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Ok, Is someone vandalizing my bike? Please help!

1K views 18 replies 12 participants last post by  Mtneer 
#1 ·
Ok, so let me tell you a bit about my CBR600. It ran fine for the last few weeks, no problems at all (I am at college, before that the bike was still at home). I put 500 miles on it. Then, on Saturday, it wouldn't start.

Great. I changed the battery in August, replaced the spark plugs, and I don't think it could be carbs/jets because those problems are associated to long periods of inactivity (like several months), which the bike hasn't had since I brought it up. It's not gas: there is still 3/4 of a tank in there.

So what can it be? I don't know. It will start, but can't hold idle. If I rev it, it stalls. This was on Saturday. I tried 3 different times during the day and it never ran long enough to warm up before it stalled out. This is after I rode it 25 miles the day before.

Most of the people I asked were baffled; it didn't really fit with any problems they had seen before. Someone on here said it might be a pinched hose.

Sunday: fuckit, I didn't even try.

Today (Monday); try again. Nope, not lucky enough to have it idle to the point of stalling, because it didn't start at all. No matter what. About this time is when I notice a 2 foot long, black vaccuum hose on the ground next to the bike. One side has been broken, the other side looks like it was pulled off the nipple. Not cool.

Which brings me to WTF?! Is this the problem? Was some little shit-faced asshole fucking with my bike this weekend? I park at a bicycle rack, and I chain it to the side. Why is there a vaccum hose at a bicycle rack if it isn't from my bike? Dammit, I am so pissed off. I hate to be paranoid, but right now someone vandalizing my stuff seems to be the most plausible explanation. : (
 
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#5 ·
It could be the gas tank vent tube. maybe the bike is only getting enough gas to idle. Did you open the gas tank. did you hear air rush in?
It also could be:
the petcock is not open
choke is stuck
the carbs have junk in them
the floats are stuck
the fuel filter is dirty
the battery doesn't have enough charge
Has it rained, maybe the electronics are wet
 
#6 · (Edited)
Are you positive the plugs aren't fouled? That looks like a drain hose or a vent hose from the gas tank maybe. Kinda long for a vacuum hose of any type. That would be kinda easy to pull out because it hangs out the bottom of the bike, but I don't see why it would cause it not to start, unless something else got pulled loose when it got yanked out, like maybe a connection on the wiring. Have you lifeted up the tank to see if anything is unplugged or missing under there?
 
#8 ·
Another possiblity: Spark Plug wires not snapped all the way on.



Also if you suspect foul play....and that hose is your vent hose for the tank....you may check the tank for contamination. Say someone poured sand or such in your tank thru the vent hose...? Just guesssing..tryin to help!
 
#9 ·
I had a similar problem - difficulty starting when cold, wouldn't idle, and giving throttle would stall it. A washer on the choke slide had turned a little so it wouldn't move all the way to open (closed). You might check to see if your choke is really working how it's supposed to.
 
#10 ·
that is a vent hose from the gas tank, no affect on the symtoms described. you have started on the bike enough to gas foul a plug which could be the cause of all of this.if your bike is in the weather and it has rained, water could be in the gas tank from leaking around the lid. if someone has pulled that hose off, check all your plug wires to see if they have done the same.
 
#11 ·
Like someone else mentioned about rodents be sure to watch out for them. On my old bike, I had a list of things to do for the winter. I ride year round but will completely take my bike apart to make sure everything is tight and in good condition for the next season.

Well anyway, I had my list, and it turned up missing. The bike sat for a week or two, I was taking my tank off and other stuff. I looked into my K&N filter.. I found my list:eek was nice and red from the oil on the filter. Some mouse had made a nest out of my list in my filter.

As for your bike, check the plugs, make sure your choke is working properly. If you think someone is messing with it invest into a alarm. I got one on my bike, and forget aobut it half the time myself untill it goes off:D

Dave
 
#12 ·
Krypt Keeper said:
Like someone else mentioned about rodents be sure to watch out for them. On my old bike, I had a list of things to do for the winter. I ride year round but will completely take my bike apart to make sure everything is tight and in good condition for the next season.

Well anyway, I had my list, and it turned up missing. The bike sat for a week or two, I was taking my tank off and other stuff. I looked into my K&N filter.. I found my list:eek was nice and red from the oil on the filter. Some mouse had made a nest out of my list in my filter.

As for your bike, check the plugs, make sure your choke is working properly. If you think someone is messing with it invest into a alarm. I got one on my bike, and forget aobut it half the time myself untill it goes off:D

Dave
Good call on the alarm! That might save me...next time. Looks like a lot of unforseen expenses now since I have no idea why the fuck it won't run and it might be a multitude of things. I am waiting on a new fuel petcock (mine is leaking...but would not prevent it from running). So when I put that in, I will look for broken/missing hoses since I will have the tank off and disassembled anyway. If I can't figure it out then, it's off to the Honda dealer next week. :(

I am so mad right now. I can't be certain that is the cause of this or that is what happened but it's looking that way. I don't think it is rodents: I don't see how any creature large enough to pull out a hose that long and break part off can get up inside the bike like that. I understand in a scenerio where it is all desassembled, but not if it is all together, upright.

Thanks, please keep the advice and insight coming guys!
 
#13 ·
Oh yeah, just a bit of background to support my argument a little bit:

I don't think there's someone that hates me that did this, but I am at a college where I have the only sportbike living on campus. I park it chained to a bicycle rack at night, which probably pisses someone off (tough, I'm not gonna park it in a parking space for it to get lifted into a truck), and there is no section specifically for bikes. EVERYONE notices it and I usually get 1-2 comments every time I park it somewhere just because they are so uncommon here.
 
#15 ·
Nah, Baylor seems to hate motorcycles as there is no parking for them anywhere. If I try and park it where I think it will be safe I will get ticketed for sure. And I am on the 2nd floor, so that wouldn't work; besides my roomates would be sorta pissed. :D
 
#17 ·
You might save yourself some hassle and repair bills with a $50 cover. Keeps rain and leaves off, too! :D
 
#18 ·
new gas + carb clean = no problem
 
#19 ·
I had a similar problem on my 96' CBR600 F3. I did all the normal things (plugs, gas,etc...) nothing. I bought it used from a dealer only a month earlier so I took it to them, and after a day of trying everything that I had already done, they found that the fuel pump was bad. They put in a new one and I never had a problem with the bike after that.

Maybe worth a look becase I've seen similar CBR posts on other boards that ended up being the same problem.

Good Luck
 
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