Vmax crash, need help getting her running again

[Andrewtravb]

Hey guys I need some help. Back in November (which was about the last week I was going to ride before putting the bike, away for winter) I crashed my 2003 v max. It was out of stupidity, I knew I was riding on tires that were quickly becoming bald. I pulled out onto the street way too aggressive for my tires. Ended Power sliding all the way through turn, eventually my back end slid around more than 90 degrees and then hit the gravel and grass on the side of the road Instantly causing a high side.

At first I thought all the damage was superficial for the most part, I was able to ride it home. Handle bars bent, break lever bent, right front turn signal busted. At that time i just put the bike away for the winter.

I got it out this week to start my repairs. After not being started for a few months it started right up and I let it run for a good 20 min at idle. It seemed to be running fine. However I noticed It had a very noticeable exhaust leak or leaks coming from somewhere near the header of one of the rear ward facing cylinder or coming from a lower point.

Yesterday I went to start it up again to try to find those exhaust leaks. The bike would start fine with no choke, just a little throttle needed (it was 75 degrees outside) but the bike would not idle at all, it would die as soon as I let off the throttle completely.

I tried test riding it down my street and it had absolutely no power at all..it wouldn't go past 20 mph in first gear. I have no idea what's go.

I also noticed the break pedal broke into the clutch casing, no oil is leaking out, it punctured the hole in removal Silver circle cover on the outside of the the clutch basket. I haven't pulled the clutch apart yet to see though.

I'm at a complete lost of where to even start. I've always done my own work but this is a bit much for me. I grew racing motocross from age 7 to age 20 (I am now 30). So I would say I'm on expert on single cylinder motocross bikes with fuel injection. But have never done any engine or carb work on an engine like the vmax.


A little but more about the bike, my ex fiancé bought it for me 4 years ago for $2800, it was seriously in mint condition. I got it from the original owner a 70 year old man, who road it a lot, but rode easy and took amazing care of it..when I got it, it had 38000 miles on it. It now has 50,000 miles. Is it even worth fixing?

This bike has so much sentimental value to me. From age 20 to 25 I was a heroin addict and sold every bike I had to support my drug habit, an 78 xs750, gsxr 750, a yz 250, and yzf450 that i turned into a supermoto. So this bike was not only a gift to me, but it also helped me stay clean these past five years.

I'm also on an extremely limited budget, as I haven't been able to work in two years due to some health issues. But I need my bike back, it was only hobby I had and it kept sane.

So if anyone has any suggestions onto what my be causing the current problems I am having, I would be very grateful.

Thank you,
Andrew

 

[blaxmax]

Sorry to hear, try this to get it running again and when it idles pull in the clutch and see if it will go in gear. Let us know. Sure it's worth fixing and hasn't reach even 1/2 of its life.
It shouldn't take too much to fix. I have some aftermarket blinkers if you need them.
Post some pics if you can.
http://vmax.lvlhead.com/tips/shotgun.htm

 

[Traumahawk]

Post some pics and we will help with any and all parts that you need.

 

[caseyjones955]

I guess the carbs are finicky if left to sit to long. When I went to pick mine up from seller it wouldnt take any throttle, the seller had the carbs cleaned at his expense and that was the issue and I had read many such cases of it left sitting to long.

I'm not sure about your exhaust leaks but if you need an OEM header set you can have mine for the cost of packaging/shipping, no mufflers with it, just pipes. They are in my way since I have a Kerker 4-1 and the PO handed them over with the bike. If it can help you out PM me.

 

[Traumahawk]

Like Blax said....start with a shotgun first. The carbs are very finicky, and its easy to clog the pilot jet, to where the bike doesnt want to idle. I have a stock set of bars in good shape that you can have. PM me your address....or just post it here openly so people can send you what ever.

 

[Andrewtravb]

Caseyjones, shoot me an email, I don't this I can PM. I just joined. Hopefully by tomorrow we can get this going.. And thank you so much..

[email protected]

 

[blaxmax]

Caseyjones, shoot me an email, I don't this I can PM. I just joined. Hopefully by tomorrow we can get this going.. And thank you so much..

