How to Troubleshoot Honda Motorcycles
Honda is known for its motto of: “take care of your Honda and it'll take care of you”. Honda is powerful and realiable but is still prone to technical failure. When problems occur with your motorcycle it is nice to know how to diagnose the problem. Knowing what the problem is will help the mechanic in making repairs.
Instructions:
- Check the fuel flow to the carburetor and make sure the fuel petcock is in the on position. Make sure there is a full tank of gas. On the underside of the tank check the breather to make sure it is not clogged and the gas will not go through the line.
- Make sure there is a spark and inspect each spark plug for residue. Do a test on each by rubbing it against the crankcase or cylinder head while pressing the start button. Check the starter to make sure it is working properly and the battery charged if there is no spark.
- Test the compression using a gauge. The spark plugs will not ignite gas properly without compression. Check for damages and leaks to the cylinder head if compression is low.
- Stop if the engine starts and then stops it might be a many things wrong which may be incorrect choke adjustment, incorrect ignition timing, intake pipe leakage, or the gas may be bad.
- Remember Honda motorcycles are known for their dead zone after idle. If the motorcycle starts and then idles but goes dead when given a little throttle, then shake the carburetor needle for it to produce gas to the engine quicker.