Trouble in starting a bike? Let’s get your big beast back on life.

We can feel how frustrated you might be when you go to hit the start button and the engine cranks over and does not fire up. Leave your worries on us. In this blog post, we will be sharing 5 points on diagnosing non-running two-wheelers. 

Things required: 

You will require the following things to fix the problem with your Bike / Scooter. If you don’t have these bike accessories, it's worth purchasing one. You can get these on any local auto parts showroom near you.

1. Proper Safety gloves
2. Necessary Tools
3. Service Manual for your model 

1. Dirty Carburetor

It is important to keep the carburetor clean because it converts petroleum into tiny droplets for ignition engine ease. Sometimes the holes get clogged. 

Check whether the carburetor is dirty or not. You will need to take air intake off in case of an electric starter. Push and squirt the starter fluid into the carburetor. If this results in a few seconds of revs, you will need to clean your dirty carburetor.

How to Fix:

First, Take off the air intake. Then, Detach the carburetor from the engine. Clean it with your hand. You can soak it in hot soapy water and rinse it. When you are using your hand to clean, make sure you leave no blockages. Look through the jet holes. 

The easiest way to clean your carburetor is using an ultrasonic cleaner. You can simply immerse all the parts into the cleaner and with a few rounds, your job gets done. The cleaner cleans the dirt of hard-to-get places as well.

We recommend you use the owner’s manual to re-assemble your carburetor specific to your bike/scooter.

Remember: After you clean the carburetor, make sure to replace the petrol before you start the engine.  

2. Bad Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are an easy-to-check potential fix when it comes to bike/scooter troubleshooting. If you have bad spark plugs, you can notice the symptoms like louder sounds than usual sounds, slow throttling, bad gas mileage, and so on.  You should have check spark plugs in your two-wheeler maintenance checklist.

How to Fix:

You will need to Reinstall the spark plug into the cap, and ground it to the engine. Then, find a position where the spark plug will just lie in place.

You should avoid hanging on to the wire so that you won’t get shocked. Also, you need to make sure the ignition is on and crank the engine over. You should see a blue spark. If you don’t see any ignition, it is a sign that there is an ignition problem.

Install a brand new spark plug. There is a possibility that your old plug may have become fouled. You can get spark plugs at any local automobile store. When you replace spark plugs, make sure you replace all other ones too. Doing so makes your bike run smoothly.

3. Dead Battery

Sometimes we find our two-wheeler running out of battery or completely dead. And, it is really important for you to be concerned about it. Taking care of your battery is necessary for your bike as the starter motor is wholly dependent on the battery.

The bike start depends upon the level of your battery. If your bike/scooter is running at a low battery level and some voltage is left, you may be able to turn on your blinker and the key. It turns out to be slow.

But, if your battery is completely dead, it does not make any noise when you try to start. In fact, your bike/scooter will not even start. 

How to Fix:

You will need a multimeter for your bike. Turn the multimeter on to a direct voltage. Set it to 20 volt DC. Put separate leads on two battery posts. 

If the multimeter reading is close to 12 volts, you can try to start your motorcycle. If it is below 9, you need to get a new battery for your motorbike. And, if you encounter your battery issues time and again, we suggest you try a battery tender.

4. Clogged Fuel Injector

When you try to start your bike, the motorcycle turns over and there is no combustion. It is probably due to a clogged fuel injector. You can inspect your fuel injectors. If the fuel injector looks dirty, you need to clean it. If needed, get it replaced.

The injector gets clogged generally if the motorcycle sits for a really long time. The fuel gets gelled and you encounter a clog on the injector.

How to Fix:

You can find numerous tools to clean fuel injectors in local auto stores. Fuel injectors cost you a low price. You can use a new fuel injector instead of purchasing a cleaning tool.

5. Blown Fuses 

When you start your motorcycle, everything seems okay with your motorbike but spins forever. Even if you spray starter fluid in the carburetor, it has no difference. Then, that’s a symptom of blown fuses in your bike. 

How to Fix:

Check the main fuse. If you see black material on the fuse or wires being disconnected, that’s a blown fuse. Test the wires with a multimeter. The meter reading will help you identify the specific wire causing the problem.  

You can replace the fuse with new ones if required. Any local auto store will be able to get you the right fuse for your motorcycle. If you encounter continuously blown fuses, we suggest you purchase a small circuit breaker.