What have I done??

[Mark C]

Hi guys, My GS has been stood since finishing a tour last September and has only occasionally been turned over and run for a couple of minutes at a time.
All this sun has kicked me back into action and have tried running the bike this week only to find that there are now some problems with it. I found after a proper inspection that the gearbox oil was below the sightglass so I did an oil and filter change. Could I have done some permanent damage running it while below the level required?

Symptoms:
*sounds like it's misfiring
*Exhaust now sounds like a cars when it has a hole in it and the silencer makes a load of very loud creaking and cracking noises when the engine is turned off which I've never heard before
*There is a loud rattle coming from my gearbox when, in neutral I release the clutch, something sounds loose

I went for spin to see if that cleared it thinking it "just needed a blast" but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

Any guidance on what the possibilities could be would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nobby]

petrol all most curtain to have gone off.

 

[Mark C]

If thats the case then would you think it could have damaged anything or caused the plugs to be contaminated in any way.

 

[Big Lee]

Thats not the gearbox oil you see in the sightglass it`s the engine oil did you look at it after you ran the engine or before? If after how long after?

And yes, try some fresh petrol too Have a sniff of the petrol, if it`s off it shouldn`t smell as strong as fresh stuff but even so a tank of good stuff, not supermarket, will do it good

 

[david a hall]

has it been stored inside? if not has it got water in it, is the throtle cable seated properly, have you lifted the tank to jump start it?

 

[Mark C]

I ran the bike on tickover for about 5 mins before I let it settle for checking and the bike has been garaged all of the time. You mentioned the throttle cable, the grip was locked and I had to move the cable to free the grip up which clunked open. When you say seated do you mean into the grip?

I am worried that I may have done some damage inside the engine as when in neutral when I release the clutch lever a loud rattle begins and went goes away when I pull it back in.

 

[david a hall]

id seriously doubt you have damaged your bike, if it had some oil in it! do a search on throttle cable seating or problems with it, use the search button at the top.

 

[Pukmeister]

Put enough oil in it so that you can see a level near the bottom half, don't overfill it.

Do a TPS reset routine. This should restore a smooth(ish) idle.

Charge the battery fully. Check your tyre pressures. Check the brakes work freely with no binding.

Start and ride it for 10 minutes, don't leave it idling on the sidestand it will overheat.

Park up and put on the centrestand. Go and have a cup of tea. Come back and check the oil level. Top up to almost a full sightglass if necessary (20W50 motor oil).

The rattling in neutral you hear is just the gear shafts rattling about within their designed cold clearance/endfloat limits and nothing to worry about.

 

[Tomcat]

If you have been starting it and running it for a couple of minutes every few weeks for the past months my guess is that the plugs are fouled. Each time you start the engine, it receives a rich mixture and never gets hot enough to run the normal mixture. Do this multiple times and the plugs are likely to be black and sooty, so it would be worth taking them out and thoroughly cleaning them.

BTW, I think that brief periods of running from cold are not good a good idea - the rich petrol mixture washes oil off the cylinder walls, and causes increased wear. Much better to take it out for a spin so it reaches full operating temp, and everything is operating - gearbox, wheel bearings, brakes etc.

 

[GSmonkey]

As above, a real bad idea to keep starting the thing - either store it and leave it alone, or ride it. Anyway, assuming you've filled the bike with engine oil (not gearbox oil) and you're happy you've got the right amount in, take the bike for a ride.

I'd take it for a steady 10 mile ride, to get it nice and warm, then stop for some fuel. Check the oil level is good, then I'd give it a good hour of fast riding.

I'm sure you've done no damage and a good ride will sort the symptoms.

A stuck throttle can be normal if you've left a bike for a while. You always get more noise with clutch out in neutral rather than in, amplified if you're in a garage. I've had my GS misfire/pop/bang a bit for the first mile or so if I've left it for a while. Nothing that's not sorted with a bit of mileage.