[cycledesign]

I was riding today when I stopped at a local store about 3 miles away from my house. When I stopped, I tried to kick the stand down but my foot got caught or something and the bike started to lean over. I've never dropped it before and I caught it before it hit the ground. I was holding it up, but it was way too far over to pull back up so I tried as gently as I could to lay it down.

Everything was very gentle and I pulled the bike back up and I couldn't see any scratches or anything. As far as dropping it goes, it seems like it went pretty well. So, without thinking of the condition of the engine I went in and bought a few pieces of hardware I needed and came back out. But when I tried to start the bike again it was really tring hard but wouldn't turn over or whatever. Eventually I could feel it "catching" so I gave it some gas and it started well but when I let off it just died again. So I put on the choke and started it again but the same thing was happening so I had to keep giving it some throttle until after about 10 seconds it started to warm or something and caught again.

Everything seemed OK when I headed back home except for it starting to rain but when I slowed to a stop light, I could hear that the bike was acting like the clutch wasn't in even though the lever was fully depressed (the actual lever didn't touch the ground when I dropped it). It died when I came to a stop. I started it up again with the same technique as at the store but now it sounded all gutteral and low like a big cruiser! I looked and all the parts were still there but it just sounded like there was no muffling going on whatsoever. When I took off it felt extremely underpowered and I had to rev it pretty high just to take off.

So now I'm home, soaking wet, with a sore back and a weird bike... Anybody know what's wrong?

Thanks in advance

 

[JK_DILLA]

how did your exhaust smell/ look?

 

[cycledesign]

Couldn't really smell anything and nothing was visually wrong with the bike at least from the outside. It was just a really sudden thing.

 

[DLIT]

Could it have been flooded? That's why it wouldn't start the first time. What kind of bike is it? It could be a slipping clutch or an electrical loss of power. Check your sidestand switch just in case it's loose or something.

 

[jeeps84]

I think it was flooded at first. As for the clutch. You may have twisted the leaver and or bar and pulled the cable tight forcing the clutch to partly disengage.
Try it again in a few hours to see if it runs better. Check that you have just a little free play at the clutch lever also.

 

[R1up0n1]

I think it was flooded at first. As for the clutch. You may have twisted the leaver and or bar and pulled the cable tight forcing the clutch to partly disengage.
Try it again in a few hours to see if it runs better. Check that you have just a little free play at the clutch lever also.

:iagree:

 

[Gas Man]

Sounds like it was flooded....

 

[No Worries]

Whenever a bike is on it's side, for any length of time, never start it up. Gas or oil can get into a cylinder, and they don't compress. Always take out the spark plugs and crank the engine. That will force out anything from the cylinders. Then put the plugs in and ride away. 9 out of 10 times, nothing will go into the cylinders, but it's that one time.

Anyway, the problem with your bike, if it has carbs, is like everyone says: flooding. The best way to see where the problem lies is to pull the plugs in order and inspect them. Are any wet or black? The float might be messed up in that cylinder's carb. It might be temporary or the carbs may have to be cleaned.

 

[JEKYLL]

I'm thinkin,since you dropped it on that side... you hit the clutch lever and pushed it so it's now loose and NOT disengaging correctly...if there was a float that opened and gas flooded it would flow out the overflow hoses...if there was somehow too much in the cyl. it would go into hydrostatic lock and would NOT crank...

 

[Gas Man]

Well NW... that doesn't always work...we don't always have the time or the ability to tear it all apart after a light tip over.

I think he might have 2 problems... one, original flooding. Second, clutch lever. Like Jekyll said, check the clutch lever for freeplay. Make sure there is some.

 

[R1up0n1]

I think it was just flooded, and ya check that clutch cable to make sure its not pulled tight, there should be a little bit of slack in the cable.

 

[JK_DILLA]

atleast pull the plugs like NW said. Dirty or clean, that will answer most of the questions.

 

[cycledesign]

Thanks a lot guys! I really appreciate all the advice. Don't much at all about bike mechanics so I wouldn't know what to do. So I'll check the plugs and all that and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[JEKYLL]

Dude...check the clutch cable for being TOO LOOSE/TOO MUCH FREEPLAY,if you hit/moved the lever perch you've put too much slack in the system...get on and start it up like yu normally would but with the trans in first or second,hold in the clutch lever and try to crank it...does it want to pull the bike/make it move??? Try it without sittin on it you'l feel it better,BTW,don't crank the starter for more than 5-8 sec. at a time,especially if this is your prob.,you'll burn it out with it trying to turn the whole driven sys.back to the wheel,listen for the starter to sound slower than normal...look at the clutch perch and where it mounts to the bar,does it look like it moved??? It won't need much.

 

[JEKYLL]

If all of this doesn't reveal THEN go to your three basics air/fuel,compression,ignition...if your eng. was flooded you'd smell from the exhaust and see fuel from the overflow hoses! Does the bike roll FREELY when in gear and clutch disengaged? Compare between engaged and disengaged in one gear it should't want to turn the eng. or drag the tire,although all of this clutch diag. may take a very sensitive or learned feel,do it over and over you'll find it...

 

[cycledesign]

Re: Clutch issue

Ok yeah I tried that in 1st gear and it very obviously wants to move. So this pretty embarrassing, I really know nothing about mechanics and I don't know how to adjust the cable or anything so I'll have a buddy check it out. If anyone can tell me how to do anything I'd appreciate it. The bike's a CB700SC. I'll check the shop manual. Thanks

 

[R1up0n1]

Ok yeah I tried that in 1st gear and it very obviously wants to move. So this pretty embarrassing, I really know nothing about mechanics and I don't know how to adjust the cable or anything so I'll have a buddy check it out. If anyone can tell me how to do anything I'd appreciate it. The bike's a CB700SC. I'll check the shop manual. Thanks

There is a knob up near the clutch lever. When you turn that it will adjust the clutch cable. Now do you have a cable, or hydrolic clutch is the question?

 

[JK_DILLA]

cb 700.... if its not cable actuated i'll be a monkeys uncle.

 

[R1up0n1]

cb 700.... it its not cable actuated i'll be a monkeys uncle.

AH ha! May not be totally true JK.

My older bro's ex bike...a 1983 night hawk (cb650sc) Had a hydraulic clutch, and front brake. So I know the CB series did have hydraulic back then. That [email protected] bike even had a digital gas gauge, and gear indicator! A freakin 83!!!

 

[JK_DILLA]

guess my chances of monkey uncledom has improved- :lol: