81 KZ1000 LTD
OK, so if any of you read my story on getting my old bike back then you already know it hasn't been ridden in about 12 years. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I finally went and picked it up from the friend I had sold it to 22 years ago.
After doing everything you should do to get an engine running that has set for so long it was time to spin it over without plugs in it. I hit the start button and nothing happened. I had been told it may have an electrical problem possibly due to the bad master cylinder leaking fluid on/into the right control. (on/off/start switch) I decided to try just flipping the on/off/start switch back and forth numerous times and to my amazement it started working. Engine turned over fine. Fast forward again ... put everything back together, poured gas in the tank and it fired right up.
I was blown away how easily it started. So out the driveway I went to ride around the block a couple of times. Rode it for about 5-10 minutes but when I came to a stop it just quit. Still had power to everything except the ignition and horn. WTF??? After a few minutes i figured out it had blown the ign/horn fuse. OK, so I replaced the fuse and it fired up again. Rode it back to the house. Decided maybe the fuse was just old and week and decided to go for another ride. Less than 10 minutes later I pull up to another stop sign and it quit again. Luckily I had put an extra fuse in my pocket so after replacing it again I made it home. I pulled the tank and side covers and started checking harness plugs and wiring for bad/loose/chafed wires. Didn't really find anything obvious but did re-wrap a couple of harnesses and tied up the red coil wire that was laying on top of the engine. Once more I go for a ride. Ran great for about 30 minutes so I thought my problem had been fixed. A few minutes later my son wanted to take it for a ride so off he went. 10 minutes later he pulls up with the engine running like crap as if on 2 cylinders. I didn't look at it for about 30 minutes or so but when I did it started it up and it ran fine. I haven't ridden it again to see if the problem persist but suspect sooner or later it will.
So, first is/was the issue with the ign fuse blowing. Somewhere prior to re-wrapping harnesses I missed telling you it had blown two other times less than a block down the street.
Second is when it started running badly. ??? Is it possible for a coil to draw too many amps and blow the ign fuse? And ... now be cutting out but not blowing the fuse? Or do I have 2 separate issues?
At this point a can't trust it to go any further than a couple of blocks from home. Or should I say any further than I'm willing to push it. And I'm toooo damn old to be pushin it. LOL.