won't start

hi gang first let me say this is a great site and im happy to be abord. now for my problem iv'e got a kz550ltd 83 us model shafty well here we go then my bike will just not start i have been on the problem for the last 10 yes 10 days non stop trying to fix it but to no avail it has new leads plugs carbs have been striped right down and cleaned every jet and float every thing the engine timeing is right the ignition timeing is right the fule is getting to the carbs i have a good spark at each plug but it will just not start the leads are on the right plugs the fireing order is right ( 1243 ) but nothing and it's doing my head right in i need help please please please help me i dont know if im thick and missing something or what but i just can't get it to fire up.

As long as it has compression, and spark, fuel, and air, in the right amounts at the right time, the motor will start, so one of those conditions is missing.

Is this bike new to you, and have you ever heard it run?

Does it have decent compression (over 100 psi)?
Are the spark plugs wet with fuel?
Does it have a clean air filter?

A little more info would help

hi steell i have had the bike about 15days i bought it of ebay the guy i bought it of said it was running then just stoped. it has good compression air filter is very clean and after it has been wound over for a while the plugs are damp but not soaking wet. some one said it could be the igniter ? good battery every thing els works well. honestly it has got my head batterd

Spider.... first, you have two coils. One coil fires the 1&4 plugs and the other the 2&3 plugs. Look at the wires coming up from the pickup coils under the points cover. The one wire is likely BLACK. It may be coming off the left pickup coil. It goes to a coil. This coil is your 1&4 coil. The other wire is green or blue. It goes to your right coil (as you sit on bike). It is the 2&3 coil. Make sure the coil wires are correct!

Next... you have spark. Great! Do you have gas? I can't recall how your bowl screws work on your 550 but you can unscrew and get gas coming out a hole in the bottom of the bowl. Make sure you have gas in all the bowls.

Ok... you have gas and spark and it won't start? Check your compression! You have to have compression to start the bike.

Welcome to the site!

Aside from the specific advice that you'll definitely want to follow (if George can't get it running, it must not have an engine, and steell's got his head on straight too), here's a general procedure for shaking down a new bike posted recently by NormZ that might provide somewhat of a checklist.

hi gang first let me say thanks for the info guys i checked every thing you lot said and every thing was right so i thought ill try and bump it so i got a mate to toe me with his car at 20-25mph (scary)it poped and banged for a while then fired up i had to keep it reving until all the crap was gone. its running lumpy but yaaaaahhooooo it's running i think its sucking air some where but hay it's still running so thanks again you guys.



spider....

You could have tied a rope to the car and looped it around the handel bar. This would allow you to follow behind the car and you can let go of the rope when you decide.

You need to have a smart and awake driver because they always seem to turn in front of traffic causing the rope to strech across the road. Then you must quickly drop the rope or quicker follow the car into the left turn and hope the oncomming traffic slows.

Anyway if you tow the bike in a parking lot you can spin up the engine long enough to clear out the bad gas or what ever is fouling your bike.

It is simpler to drain the tank and carbs and use a can of Ether (Start) to get the bike to fire up. but I had a friend that tried this and burned up the rear of his house when it backfired about 2 feet of flame.

Hope this helps,
Spock

towing a bike attached to a car with a rope and dumping the clutch at 25 mph!do you need a beneficiary for your life insurance?ha-ha