Have you ever encountered a problem that your bike may not start even though you’ve cranked it? If your motorcycle Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t start, it might be a headache for you. You may assume everything is working fine, but still, there are some hidden issues. Most bike riders are familiar with this problem, especially those enthusiasts who habit maximum rides every day; it is a kind of regular thing. But then again, it isn’t that difficult to solve the problem.
However, there might be many reasons that caused it. Here is a post that shows different reasons behind it and how you can solve it. You may have to carry out the following troubleshooting operations to turn on your motorcycle again.
What would cause a motorcycle not to start?
Cases When Your Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t start
There are some cases where you will mostly see a motorcycle not starting up. Yes, We have talked to professionals and prepared the most common instances when a bike doesn’t startup. Keep on reading the cases below to avoid such issues with ease.
If the engine won’t start after riding
Many factors may cause a motorcycle to break down. At times it could be as simple as there is not enough fuel left in your tank. In contrast, it might be due to the more severe issue of faulty electrical wires or oil leaks that have been neglected for a while before the vehicle starts developing problems.
If you noticed your motorcycle not working just after some moments of riding it, possibly it might be a case of the first item on our list. One must be very diligent about checking for oil leaks, especially if your riding it outside in wet weather conditions, as a continuous leak will cause more damage to expensive motorcycle parts. As a consequence, Your motorcycle may not start.
That is why you should take safety precautions when owning/operating a vehicle by always having an extra gallon of fuel with you. Regularly inspect even during dry seasons and know that sometimes this may not save your ride from being stranded due to engine issues. We have encountered many cases where owners bought a new vehicle and put it into service immediately without any preventive steps like adding fuel to their sitting car.
Motorcycle Won’t Start After Sitting.
Bike starting problem after a long time is a commonly happened issue. If your motorcycle has been sitting, assume your bike won’t start quickly. In this case, you’ll first need to charge/replace the battery. Once this step proceeds, remove the spark plugs and start it. If it sounds like something isn’t right, allow some air into the engine through a fan to separate any debris that may be clogging gears and moving parts with high pressure.
The battery provides the power required for the bike to start. The battery is also responsible for other electrical components such as the lights and the starter motor. Hence, it is imperative to maintain your battery in good condition. A motorcycle won’t start after winter easily due to the battery being down.
If you cannot give your motorcycle enough fluid or if there have been no signs of flooding just before your ride had broken down (like oil leaks), you might want to hire professionals to inspect both the engine and its vital parts. After all, you cannot know how something may have derailed your motorcycle until after following due diligence efforts. But what to do if your battery is good enough but the bike is not starting up? Check that below.
Motorcycle Won’t Start, But The Battery is Good.
If your motorcycle doesn’t start, there may be multiple reasons for the electrical system except for the battery faults. Among them, the most common one is battery fault. It is the case when you can’t start your motor at all. Generally, if your motorcycle won’t start, check the battery connections first. In such cases, Typically, the Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t start.
Unfortunately, if the connections are okay but facing the same problem, Consider troubleshooting some other things. There are several reasons why your motorcycle is not starting up. But battery faults are the most common reason. Some other faults might be the faulty spark plug, faulty starter, or the kick-starter might have problems. Here, we have listed down a detailed guide on how to resolve the battery fault issues.
Motorcycle Won’t Start When Engine Is Hot.
Many motorcyclists face this problem frequently, especially with a way older motorcycle. I might be able to save you some time in the search for your solution, so here goes:
1) My engine overheated two months ago at about 3,000 miles after purchasing the 2005 GSXR600;
2) The bike experienced one ‘blue-kicking’ event every day, riding ~25 mph on 91 octane fuel. As a result, I started confronting Difficult starting when hot.
3) After ‘fixing’ the bike with a new cooler, I began noticing starting issues during hot days that were coming up or driving in warm climate areas, and it’s best to keep the temp under 250F. A reliable way around this is using 1% petroline, which temporarily lowers 100 octane ratings by raising compression ratios allowing critical pass-by temperatures of up sites. Speed (vacuum)-wise, any more significant than 2500 rpm will detonate action. Fewer speeds yield higher compression ratios, somewhat lower temps, and NO detonation.4) I had used the bike for about 7-8 years on pump gas;
4) Running 1% petroline allowed me to ride in hot climates without fear of long-term catastrophic damage.
Bike not starting with kick and self.
If your motorcycle won’t start with kick start and the electric starter isn’t working either, then most likely, your battery is dead. The battery is where you have your motorcycle plugged in with a cable to the handlebars — one end for charging and one for starting. Also, such a problem can be responsible for one of the fatal motorcycle road hazards.
