Help me please! Winter is here and I managed to do all of the little jobs that needed doing on my TDM to get it on the road for the winter however it will not start. I have changed the plugs and am getting a healthy spark when turning over and have stripped and overhauled the carbs. I have checked all fuel hoses and none are blocked. Fuel is getting to the carbs nicely but the thing is still not starting. I have checked continuity from the battery to the engine to check that there is a good earth and that is also fine. So as you can see I am stumped.

Being new to taking apart bikes and putting them back together, my knowledge is still building but the TDM seems like the ideal bike for me to learn.

If anyone has any ideas as to what this problem could be please let me know as I am really getting fed up with being stuck in traffic in a car every day. I need my trusty TDM back. Please help.

Thanks,

MisterX.

'92 TDM 850

check the kill switch or the sidestand...i know basic things but always best to check.

check the kill switch or the sidestand...i know basic things but always best to check.

Beez, thanks for the reply. I will have a look in a mo (when my garage gets warmer). Would that stop the bike turning over though as the engine is turning over fine?

cheers,

misterX

You say you have fitted new plugs and fuel is getting to the carbs, but are the plugs getting wet? If they are then you know the fuel is getting into the cylinders, if not then that is your problem and it is back into the carbs to see why not.

Have you put fresh fuel into the tank? You say it is your winter bike, has it stood since last winter with the same fuel in it? Modern fuels go stale very quickly and give this sort of problem so I would advise draining the tank and putting in fresh petrol.

Cheers,

Andy

Thanks Andy.

Yes there is fresh fuel in the tank as I had to get a new tank in the summer and I am pretty certain the plugs are getting wet but to be honest I haven't been looking for that. I will do tomorrow.

I have gone right through the electrics today and am convinced that it is not electrical. I have checked continuity right through the loom against a wiring diagram and all seems to be ok. I stripped the carbs down and all seems to be fine. I will put them back on tomorrow and have another check of the plugs just to be certain. I may dip the ends of the plugs in some petrol and then try to start it. Is this a good idea? perhaps it will tell me something. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Rob.

Rather than dip the plugs, I would drip a few drops of petrol into the plug holes and then try starting it. If it fires on that bit of fuel then you at least know you have a spark and it may well be enough to get it to run.

Otherwise I can't offer much advice I'm afraid.

Andy

these carbs can be buggers to get fuel though if they have been stood

go for the dropping gas down the plug hole option or find some other way to prime the inlets with neat gas

via a vacuum pipe etc

Hi,

Ok, heres what I have done today. Put the carbs back on after dismantling and cheching, blowing air through everything but still doing the same however, when I tried to start it with the airbox off it did kick in about 5-6 times off the choke but after that, nothing. I kept trying to start it but fuel was spitting out of the carb tops so there is obviously fuel getting in. With the box on I get nothing still. I checked the plugs just before I packed up and they do seem to be getting wet.

I get the feeling that I am very close and that it is something so so simple but just cant get it.

Thanks for your help all amd if you still have any other ideas they will be most welcome.

thanks,

Rob.

the carbs on the TDM cant work properly with the air box off

so thats mainly why they were spitting back

have you tried using some jump leads to get a sustained voltage while you press the button

when it tried to start what happened next ie why didnt it go

and what had the biggest effect

What sort of fuel tap does a TDM have, can you actually turn the fuel off? I am wondering if it is actually flooding, given that it tried to fire without the airbox fitted and no choke. If it's a vacuum tap presumably you could pull the pipe off the tap once you have fuel in the carbs and see what happens? Only guessing I'm afraid but it might help.

Andy

Made some progress today. tried everything that has been suggested with the fuel hose disconnected and all and still no difference. The only difference is that now it tries to start 3 or 4 times then nothing. However, I poured a "BIT MORE" than just a few drops of petrol down the plug holes and what happened next scared the living daylights out of me. It tried to start a bit more than has done in the last week and at one point I thought it might start but then after the biggest backfire I ever heard it just kept turning and turning. Would this indicate that there is indeed something wrong with the carbs? and would it benefit from me replacing all of the little rubber seals that are inside the carb? they dont seem that bad i.e not perished. The diaphragms are not split and seem fine and the the choke plungers move freely. When I took them apart I removed everything except the pilot screw as the haynes manual said that it was not necessary and required adjustment if it was removed.

Cheers,

Rob.

i dont want to worry you but this is starting to sounds like an ignition fault to me

im no expert ( 28 years as a yam tech) so don't listen too hard but

id get the timing checked before you go much further

YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Bike started and running like a dream (almost) I went a bit mad with the old petrol down the holes thing and after one almighty explosion she atarted. A bit ropey at first but sorted out the idle and I have used it now for two days without fault. It is even running better than it did when I put it away. There is one small problem however. When I give it a handfull there are a few flat spots as I accellerate. Only small little jerks that I can live with but when the throttle is rolled back nice and smooth she accellerates fine.

I would like to say thanks to everybody that has helped me. My knowledge of bikes has been growing every day for the past few weeks and I hope that some day I will be able to help somebody the way you have all helped me out.

Thanks again,

Rob.

Nice to hear a happy ending

Andy

good to hear it starts now

thank god it was just a carb problem

track down a product called power pill

or similar and run this through your carbs

it sounds as if the needle tubes or pilot jets are a little gummed up

YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Bike started and running like a dream (almost) I went a bit mad with the old petrol down the holes thing and after one almighty explosion she atarted. A bit ropey at first but sorted out the idle and I have used it now for two days without fault. It is even running better than it did when I put it away. There is one small problem however. When I give it a handfull there are a few flat spots as I accellerate. Only small little jerks that I can live with but when the throttle is rolled back nice and smooth she accellerates fine.

I would like to say thanks to everybody that has helped me. My knowledge of bikes has been growing every day for the past few weeks and I hope that some day I will be able to help somebody the way you have all helped me out.

Thanks again,

Rob.

the jerks it might be your chain have a tyte spot in it had that on my bike put it on stand just move it up and down you will see it if you have that problem