Hey everyone, I'm hoping that someone here can help me out in getting my 1976 CB750f back up and running. I am stumped. I will preface this post with the fact that I am still new to working on bikes, so feel free to tell me I'm doing something totally stupid if I am!
About 3 or 4 days ago I had the bike running wonderfully and would start on the first kick every time. Then, my buddy and I were working on the frame, welding a hoop on the back and grinding some of the old seat tabs off, and I went to start it up after we were done and it wouldn't start up. As we were working on the frame we were jostling around the bike to work loose a piece of metal rather than just finishing cutting it. This might have caused part of the problem.
When I turn the key on, it appears that all the electrics work (speedo lights up, oil light comes on, headlight, electric starter works, etc...) Because I figured it couldn't be a messed up connection (e.g. from the welder's sparks burning through a wire or something), my first thought is that the jostling caused the engine to flood. I have noticed that if I have the bike running in the past and I work the back shocks up and down a little bit to jostle the bike, the engine starts running funny as though extra gas is going to the engine (is this normal?). As I said, the electric starter worked, however, it would just keep turning the engine over but not start it. Same with the manual kick start. So I went ahead and pulled out the spark plugs to see if they were wet from the engine being flooded and they indeed were. After pulling all the spark plugs out, I made sure the key was turned off and proceeded to hold the throttle open and kick the engine over a couple times in hopes of clearing out the engine. Then I let the bike sit for about a day and a half to ensure that the gas had evaporated...
Yesterday, when I got home from work I figured that all the gas for sure had to have evaporated, so I put some new spark plugs in it. I also checked the oil to see if it smelled like gas and it kind of did so I did an oil change on it. After all of that, I opened up a float bowl to ensure there was gas in the carbs and there was, then I tried to start it with the same result (none). I did notice when I would have the choke on, used the electric starter, and opened the throttle, it would sound closer to starting but still would just keep turning over.
What am I doing wrong/not doing?? I'm super bummed because the bike was running SO well before this week...
About 3 or 4 days ago I had the bike running wonderfully and would start on the first kick every time. Then, my buddy and I were working on the frame, welding a hoop on the back and grinding some of the old seat tabs off, and I went to start it up after we were done and it wouldn't start up. As we were working on the frame we were jostling around the bike to work loose a piece of metal rather than just finishing cutting it. This might have caused part of the problem.
When I turn the key on, it appears that all the electrics work (speedo lights up, oil light comes on, headlight, electric starter works, etc...) Because I figured it couldn't be a messed up connection (e.g. from the welder's sparks burning through a wire or something), my first thought is that the jostling caused the engine to flood. I have noticed that if I have the bike running in the past and I work the back shocks up and down a little bit to jostle the bike, the engine starts running funny as though extra gas is going to the engine (is this normal?). As I said, the electric starter worked, however, it would just keep turning the engine over but not start it. Same with the manual kick start. So I went ahead and pulled out the spark plugs to see if they were wet from the engine being flooded and they indeed were. After pulling all the spark plugs out, I made sure the key was turned off and proceeded to hold the throttle open and kick the engine over a couple times in hopes of clearing out the engine. Then I let the bike sit for about a day and a half to ensure that the gas had evaporated...
Yesterday, when I got home from work I figured that all the gas for sure had to have evaporated, so I put some new spark plugs in it. I also checked the oil to see if it smelled like gas and it kind of did so I did an oil change on it. After all of that, I opened up a float bowl to ensure there was gas in the carbs and there was, then I tried to start it with the same result (none). I did notice when I would have the choke on, used the electric starter, and opened the throttle, it would sound closer to starting but still would just keep turning over.
What am I doing wrong/not doing?? I'm super bummed because the bike was running SO well before this week...