It Does sound like a electrical problem, have you got any mates that are good with electrics? ask them to look through it for you.

If things work when you wiggle the 15a fuse then either the fuse is fucked or its got bad connection .

The starter motor earths through the frame so make sure that the cable going to it is firmly attached if its been seen to glow red and smoke has come out of it them its a good chance that that cable is now fucked and is earthing out somewhere on the frame.

It Does sound like a electrical problem, have you got any mates that are good with electrics? ask them to look through it for you.

If things work when you wiggle the 15a fuse then either the fuse is fucked or its got bad connection .

The starter motor earths through the frame so make sure that the cable going to it is firmly attached if its been seen to glow red and smoke has come out of it them its a good chance that that cable is now fucked and is earthing out somewhere on the frame.

Thanks for the reply!

I'll have to go over it all with the multimeter, and I've been thinking of soldering on the crimp connectors to gert a bit of a better connection, is it worth it?

I hope it's something as silly as just a dodgy wire, then all I have to do do is find the culprit and hopefully, when I hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards.. Checkmate... or something along those lines!

...........when I hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards.. Checkmate... or something along those lines!

And if not you'll be chapping

And if not you'll be chapping

Indeed!

I tried testing my rectifier with the multimeter, but it turns out my ghetto multimeter doesn't have a diode testing function!

Any other ways to test it?

I'm also begining to think the battery my uncle got me is utter crap, it's only 12v 5ah but I have no idea of the cold cranking amps?

Should be this one 11Ah. http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=CoKZfuTZ0VZ-bOYHL7QbEi4KIBJu3kP0Fy5C_h4kBsfiWq-gBCAkQAiDezc8eKAVgu9a9g9AKoAHbq4nuA8gBB6kCfOpvQWqeuT6qBCdP0AhiIIXCMW_6Ix8ykSs5OvJ1aREIKD0G71791K4bbV1bi3NyIDTABQWgBiaAB43U9hGQBwOoB6a-G6gHk8IbqAeUwhvYBwHgEvfu56aA3M7vGw&sig=AOD64_2stTISTAAI9TI4g6OUz1ZdsYAJ9Q&adurl=http://www.allbatteries.co.uk/motorbike-battery/yamaha/125/xv-125-virago-4rs/1997-2001-mot068.html%3Futm_source%3DGoogleProductSearch%26utm_medium%3Dcomparator%26utm_campaign%3DGPS&ctype=5&rct=j&q=&ved=0CBAQsEM&ei=uTZ0Vd6qN7OQ7AbBrYLwBA

This any good to you?

http://www.electrosport.com/technical-resources/library/diagnosis/pdf/fault-finding-diagram.pdf

Should be this one 11Ah. http://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=CoKZfuTZ0VZ-bOYHL7QbEi4KIBJu3kP0Fy5C_h4kBsfiWq-gBCAkQAiDezc8eKAVgu9a9g9AKoAHbq4nuA8gBB6kCfOpvQWqeuT6qBCdP0AhiIIXCMW_6Ix8ykSs5OvJ1aREIKD0G71791K4bbV1bi3NyIDTABQWgBiaAB43U9hGQBwOoB6a-G6gHk8IbqAeUwhvYBwHgEvfu56aA3M7vGw&sig=AOD64_2stTISTAAI9TI4g6OUz1ZdsYAJ9Q&adurl=http://www.allbatteries.co.uk/motorbike-battery/yamaha/125/xv-125-virago-4rs/1997-2001-mot068.html%3Futm_source%3DGoogleProductSearch%26utm_medium%3Dcomparator%26utm_campaign%3DGPS&ctype=5&rct=j&q=&ved=0CBAQsEM&ei=uTZ0Vd6qN7OQ7AbBrYLwBA

Cheers for that, I'll have to get one of these in!

This any good to you?

http://www.electrosport.com/technical-resources/library/diagnosis/pdf/fault-finding-diagram.pdf

Thanks so much for that, that'll definately come in handy at some point!

Hey guys, I bought a new starter motor and put the old battery in and it started first time, on the button, no choke! 

But now, it's being strange. It'll idle fine, rev like half throttle nice, but if it goes over half throttle, it'll just stop accelerating and go just over idle speed. It doesn't cut out at all! 

But, now and again, it'll rev all the way up fine? I have a video if it'll help.

I tried new fuel, made no difference. I'm getting new plugs, new air filter and going to check the wires to the coils as ice moved the coils to stop water flicking up on them. Ill also check for vacuum leaks.

 

Hoping it's not a carb problem as I can't get the bloody screws off the carb! D:

 

Any ideas, guys? 

Sounds to me like an air leak bud. Check all the joins from air box to carbs, and then check that the carbs are seated and done up tight onto the inlet rubbers, and while your at it check the condition of the inlet rubbers, as she was sat for a period of time the rubbers may have perished and cracked.

check the connections to the spark plug caps are good and that the HT leads are not sparking to earth (might have to check this when it's dark)

Sounds to me like an air leak bud. Check all the joins from air box to carbs, and then check that the carbs are seated and done up tight onto the inlet rubbers, and while your at it check the condition of the inlet rubbers, as she was sat for a period of time the rubbers may have perished and cracked.

I shall have a check! What's the best way to check it? I read somewhere that putting a little shaving down on suspect areas and revving the bike would show me where the leak is, any validity to that? 

check the connections to the spark plug caps are good and that the HT leads are not sparking to earth (might have to check this when it's dark)

shall check that, too. 

 

I live in Wales, mate.. Its always dark! :')

 

Edit: Here's the video; https://youtu.be/3MrVPmGv4PI

Edited September 4, 20159 yr by LukeWard