you can’t test the part like a TCI or CDI, it will tell you where the issue lies. I quite enjoy tracing problems like this. A simple break in a wire I actually caused, and then badly fixed the first time when putting the engine back in was the issue here 😊

Yes its just nuts bolts and oil 😊

So am I 😅

@@memybikeni9931 I bet!!

Many thanks

Hey there if you can answer this question I would appreciate it I have a Yamaha Virago 535 1999 it takes off pretty good but when you try to go over 65 it kind of holds back like it loses power, it has less than 10.000 miles, always been well kept with his oil changes, I clean the carburetors change air filter. Do you have any advice that can help thanks be safe God bless you🙏🙏🙋‍♂️

@@richardribot1441 it’s definitely fuel, air or spark 💁‍♂ Fuel could be a blocked fuel filter, meaning it operates ok at lower speeds but can’t keep up with fuel delivery at higher speeds, so check and change the fuel filter. Fuel pump not replenishing the float bowl under load possibly, remove the outlet pipe, hold your thumb over it see if it stop starts when pressure released. Possible poorly adjusted float in the bowl. For air, may be it’s running just too rich, wind in the fuel screws and wind them back out to factory setting, and also check for pin holes in the carb diaphragms. Check for leaks around the intake boots by getting the engine running at idle and then spray some brake cleaner around the boots and see if the revs pick up, may be sucking in air at higher revs. For spark, common issue on older HT leads they could be arcing out at higher revs, so get the bike running up to about 5000/6000 rpm see if the problem reappears and press on the cap either side, see if the issue goes away or if you get a shock you’ll know for sure, so wear gloves. Take the coils off and test for resistance across the primaries and secondaries, it may just be they are failing under load. Also back probe the primary LT LEDs as they go in the coil see what sort of voltage you are getting at 5000rpm, service manual should give you the values, that could be the TCI/CDI. It is very likely to be in that little lot somewhere.

Hey there Rich thank you very much for answering my question and getting back with me so quickly I'm going to follow through starting with the fuel filter because the bike did sit for quite awhile when my father had it, I managed to restore it pretty well, one of the main things that I focus on was the carburetors but did not change the filter you can imagine how things can slip through your fingers and not notice as you said when you was repairing the motor and you remind me of the filter I feel confident that it will be fixed with the filter and if not I will continue with the rest of your advice. I wish I was your neighbor I will let you rattle your bike as much as you want as I like working with bikes as a hobby, we got a couple of things in common both have the same name and we loved working with bikes once I managed to get it fixed I will reach out thanks I am grateful for your help🤩🤩🙏🙏🙋‍♂️

@@richardribot1441 Ah well I hope it helps. Yes if it’s been sat a while, lord knows what crap is in the tank, being pulled through the pump and into the filter. There is actually a filter after the tank and before the pump, sits under the seat, next to the fuses, and then there is the filter after the pump, which is more easily accessible by taking the left side cover off. The tanks on these do not fair well, could be all sorts of rubbish being pulled through.

The carb I had was off an XV750, not sure on jet sizes, but maybe a bit of air/fuel mix adjustment needed, wouldn’t have thought too big would be an issue

LOL yeah, I could power my bikes with her moaning, but that’s neighbours. Are you still planning on rebuilding your XV or just getting her back together ?

@@memybikeni9931 rebuild chap just not getting the time at mo with work and life looking at it being a winter build

@@fuelheadjay8800 I know the feeling, work, kids, other family take over.

That I did mate, riding a Honda NT650 now.

Hi there, it’s a Hitatchi from one of the larger XV535s. I have no idea on jet sizes though, I just acquired and fitted it.

Zumindest war es eine einfache Reparatur und leicht zu finden.

@@memybikeni9931 gut das Du sowas drauf hast, Fachmann halt würde ich sagen. Ich habe eine Yamaha XVS 650 und mein Sohn auch eine XV535 da mache ich auch alles soweit selber dran, allerdings habe ich noch nie was am Motor selber gemacht.