However, If your bike does not start, there is a way to test the electrical system, and it’s pretty easy. Plug your motorcycle into the electrical outlet. If it works, you know there is some problem with your electrical system and perhaps a circuit breaker. Get yourself another battery (or borrow one) and make sure that’s not the issue.
Next try to plugin manually with kick start: The electric starter should turn over when this happens or only take about five kicks.
Why is my bike not starting in the morning?
The most important part of a motorcycle is keeping it well-maintained. Otherwise, a bike may end up with difficulties starting on occasionally. The spark plug is the first thing to check when you have trouble starting your motorcycle. If that’s the problem, then you need to change it. After a short test drive (professionally done, of course), possible signs are weak engine-driven noise from the clutch transmission sensor output.
Moreover, you may detect Noticeable uneven electrical drain on the battery port and bearing noises on wheels. Suppose you have gone to the service center the previous day, and the repairer mistakenly aligned these components inappropriately after repair during rough driving episodes. The main CPS (IAC control), low power at cold start, and ignition loss can occur.
These are just a few examples because it depends on your condition. But these most critical engine components will also cause similar problems by the design’s internal arrangements; compression, combustion chamber length, or variations. In the cylinder, gaps between bearings may create additional problems sooner or later depending on other parts that can go wrong.
In short, two possible factors come up if your motorcycle is not starting in the morning: 1. Dirt sneaked in a while riding the previous day or 2. unperfect service from the technician.
Also Read: What Can Cause A Motorcycle Engine Damage
Complete Troubleshooting Guide if Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t start
The Primary Steps You Can Take if Your Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t Start Are:
- Inspect the air filter and service it accordingly, including cleaning with a lint-free cloth.
- Check the spark plugs, wires, and connections around the engine for any broken parts or loose cables. It is the most common cause of “Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t start.”
- Occasionally inspect valve clearance (with depth gauge) to avoid irregular power loss due to overheating. In terms of the fuel pump system / The intake, preferably as well find out if there is anything wrong with your bike’s engine.
- Inspect any leaking fuel pump system, seepage, or “gurgling” in the carburetor. After an extended service period with new parts, disassembling or removing the air filter is perfect.
- Inspect for any connections from spark plugs to ignition wires or burnt tips. Examine these components inside the distributor and replace them if necessary according to instructions at every scheduled maintenance interval.
- Once your bike gets started, it’s the best time to check the transmission in terms of lubrication, hydraulic fluid status, and orientation.
- Warning Lights: Check the motorcycle warning lights on the dashboard to see if there are any lights on.
Again before starting your bike, remember that it takes at most 30 minutes. For the first 20-30 min, you will feel typical characteristics of fuel power with a bit of signs/symptoms.
Excessive vibration is an immediate danger signal, and a high-pitched squeal may also point to operating problems as long as the spokes are snug. An easy fix for bent arms that fail to swing freely at the bottom bracket or steering pivots is to talk with the plant representative about this product’s “lifetime performance conditions” and whether your machine merits replacement parts.
Most Common Problems if Your Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t start
We know the basic steps if your motorcycle won’t start after sitting or if there are minor issues. Now, it’s time to check further problems, such as malfunctions, internal errors, and other common issues. Don’t worry if your Motorcycle Cranks But Won’t Start as we are heading towards a world of possibilities.
The engine is leaking oil or has no fuel.
Oil dripping from the engine is the sign which assures you the problem might not be severe. First of all, don’t panic if you find some oil leaking out from the engine or exhaust pipe. It means that it is normal and nothing to worry about because your bike will restart in a couple of minutes. However, if there’s no way to fix this problem after pumping up air pressure in the tank by using an air compressor for 10-15 seconds with a compressed air-powered drill, get it fixed immediately. Engine leaking oil can cause you to occur motorcycle road rash resulting from falling over.
Poor electrical connection, short (gas) wires, or loose battery cables
This PROBLEM is not a strange thing that can happen to your motorbikes. Due to the dirt-covered coating of lubricants, all parts inside and outside an engine will become covered in them. As a result, it won’t start until you clean those quality issues. Clear these connections before you try starting up. Ensure to clean the accessories on both sides of an engine, especially those components.
Misfire cylinder, faulty ignition transmitter, or coil packs (faulty spark plugs)
If the plug wires are dirty, it’s common to have a misfiring issue. Likewise, if there is a missed spark or other electrical problem in that particular cylinder, things may worsen. If your bike has no power whatsoever, It won’t catch fire (kick start or electric start). In this case, check what’s wrong with that individual cylinder first because one of them might be the problem.
