A Beginner’s Guide to Motorcycle Troubleshooting
Like any other vehicle, motorcycles sometimes experience little hiccups and they need a bit of TLC to get them back on track. That’s why there’s no need to panic if your bike is suddenly acting strangely. Even if your motorcycle is new, taking some precautions will help you prevent these common problems in the future.
Some bike problems require professional troubleshooting and repair. However, there are many issues that you can easily fix on your own. The experts at Barnes Harley-Davidson have created this handy guide to troubleshooting some common motorcycle troubles, and what you can do to sort them out. Keep reading to learn more and if you’re interested in checking out our selection of motorcycles for sale, visit one of our dealerships in Langley, Victoria, and Kamloops, BC.
Dead Battery
One of the most common issues is the engine not turning over. A good place to start troubleshooting this is to check the battery. You can use a multimeter or voltmeter to check the voltage on your battery, which should read 12.6 - 12.8 V. If you find that the voltage is too low, that means the battery doesn’t have enough charge to start your bike. You’ll need to charge the battery or maybe even replace it if it’s dead. When you try to start your motorcycle, check the voltage. If a fully charged battery drops below 11.5 volts, then you’ll need to replace it.
Blown Fuses
Just like a car or truck, motorcycles have fuses, and they can blow the same way as in any other vehicle. Check the main fuse and see if it’s blown. You can tell the fuse is blown by either the black material found on the fuse or if the wires inside the fuse are disconnected. Keeping a fuse kit on hand is helpful, so you can replace any blown fuses with ones that have the same amperage. If fuses continue to blow after you replace them, you likely have a more serious electrical issue somewhere in the bike’s wiring.
Disc Brake Noise
There could be a number of reasons for noisy brakes. It could be that your brake pads are loose, worn out, or you may have brake dust inside the drum. If you can’t see anything wrong with your brake pads, and you suspect it may be brake dust, it may be best to leave this to a professional as brake dust can be extremely dangerous if accidentally inhaled.
Clogged Fuel Injector
If your motorcycle will attempt to turn over normally when you try to start it but there won’t be any combustion, your culprit is probably a clogged fuel injector. If you ride your motorcycle often, then you constantly have fuel going through the injector, which ultimately cleans it as it goes. A clogged injector generally happens if you let your motorcycle sit for a long time. This will ultimately create old gelled up fuel that will clog your injectors and will keep the fuel from going through.
You can manually inspect your fuel injectors. If they look dirty and clogged, that means they need to be cleaned or replaced. There are ways to clean your fuel injectors, like using a solution specifically for cleaning them. There’s even a tool made to clean fuel injectors. However, since fuel injectors are generally inexpensive, you might as well go ahead and get new ones installed.
Engine Cut Off Switch
It is one of the most common things we forget to check before getting annoyed with the starting problem. Most of the time we use the ignition key to turn off the motorcycle instead of the engine kill or cut off switch, so when we use it, we forget to turn off the switch sometimes and keep trying to crank the engine.
Bad Spark Plugs
When a spark plug is about to give out, the motorcycle will run poorly, and it will sound louder than normal. Eventually, when a spark plug has gone completely out, your motorcycle will attempt to turn over but it won’t fire up. Luckily, fixing a spark plug is easy. Depending on its condition, you simply have to clean it or go for a replacement if the ceramic coating has cracked. Spark plugs are usually only a few dollars each and can be found at any auto store. If you need to replace a spark plug, make sure you replace all the other ones. This will make your motorcycle run much more smoothly.
We hope that this guide has been useful. At Barnes Harley-Davidson, we’ve got a team of expert technicians who are well-versed in troubleshooting motorcycles. If you know there’s a problem with your bike, feel free to bring it into one of our dealership locations in Langley, Victoria, and Kamloops, BC. We’d be happy to get your motorcycle up and running! We’re proud to serve all our friends from British Columbia, so get in touch with us today.