[email protected]

Just click on his name.
Also click 'go advanced at the bottom of the message box' then click the paperclip to download pics.

 

[caseyjones955]

I'm not sure but some forums have a min # of posts before you can send a PM, in case thats it I sent an email, you can contact me here or that way, either works for me.

 

[Andrewtravb]

Wow, all of you guys are amazing. Luckily I already have a set of straight bars. But thank you.

To clarify a bit more about possible carb issues, it starts up and runs find if I just keep my hand on the throttle giving a slight bit of gas and it would rev up fine sounding normal. However, when when i tried to take for a test ride down my street all the gears were shifting fine, but once it was in gear the bike had no power. It wouldnt rev up anymore nor could I get it going past 20mph in any gear.

I'll post some pics this afternoon.
I also need one fork seal it started leaking slightly before the crash, but its
toast now.

 

[[email protected]]

Definitely worth fixing.

If the shotgun doesn't help, you probably need to pull the carbs. This thread will walk you through the process.
http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=3570

This thread will walk you through the cleaning process. Most times, the small jets in the jet block are what get plugged up when the bike sits.
http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=5830

Start with the shotgun as the others have mentioned. If that doesn't help, dig a littler deeper and follow the instructions above to get to the jet blocks and clean the pilot jets. If the O-rings aren't torn or brittle they can be reused. Jet block gaskets should be replaced but, if you don't tear them up when you disassemble, you could reuse them.

Some part of the exhaust may be bent from the crash. Inspect and see if it is something you can straighten out. I may just need to take everything loose and then try to put it back together but, that is pretty hopeful.

The clutch cover has an "insert" on it. The insert is removable from the actual clutch cover. IF the insert is cracked and the cover is not, this is more of a cosmetic issue.

 

[Andrewtravb]

Definitely worth fixing.

If the shotgun doesn't help, you probably need to pull the carbs. This thread will walk you through the process.
http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=3570

This thread will walk you through the cleaning process. Most times, the small jets in the jet block are what get plugged up when the bike sits.
http://vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=5830

Start with the shotgun as the others have mentioned. If that doesn't help, dig a littler deeper and follow the instructions above to get to the jet blocks and clean the pilot jets. If the O-rings aren't torn or brittle they can be reused. Jet block gaskets should be replaced but, if you don't tear them up when you disassemble, you could reuse them.

Some part of the exhaust may be bent from the crash. Inspect and see if it is something you can straighten out. I may just need to take everything loose and then try to put it back together but, that is pretty hopeful.

The clutch cover has an "insert" on it. The insert is removable from the actual clutch cover. IF the insert is cracked and the cover is not, this is more of a cosmetic issue.

The bike came with a stage 3 jet kit, I've always wanted to put it on, but carbs kind of scare me, heh. But i suppose this would be the best time.

I'm pretty sure it is the insert that is cracked, I just rebuilt the clutch last summer. And luckily, the original owner gave me a brand new insert for the clutch cover. I'm assuming once I open up the clutch cover to replace the insert, I'll need a new gasket,right?

 

[[email protected]]

The bike came with a stage 3 jet kit, I've always wanted to put it on, but carbs kind of scare me, heh. But i suppose this would be the best time.

I'm pretty sure it is the insert that is cracked, I just rebuilt the clutch last summer. And luckily, the original owner gave me a brand new insert for the clutch cover. I'm assuming once I open up the clutch cover to replace the insert, I'll need a new gasket,right?

No such thing as a stage 3 for the vmax. Dynojet makes a stage 1 and stage 7 jet kit for the vmax.

Don't bother installing a stage 1. There are some parts that can be useful for advanced tuning but most people have nothing but problems with it.

Stage 7 is good but it includes a lot of parts that you probably don't have.

Stock carbs are fine with stock exhaust. About the most you would want to do is drop the main jet t0 150 and fine tune the AF screws.

If you end up with a full, aftermarket header you can step up to a DJ stage 7 or one of Sean Morley's jet kits. They aren't a necessity with a header though. You can get by with changing the main, shimming the needle, and some AF adjustments.

