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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!caip!topaz!ll-xn!nike!ucbcad!ucbvax!ucdavis!deneb!ccohesh
From: ccohesh@ucdavis.UUCP (Hesh)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: bike "debugging"
Message-ID: <468@ucdavis.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Aug-86 17:54:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.468
Posted: Mon Aug 18 17:54:49 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 20-Aug-86 01:17:24 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 55


i've got a suzuki GN400X which is having problems.  although i enjoy
working on it, i don't have much time (and even less money!); i'm hoping
that somebody on the net will be able to help me diagnose the problem....

it has 18K miles, and has been well maintained.  i regularly change
the oil, oil and adjust the chain, adjust the valves, etc.  despite my
care, it has started acting a little funny:

	o	hard to start

	o	runs very roughly -- like it's not firing half the
		time -- and unsteadily -- the rpm never stays steady

	o	a slight loss of power (it doesn't wheelie anymore :-)

	o	bad gas mileage -- down to 50 from 65 mpg

	o	acts like i need to put on the reserve tank (you know,
		when your main tank runs out of gas and the bike starts
		surging and nothing happens when you mash on the throttle)

i've made sure that the valves are adjusted (btw, what does a bike act
like when the valve seats are worn?), the chain is adjusted, it has a new
spark plug, the gas tank was flushed, the carb was cleaned (not one speck
of dirt!).  i ran through some tests on the CDI (all electronic ignition on
this bike), but nothing is conclusive with just an ohmmeter, and the coil
seems fine (no obvious shorts).  the battery seems to be running out of
juice, but i don't know if this is because it is losing charge (magneto
going bad?) or because it is getting old (it is only about a year old,
so i doubt that).  i did find some corrosion, though, so that (bad ground)
may have been the cause [of it running out of juice].

i believe that the carb is not the problem -- all the important adjustments
are factory set.  i'm leaning towards the electrical system, but which part
i don't know (is it the pickups or the CDI?)  i have some suspicions with
the valves, because of an incident about a year ago: i rode very hard for
a few hours, and it required valve adjustment because of it.  but it hasn't
acted the same since -- it is more noisy, a little rougher.  but i don't
know what a real valve seating problem is supposed to feel like, so i dunno.

a gentleman at the local bike shop says he'll diagnose the problem
for $50.  i figure i could start replacing parts and solve the problem
before i spend that much!

i suggest responding to the net, since we all may benefit from some
sound advice.

-- 
-- Hesh
-- ucdavis!ccohesh@ucbvax.berkeley.edu		(ARPA)
-- ...!{dual,lll-crg,ucbvax}!ucdavis!ccohesh	(UUCP)
--
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