Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
On my way to the Moonshine Bench Dedication, Frost my 97 ABSII bike (140,000+ miles) ran fine for about 130 miles.
Then she started running on what seemed to be about 2 cylinders - no power with a wide open throttle.
She quit so I coasted into a Shoney's parking lot and was going to pull the plugs but decide to wait.
After she sat a few minutes, she fired up and ran another 120 miles or so with no issues.
Ten miles from Casey, she started the same stuff but I managed to make it okay.
The next day she ran fine to the store and about 120-130 miles at a 'good' pace without any issues.
Then the 'gremlin' struck again and the best I could do was about 40 mph.
We pulled into a truck stop, let her rest, and she fired up again and ran about 60 miles before the problem appeared.
We stopped again, waited a little bit and she fired up again and ran about 30 miles.
We took a longer rest and I switched to backroads since we all three almost got killed by a trucker on I24 who refused to slow down or move over.
She ran fine for about 70 miles then died as I got to my driveway.
My first thought was a fuel pump going out (cut off already removed) or maybe a fuel pump relay.
But @oude geit was behind the last time and he said she was spitting out black smoke from both exhausts.
I just checked the resistance in the coils at the spark plug ends and it's in the 24-26 range which is normal.
I pulled all 4 plugs (Iridiums of unknown age) and the appear to be the 'perfect' color.
I have attached a picture of them (a bit blurry but you can see the color).
The fuel pump has been replaced previously with a Quantum one in the tank.
So is it fire or is it fuel - and how would you verify it?
I really prefer not to just throw parts at it though I have pretty much all the parts I need to throw ...
As usual, I don't have the simple problems, I always seem to have the really 'strange' ones.
Then she started running on what seemed to be about 2 cylinders - no power with a wide open throttle.
She quit so I coasted into a Shoney's parking lot and was going to pull the plugs but decide to wait.
After she sat a few minutes, she fired up and ran another 120 miles or so with no issues.
Ten miles from Casey, she started the same stuff but I managed to make it okay.
The next day she ran fine to the store and about 120-130 miles at a 'good' pace without any issues.
Then the 'gremlin' struck again and the best I could do was about 40 mph.
We pulled into a truck stop, let her rest, and she fired up again and ran about 60 miles before the problem appeared.
We stopped again, waited a little bit and she fired up again and ran about 30 miles.
We took a longer rest and I switched to backroads since we all three almost got killed by a trucker on I24 who refused to slow down or move over.
She ran fine for about 70 miles then died as I got to my driveway.
My first thought was a fuel pump going out (cut off already removed) or maybe a fuel pump relay.
But @oude geit was behind the last time and he said she was spitting out black smoke from both exhausts.
I just checked the resistance in the coils at the spark plug ends and it's in the 24-26 range which is normal.
I pulled all 4 plugs (Iridiums of unknown age) and the appear to be the 'perfect' color.
I have attached a picture of them (a bit blurry but you can see the color).
The fuel pump has been replaced previously with a Quantum one in the tank.
So is it fire or is it fuel - and how would you verify it?
I really prefer not to just throw parts at it though I have pretty much all the parts I need to throw ...
As usual, I don't have the simple problems, I always seem to have the really 'strange' ones.
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