Anyone want to have a go at my wife...

[user 773]

...well, her V45 Magna, actually. But I got your attention, didn't I? :biglaugh:

This bike has me a bit perplexed. She rode it to work yesterday morning and it ran great. When she went to ride it home yesterday afternoon, she said it started right up but sounded "different". She describes it as "mushy". Not as sharp through the pipes and throttle response was markedly decreased.

Rode it a couple miles, came to a light, stopped, and it died. Wouldn't restart right away, but did eventually. Scenario repeated itself within a mile or two and would not restart. Picked her up and began my diagnosis:

Plugs are clean and in good shape.
Air filter is clean as is the intake chamber.
Bike starts but will not tolerate any throttle movement without dying.
Interval between successful starts can be shortened by cycling the run switch (thereby cycling the fuel pump).

Regardless of throttle position or strong language, the bike eventually dies.

Thoughts?

I am leaning towards fuel delivery problem, but would also consider timing/ignition issues.

Where to start???? :bang head:

P.S. My Max is running like a top... :biglaugh: :clapping:

 

[maleko89]

Vacuum leak?

 

[user 773]

Had that thought as well..... The bike won't even idle now.... Wouldn't the leak have to be huge (and mysteriously spontaneous) to cause that?

Somehow knew you might be the first responder...

Wish there was a forum for her bike that is as kick ass as this one is for the Max!

 

[COP RUNNER]

can you loosing the carb bowl drains , to see if there getting fuel into the carbs , clogged fuel filter ? Maybe a bad fuel pump ?

 

[COP RUNNER]

what year is the bike ? Also something alway's overlooked is if the fuel pump is not in the tank , & is mounted elsewhere on the bike , & the fuel lines before the fuel pump are dryrotted , the pump will suck air instead of fuel because the air is much easyer ! Keep us posted .

 

[Thevmaxrider]

can you loosing the carb bowl drains , to see if there getting fuel into the carbs , clogged fuel filter ? Maybe a bad fuel pump ?

Damn, beat me to it. I would check fuel delivery first, sounds to me like you are sucking the bowl dry and it trickle fills while you fiddle with the switch. First instinct is filter.

 

[Shuriken]

Does sound a bit like fuel starvation. But when I run out of gas on the Max, it starts to sputter and pop before it dies. Also, if you run a bike out of gas, you go way lean before it actually dies. This could explain spark plug color that looks "ok" - for example, white/tan plugs instead of black.

The "mushy" comment automatically makes me think "rich condition," but that would be accompanied by the strong fuel smell and possibly flooding. Let the bike sit a bit and it will start again.... but that rich of a condition would blacken up your plugs....

Might be worth getting it going long enough for the condition to be reproduced - then hit the kill switch right when it starts sputtering and just before it is going to die. Then quickly check fuel levels and spark plug color.

Dying fuel pump... clogged filter, clogged fuel delivery lines perhaps.

How is the voltage and capacity of the battery?

 

[user 773]

Excellent advice all around.... Will start with the fuel delivery and go from there...

Stay Tuned...

 

[lankeeyankee]

You have a fuel problem. Fuel Filter sounds like to me. But its a Honda so I dont know:confused2:

 

[user 773]

...and the winner is:

Bad CDI Box. Happen to find a salvage yard that had one and would "gaurantee" it for 30 days. No OEM or aftermarket sources for these and the used originals go for $100+ on eBay.

Waiting for delivery on the "new/old" box.

Stay tuned...

 

[Rayvin53]

Sorry I didn't chime in sooner, but my '92 Max has a '95 Magna as a stablemate and the best forum out there for the 3rd gen Magna is the Delphi Magna Riders Forum http://login.prospero.com/dir-login...ms.com/n/main.asp?webtag=MagnaRider&nav=start

If the CDI replacement doesn't do the trick, tap into the Magna brain trust there.
Vin