If you gasket tears on disassembly, you will need a new one. No need to put any sealant there. Just clean surfaces. I typically smear the engine side of the gasket with Vaseline. This help to release the gasket from the engine for future removal. It will (hopefully) pull clean from the engine and stick to the clutch cover allowing removal without tearing in the future. This is not as important on the clutch as it is the oil pan. I hate cleaning gasket material from the bottom of the engine while laying on the garage floor!

 

[Andrewtravb]

No such thing as a stage 3 for the vmax. Dynojet makes a stage 1 and stage 7 jet kit for the vmax.

Don't bother installing a stage 1. There are some parts that can be useful for advanced tuning but most people have nothing but problems with it.

Stage 7 is good but it includes a lot of parts that you probably don't have.

Stock carbs are fine with stock exhaust. About the most you would want to do is drop the main jet t0 150 and fine tune the AF screws.

If you end up with a full, aftermarket header you can step up to a DJ stage 7 or one of Sean Morley's jet kits. They aren't a necessity with a header though. You can get by with changing the main, shimming the needle, and some AF adjustments.

If you gasket tears on disassembly, you will need a new one. No need to put any sealant there. Just clean surfaces. I typically smear the engine side of the gasket with Vaseline. This help to release the gasket from the engine for future removal. It will (hopefully) pull clean from the engine and stick to the clutch cover allowing removal without tearing in the future. This is not as important on the clutch as it is the oil pan. I hate cleaning gasket material from the bottom of the engine while laying on the garage floor!

I haven't looked at jet kit in awhile. I swear it was a KN stage 3. Maybe it was never installed because it wasn't the right one for the bike. Thanks for saving me a headache.

 

[[email protected]]

I haven't looked at jet kit in awhile. I swear it was a KN stage 3. Maybe it was never installed because it wasn't the right one for the bike. Thanks for saving me a headache.

Here are your DJ options.

http://www.dynojet.com/jetkits/motorcycle/jetkits.aspx?vt=motorcycle&vm=yamaha

K&N makes filters for the stage 7 kit.
Never heard of them making their own jet kit.

 

[mr.wrenches]

Just picked up a straight 97 from a barn to part out

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[blaxmax]

Those are not the stock carbs, the are probably kehiens. It says the name on the side of the throttle bodies-no need for a jet kit. The shotgun won't work on these. They need to be taken apart and cleaned and they are easier to work on with more HP.
Can you get a better shot where the exhaust is leaking?

 

[[email protected]]

Those are not the stock carbs, the are probably kehiens. It says the name on the side of the throttle bodies-no need for a jet kit. The shotgun won't work on these. They need to be taken apart and cleaned and they are easier to work on with more HP.
Can you get a better shot where the exhaust is leaking?

The bike with vgas is not the OP's bike.

 

[blaxmax]

The bike with vgas is not the OP's bike.

Sorry, didn't see the bottom. I think I have 2 fork seals.

 

[Andrewtravb]

Very confused again... On Sunday I got the bike out from winter storage and it fired right up, revved up good, and I let it idle for a good 20 minutes, engine wise everything seemed good except for the obvious exhaust leaks coming from the pipes underneath that lead into the tail pipes.

On Tuesday it started right up, but would not idle at all unless I gave it enough gas to keep running around 2k rpm. And when I test rode as soon as shifted into gear, it wouldn't rev up at all and I couldn't get the bike going faster than 20 mph in any gear.

Now today it started up and idled perfectly, I couldn't test riding due to a pretty bad storm outside. But I did put the bike in first gear and bike would idle and rev up perfectly.

It's very strange. Should I go ahead and do the shotgun carb cleaning method?

And I'll pics posted tonight of all the damaged areas.

 

[[email protected]]

That sounds odd.

Could be some debris in the fuel system. I'd check the fuel filter. Could also drain the float bowls into a clear jar to see if its clean.

Could also be an electrical issue.

When the bike wasn't running correctly, what was it doing when you gave it gas? Did it sound normal but no go, did it bog, did it shake....