Other than this, fault problems you may encounter due to engine fluids leaking from an oil pan could be the cylinder spark plug pack. For example, you might need to remove that electrically shorted coil pack or a faulty ignition transmitter (kick start).
Minor Engine Problems
Poor electrical connection somewhere inside your bike due to weather damage on wiring harnesses can result in engine problems such as misfiring. One of them is failing, especially if you experience a ‘starting’ backfire after starting up – this means your newly installed carburetor has reached the ‘flying away’ point and is due for replacement.
Catastrophic Engine
Another common problem often related to timing belts is a broken guide pulley, which transfers crank rotation from camshaft to flywheel and multiple other places. Experts don’t recommend that you replace this crucial component with aftermarket parts because the factory-provided components are vital for ensuring the safety of your vehicle. In high-performance cars, trucks, and motorcycles available on our market today, any vehicles propelled by pistons while revving well above manufacturer standards – it’s best to prioritize performance over building a product that’s considered safe by most manufacturers!
Carburetor Related Issues
Make sure your carburetor is in working order, and it can suck in more air when you try to start your engine. Check all of the wires that connect with the breather pipe, as they might break without letting you know if you don’t run a check on them regularly. Ensure everything is tightly fitted into its correct spot to avoid problems arising because of their too loose or too tight a fit! For instance, If the motorcycle turns over, but no spark Comes out, this is probably due to a carburetor issue. As a result, the engine’s fuel flow can worsen and cause the engine to damage gradually and cause carburetor flooding symptoms.
Improper Timing Belt
In engines and auto repair, timing belts can be a big issue. It’s unnoticeable when one becomes faulty because no one is sure when exactly it will break. Worse still is when a car owner has the misfortune to deal with the engine already has some other problem (say, an oil leak or broken fan belt). So that you’ll end up driving around with a loud clattering sound in your engine bay because the fractured timing belt snapped into pieces. In cases like these, we always remind independent auto repair shops to check over everything – including those pesky timing belts – to prevent unfortunate accidents like this! But if you still want to replace timing belts, you can do that.
Another sign is something besides the timing belt running loose, and that is a symptom of other parts getting jammed/bent like an oil sending unit.
Jammed/Bent Parts or Chain
Chains will get rusty if they come into contact with too much water. Have you ever seen how chains rust when they get exposed to too much water? If your chain is rusty and has been in contact with water – you could be setting yourself up for Motorcycle Cranks, But it Won’t start problems. Once the water gets the chance to cause some corrosion, there’s no telling what might happen to your bike. And that’s not an option at all! The best thing you can do is replace it immediately.
FAQs
How do you diagnose a motorcycle that won't start?
Diagnosing a Motorcycle is easy. A motorcycle that won't start can be tough to diagnose without a block diagram. Modern electrical systems rely on the "negative ground" principle - all positive parts will want an alternate. But still, you can perform the below steps to do what you can to a greater extent.
- Batteries can need replacing Water-seal gaskets/plastics, or corrosion around sealed connections may have caused leakage of some kind.
- Check for signs of head cleaning in addition. If you suspect this is occurring from a leaky head gasket, you will want to investigate why the engine is running out of oil - perhaps a new motorcycle valve timing or cover may help eliminate potential leaks.
Why does my bike turn over but not start?
Unlike a car, no safety devices turn off starting when the wheels are NOT spinning. The spark plug and fuel injectors may stop running with in-line engines or belt ones, at least not to any actual extent. But they will continue to run as long as you have fuel flowing into them (however, if you overfill it too much, this process can go glacially slow).
What Does a Bad Starter Sound Like on a Motorcycle?
The sound of a buzzing insect or a grinding noise from a bad starter indicates excessive heat. Some bikers recommend listening for some mechanical funk when the bike is running. This thing ensures the sprockets and chains are working correctly.
Will low oil cause a motorcycle not to start?
No, a low oil condition may cause some backup problems. And if it happened to you right after starting up, do a thorough check-up but only by top-ups — low oil cause no harm when running. But trying to start up the engine or riding with a low fuel level is harmful in other ways. Low oil may cause the ignition coil to work improperly.
How do you start a motorcycle that has been sitting?
Before attempting to start the motorcycle, Professionals highly recommend checking at least one of these items: (1) The battery. If there's any visible damage to the battery - get a replacement (2). Look for obvious signs indicating leakage and dire connections! On older models such as Honda Dream, Keep an eye out for any previous mechanics work done - if they have put water-seal gaskets/plastics back onto oil passages available engine, note it and discuss with the technician (3). Look at fuses/relays. Always replace Old/worn relays as part of any re-build or maintenance work!