if it weren't for bad luck

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britbike220

britbike220

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Aug 6, 2005
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Out for an evening ride on 850 number one and she is running great. Just a 20 mile cruise and about the last two miles the thing just starts bogging down when any throttle or load is applied. Thankfully I was near home and was able to make it home. Since it was getting dark I didn't have time to really look at much. Hate it when I run out of time. Starts ok, runs ok as long as the throttle isn't applied more than a bit at a time. Not a good way to end a bad day. Looks like I'm out two 850's at once.
 
Are you complaining or asking for advice? Maybe the bikes just don’t like you. Remember, they’re female.
 
Complaining and kind of thinking out loud and always willing to hear anyone's advice. It helps me with the thought process.
 
Diablouph said:
Are you complaining or asking for advice? Maybe the bikes just don’t like you. Remember, they’re female.
Click to expand...

Female? Oh no! I guess I better stop calling mine Butch!
 
If you have the enricher slides in the carbs, i'll bet your choke cable went slack.

I hope it's that easy.
 
I'll probably be able to look at it tonight, but I am thinking it is going to be wiring or the boyer gone south. The one thing I did do last night was pull the plugs and check spark. I n doing so I found when I turned the ignition on and off I didn't always get thqt boyer spark. Not sure the sequence of when it is suppose to spark without reading , but I did notice the boyer was not always sparking with the ignition switch. I don't have choke slides on any of my bikes because of the extra issues they can cause. So unless something silly happened in the carb I will be looking at electrical which I am absolutely the worst person in the world when it comes to troubleshooting and testing electrics. Thanks for the ideas so far.
 
OH Poo, every time I think its fuel related dang ole electrical issue pops up, sheeze.
Boyer should spark each time key on/off or kill button touched.
Try key on and bumble-jiggle stuff, if it sparks focus there, first.
I've had bad conduction show up both ways, at low idle or at higher rev's, but not both at once, unless low voltage from a bad alternator connection.
 
Hey guys, not getting my hopes up yet because I just rode the bike up and down the block, but it appears the oil seal in the points cavity is leaking a bit and over time there was a build up of oil. The pick up plate for the boyer was pretty much covered in oil and I am wondering if this could prevent a good signal to the black box? I also checked valves and plugs being the easiest route before testing more time consuming ideas. The plugs were very black and sooty and one intake and one exhaust valve were a couple thousandths out of tolerance. I don't know if the plugs or valves had anything to do with the problem I experienced, but the short run has the bike running back to normal. It is so friggin hot out I can't go ride until late evening. I'll see what it does after good and hot. I hate test rides w/o backup because pushing a bike in 90 degree heat, 90% humidity is not a party. I' am hoping once the bike is hot something ugly will rear it's head.
 
Loose /frayed earth (ground) wire somewhere? Happened to me when the earth strap came loose once. It would start and run fine but would not rev beyond 3k. Maybe you should check ignition wires with an ohm meter for continuity or visually before going onto more time-consuming things. I assume it's running on two? I had oil in the points cover with a leaking seal and it made no difference but it is not ideal. Good luck with your trouble-shooting.
 
Ya, I'm figuring it'll start acting up after I've ridden it for awhile. The symptoms are characteristic of many different problems I've had, too bad motorcycle maintenance isn't more straight forward. Then again maybe it is if your more mechanical than I.
 
All's I know for sure about our motorcycles is that oil will not mess with electronic magnetic triggered ignitions nor points. It could mess with an optical trigger.
You are correct about pensiveness to end up pushing in hi heat, damhik.
Nothing like a Commando to tease you into straining and slapping awake prior un-accessed neurons. Self improvement course in character, logic and will power to tackle tedious mystery and not set it afire first. More so when more than one thing at once causing the identical symptom. Common complex is rough running of bonkers Boyer wires gets fixed but has caused a coil lead to get loose.

hobot
 
I ran the bike for about 15 miles tonight to see if I could replicate the problem I experienced and it didn't miss a beat. I don't like it when things go away w/o knowing what was really wrong. Will probably come back when I least expect it, but seems to be the way of things. :)
 
britbike220 said:
I ran the bike for about 15 miles tonight to see if I could replicate the problem I experienced and it didn't miss a beat. I don't like it when things go away w/o knowing what was really wrong. Will probably come back when I least expect it, but seems to be the way of things. :)
Click to expand...

That suggests an intermittent electrical fault, although of course diagnosis is always difficult in this situation. You could have more peace of mind if you at least check your ignition circuit for loose contacts or frayed wires. A poor earth is one of the things that will give the symptoms you describe.
 
I do need to go through the wiring, but dread it. The bike could stand a new harness and this winter I may do a simplified custom harness like I did on one of my triumphs.
 
If you plan to live with your Commando its often takes a full re-loom to know what ya got and how its connected to get all the possible gremlins eliminated.
Then maybe 1000 miles more to find your own weak links. You will loss about 1/3 of a shoe box stuffed with usless wiring loops and double backs and excess connectors.
The neatest wiring I've ever seen was on a garage preserved totally untouched factory Cdo. Makes modern wiring look like rats nest with just as much fault prone within only a decade as Lucas in a couple to 3 decades later. I'm on some modern bike lists, like suzuki and they list the known faults arising by average mileage instead of years of time.
Will you use cloth or tape or spiral wrap or just heat shrink and zip ties?

hobot
 
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