Starter motor turns. No fire. Any suggestions? How does this turn out?

[stlheadake]

I would not worry about it. It is not the best way to tie <any> bike down but I think it will do. Canyon Dancers are handy and most every flatbed has a set (or more) on board for motorcycles because they are pretty universal and will work on all bikes. It is hard to grab onto some faired bikes, and the C-14 is no exception as straps have to be run up under the fairing to the lower triple clamp. My suggestion would be to not compress the front end beyond 1/2 to 2/3 of the travel both but more to leave the bike with some suspension travel to absorb road shock than to take it easy on the handlebars.

Brian

+1  I personally wouldn't use them IF I had a choice.  I don't think they are THAT bad, but that being said.  I come from the land of BMW, and not knowing when I might have to get a tow home, started carrying a set of soft ties.  You know those pesky little final drive failures can be a PITA!  Soft ties are nylon straps with two loops stitched in them.  I loop them over the top of the forks on either side (watch the brake lines), and ratchet tie them from there.   They are about 12 inches long from end to end, and take up very little space. 

The one thing I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH is not to over tighten the straps!  Over tightening can cause seal damage, and potentially valve damage inside the shocks.  I learned the hard way on my dirt bikes.  You only need to cinch the bike down just enough to prevent it from rocking.  That's it!  I run a strap through the rear wheel and behind it to pull back on the wheel.  This keeps it from wanting to move side to side, but also keeps the bike from wanting to tip forward.

Get a pair of them just about anywhere.  You could even make them.  I found them online here http://www.rentonmotorcycles.com/dlrindexsend_pg_catprod_levelcode_28523_catalogcode_7086_partheadernumber_1074163-SOFT-TIE+NYLON+TIE-DOWN+STRAPS.htm

YMMV

[marku8a]

So after dropping it off at the shop on Saturday, I thought it was strange that I had not heard from them by now. I have had them work on my other bikes and they always have been good with communication and quick service.

I gave them a call this afternoon. The fellow I spoke with said that they checked the fuel pump and it works. Also checked the fuel pump relay. Good as well. He said that they have spent several hours troubleshooting without finding the cause of the problem. They are going to spend a few hours on it tomorrow. If they can't figure it out they are "going to call Kawasaki". Not sure if they have a repair hotline. The dealer is not a 2 bit operation. They are one of the largest in the area and have been in business 30 + years with a good reputation.

I wonder if they have some sort of lemon policy. If they can't figure it out in X number of hours, do I get a free upgrade to a new 2011? 

Mark

[martin_14]

I wonder if they have some sort of lemon policy. If they can't figure it out in X number of hours, do I get a free upgrade to a new 2011? 

If you ask Steve you'll get an "upgrade" to the new BMW K1600 GT... 

[marku8a]

Well, I got my bike back yesterday. They got it running almost 2 weeks ago but held on to it waiting on a TPS that quit working.

I wish I could report some fantastic story on the problem and the fix. The Repair Order just said "TECH found a short in the wire harness". I tried to track him down to get more specific details. He was off for the day. I will make it a point to stop by again to learn more. My curiosity is killing me!

Mark

[B.D.F.]

Thanks for letting us know.

We all want all of our problems on complex things like motorcycles to be very complex, intricate and convoluted situation but far more often than not, it is something direct and simple although those can be hard to diagnose too. We tend to want to use an oscilloscope and hours of waveform analysis to determine some <really kewel> problem (technical term) but it is usually a broken sensor, broken wire (like your situation) and similar.

As my brother- in- law the EE used to say.... replace all the charred parts on the circuit board and see if the trouble clears up. Not elegant but it usually works.

Brian

Well, I got my bike back yesterday. They got it running almost 2 weeks ago but held on to it waiting on a TPS that quit working.

I wish I could report some fantastic story on the problem and the fix. The Repair Order just said "TECH found a short in the wire harness". I tried to track him down to get more specific details. He was off for the day. I will make it a point to stop by again to learn more. My curiosity is killing me!

Mark

[DaveO]

the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .

[Cheesecake]

the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .

Now that's funny. To me. Probably not to you guys trying to be funny. there is too many people dimmit

[VirginiaJim]

the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .

Really?

[lather]

the problem with most all forums is that there is too many people trying to be wity and funny.
Some really do have a great wit but most dont .

THat's not right.
 Here is the real problem:
cool hand luke

[Conrad]

THat's not right.
 Here is the real problem:
cool hand luke

That's my boy Luke!   

One of my fav movies of all time.

[B.D.F.]

A great movie and all but really it just serves as the base for Strother Martin's appearance on SNL many years later. Anybody remember that one? Where he is a French teacher wearing a beret, gets cranky with students not learning French properly and finally utters .... "What we have here is failure to communicate.... bi- lingually!" Too funny.

Brian

THat's not right.
 Here is the real problem:
cool hand luke

[VirginiaJim]

I could be more like that if you want.....  Wouldn't be as much fun, though.

[Bipsen]

Great, my boyfriend and his C14 are stranded in Prince George during their ride from Alaska to Seattle because his bike suddenly wouldn't start at the gas station. He's on day three of his ride with a pretty new battery. The dealership in town is closed today. Please let me know what the problem was and I will do likewise.

[VirginiaJim]

So the starter whirls but it doesn't start or the bike is totally dead?  If it's dead then most likely loose connections at the battery itself are the culprit.  In which case, a jump from another battery might get it going again once the connections are tightened.

[gPink]

We could sure use more info. What happens when.....? Key turns? Motor turns over? Message on the dash?

[B.D.F.]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Like Jim said, the starter spins but the bike won't start? Not familiar with that one on a C-14.

But lo' and behold, this IS an interesting thread after all.... all these years later.

Anybody remember Roland? He wrote this little gem back in 2011.

<begin quote, reply #11 in this thread>
b.d.f.
Tis true that some people are thin skinned and cant take a little humor.... Some of us are sharp witted and it comes off as being a smart butt.
I left the other forum because of lack of follow up from some that thought they were more higher up than everyone else.
 
I see at least one of them is here but maybe he will behave better now.  Thank God there is this forum to go with a much friendlier croud.

Let's keep the connies rolling 
<end quote>

The more things change, the more they become the same.

 

Brian

Great, my boyfriend and his C14 are stranded in Prince George during their ride from Alaska to Seattle because his bike suddenly wouldn't start at the gas station. He's on day three of his ride with a pretty new battery. The dealership in town is closed today. Please let me know what the problem was and I will do likewise.

[VirginiaJim]

Roland the Thompson gunner?  I miss him.

[gPink]

Roland the HEADLESS Thompson gunner?  I miss him.

FIFY

[VirginiaJim]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhRRWwH3Fro

RIP, Warren Zevon.

[Cuda]

Kill switch ?