@@joergklamke es ist wirklich nur Schrauben und Muttern. Verkabelung kann für manche Leute beängstigend sein, aber es ist nur ein Blick und sehen, was Sie sehen können. Ich bin kein Experte, nur ein Enthusiast

@@joergklamke Ich hoffe, Google Translate funktioniert gut, ich bin ein typischer Engländer, ich spreche keine andere Sprache, obwohl ich einige deutsche Wörter erkenne

@@memybikeni9931 alles gut, bisher habe ich Dich gut verstanden, ich denke mal Google Translate macht seinen Job so gut wie Du an deinen Moped ;-)

It’s an Hitachi carb, so neither. And I’m not sure what the jet sizes were, I bought it and threw it on, without fettling. Given the lack or air box, straight through pipes and the fact it was serving front and rear cylinders with different fuelling needs, it it quite hard to manage with jetting.

Thank you 😊

Could be so many things, have you done some work on the bike, did it just stop running or was it following anything you did ? Things to consider - plugs may spark when you test them against the block but not when they’re fitted, so clean the spark plug seat in the block with a small brush on the end of a dremmel, clean the plug, check the gap, refit and try again. Give the plug caps a wiggle too, you may get a shock, so it could be a dodgy lead(s). Also when you’re seeing the spark when testing against the crank case, make sure you have a thin blue spark, not a great bid fat yellow one. That’s the basics on the electrical side, if it anything to do with that. If that doesn’t work, check the fueling side. Make sure the fuel isn’t stale, if it’s been sat a while, that is a likely cause, spray a little brake cleaner around the intake boots to check for vacuum leaks, see if it fires, if not remove the carbs, spray directly into the intake ports while cranking see if it fires, if it does, you have a carburation issue, so they’ll need a further look. failing all that the only other issue would be cams. If the cams are out of mechanical timing, or the valves are very badly adjusted, and just not opening, this could be the problem, so take the cam covers and rocker covers off and have a look at those. The exhaust on the rear will be hard to get to, but the other 3 are easy enough. You said compression is good, what values are you getting on each cylinder ?

@@memybikeni9931 that’s the problem everything was fine, the valves were spot on the compression around 170 psi … I didn’t have a strobe to check the ignition timing. But i found out eventually that somewhere along the cabling someone made a mistake and reversed the signal cables leading to the ignition pack.

@@Thesarcasticmonk odd one, is your’s a single or double pick up ?

I’m assuming it’s a double pickup since i’ve got 2 signal cables to the coil pack (orange and grey + the neutral white/red).

@@Thesarcasticmonk No, those are the low tension wires coming from the CDI, there will be 4 of them, 2 for each coil, regardless of the signal wire coming from the pickup(s). If there are 4 wires coming from the stator, then that’s 2 pickups. Good it’s solved though,

Thank you.

I replaced the stator case and I’ve seen this now as I was wondering for a while why it has no spark

So I think you need to swap the rotor and pick up from your original engine, into the new block so that they are the same and also marry up with your TCI. Keep running with the single pick up. Give the engine a few turns anti-clockwise with a spanner on the crank, but should be all ok.

mę mŷ bïkë ń ì I replaced the pickup coils and the stator, basically the whole stator case. Now I’ll be replacing the rotor but what do you mean by “marry the TCI”

@@aname7338 well your old TCI is 2 wire, but wouldn’t be compatible with the 4 wire, 2 pickup system on the replacement engine, so if the fittings are ok, put the old pickup coil and rotor in so that they are comparable (marry up) with the TCI. I don’t think it matters if you leave the replacement engine stator in as that’s not really part of the pick up system which just governs the signal and spark.

mę mŷ bïkë ń ì thanks! Will update!

Not sure what you mean, but the issue was a bad connection to the pulsar coil wiring.

@@memybikeni9931 the security AT the stander.

@@denisklein55 so when I put the engine back in, I caught the pulsar coil wiring up in the engine mounting, and had to make a repair to it. The repair was bad, and therefore I had no pulse to the CDI, and therefore no spark. I went back and re made the connection and it solved the problem.

Thank you 😊

Hello mate, hope you’re enjoying the summer hols.

It will be difficult to see what the problem is from pictures. Did they come from draining the oil or were they in the strainer ? How is the engine behaving ? Are the fragments Steele or aluminium ?

@@memybikeni9931 hai una e-mail? Ti invio foto, è ferro si attacca alla calamita

@@francisco5956 email in the description. Send some pics over, but if the engine is behaving ok, just change the oil and keep on running, as the only real option to solving the problem is taking the engine apart. With mine there was no clear evidence of where metal fragments came from even doing that.