[Marty8613]

I agree but I cant get the thing in neutral. again, i know very little about bikes, but i thought i had to have it in neutral to get it to crank?

Where are you located? I think you are doing a lot of unneeded work on a simple part. Get to 1st and tap the heel shifter half way to get to neutral. It’s a half step.


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[Tommy B]

It'll crank with the clutch disengaged. Try pulling in the clutch lever then cranking. Don't let go unless you're prepared to go forward.

 

[gkevinr]

Where are you located? I think you are doing a lot of unneeded work on a simple part. Get to 1st and tap the heel shifter half way to get to neutral. It’s a half step.


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I'm going to check it right after work today. would be cool if it was my ignorance. I am glad i cracked the case. it is super clean, which tells me the bike was probably well maintained. the gasket came of in chips, so its a good thing to replace it. and I dont see any metal or other junk in the bottom, so thats good too.

will let you know either way. and thanks for the help. this is how i learn.

 

[gkevinr]

I'm going to check it right after work today. would be cool if it was my ignorance. I am glad i cracked the case. it is super clean, which tells me the bike was probably well maintained. the gasket came of in chips, so its a good thing to replace it. and I dont see any metal or other junk in the bottom, so thats good too.

will let you know either way. and thanks for the help. this is how i learn.

PS - located just outside Henderson in east Texas

 

[dmil123]

unless you have a defective switch or bad fuses /wiring, if you pull the clutch lever in, place the engine run switch on, key on and kickstand up the bike should turn over when the start switch is depressed. I would only recommend doing this if you have serviced the fuel system and have fresh gas. The bike should roll easily if in neutral. If not, pull the clutch and roll the bike back and forth a few feet, try shifting down to first and a half a shift up for neutral. Let us know how you make out.

 

[Lorax]

I agree but I cant get the thing in neutral. again, i know very little about bikes, but i thought i had to have it in neutral to get it to crank?

If you have both wheels on, and plugs out, you could roll the bike and work the shifter to get it into neutral.

 

[gkevinr]

ok - to all of you who suggested rolling/rocking the bike - genius! it appears the clutches were stuck together as someone(s) thought. at first I could only get one gear toe shift and one gear heel shift with NO 1/2 click in between. Rocked the bike multiple times. it dumped a cup of oil on my floor which is interesting since it had been drained since yesterday afternoon. when it did that, I was able to get neutral (light on the speedo does work...so does the oil level warning light). Hit the starter and heard the engine turn over. I have the gas tank disconnected so there is no fuel going to it. the old gas in the tank reeks, so I'll be cleaning that out.

i am going to pull the plugs and put a little oil on top of the pistons to lubricate. with plugs out, i should be able to turn it over a few times to see if i have any really bad, depressing sounds. I'm also going to do some more bike rocking. I have 1st, neutral and 2nd. I dont have anything else yet. I think part of the clutch is still sticking.
,
Progress !!!

 

[Lorax]

I think several folks here were on the right path - the issues are really non-issues - just the result of sitting unloved for so long. A little TLC and I think you'll be well rewarded. Keep working the gears and clutch albeit gently to get them unstuck.

 

[gkevinr]

here's the latest. pulled both plugs. ran a dry compression test. barely hit 30 and immediately leaked down. squirted a 3 second shot of pb blaster. Both hit 70 and held. if this were a car, i'd put a little Marvel Oil in in spark plug hole, turn it over a few times, and let it sit overnight then retest. This bike has been sitting - potentially for years. I'm sure the cylinders and rings are bone dry.

is there a better way?

 

[lesblank]

Possible stuck open valve and it started to move. Remember it takes 100 at a minimum to run.

 

[dmil123]

I have the gas tank disconnected so there is no fuel going to it. the old gas in the tank reeks, so I'll be cleaning that out.

you will probably need to clean the carbs and the jets. Sounds like you are making progress.

 

[Yamaha Pat]

The popcorn is out. When you ride this 04 vstar 1100 classic I will be a happy camper.

 

[Marty8613]

One common VStar issue is a partially failed starter. Mine sat for months due to it. It would crank but not with enough oomph to start. When I pulled the rotor in the starter, the stators came out with it and half were broken. The design with the really long case screws allows this problem. The screws run between the stators keeping loose stator magnets in sort of the right place. I have two extra batteries now as it looks like a charging or battery problem since the starter turns. Be sure to check this if it cranks but won’t start.


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[gkevinr]

One common VStar issue is a partially failed starter. Mine sat for months due to it. It would crank but not with enough oomph to start. When I pulled the rotor in the starter, the stators came out with it and half were broken. The design with the really long case screws allows this problem. The screws run between the stators keeping loose stator magnets in sort of the right place. I have two extra batteries now as it looks like a charging or battery problem since the starter turns. Be sure to check this if it cranks but won’t start.


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Good to know. Thanks for the info.

 

[gkevinr]

New progress. You might not want all this detail, but it does give you the opportunity to say "yeah...you really dont want to do that again..." if I screw something up.

put a small amount of ring sealer down the spark plug hole. turned it over several times to distribute. compression in the high 120s (nearly identical) on both. When i get my new crankcase gasket this weekend and get it all sealed and filled with oil, should be able to try starting it. I think once it runs and polishes the cylinders, I should get even better compression.

thought i had a broken throttle cable. turns out the pulley on the other end was stuck. unstuck it and lubed - throttle working.

Onto replacing the ignition. I have it hotwired but would rather have a working key. The youtube vids I saw use a dremel tool to slot the end of the two break-off heads so the bolts can be removed. That the way to do it?

So far so good.

 

[Lorax]

New progress. You might not want all this detail, but it does give you the opportunity to say "yeah...you really dont want to do that again..." if I screw something up.

Hey man, this is your thread. And I like a good story so keep it coming! But.... I like happy endings and we'll help you make it happen.

 

[gkevinr]

Hey man, this is your thread. And I like a good story so keep it coming! But.... I like happy endings and we'll help you make it happen.

The really fun part on this bike is - it was free. Craigslist ad. Handed me a clear blue Texas title. Guy just didnt want to mess with it and wanted someone to put it back on the road. Its the only way my wife would let me have it

 

[Lorax]

BTW - stop over in the new member intros thread New Member Introductions and post some pics of the bike as it is!

 

[lesblank]

The ignition switch is held on with security (tamper proof) torx head screws. Any auto parts store will sell a cost effective set. No dremel tool needed.

 

[Radar nerd]

I hope you were able to get this bike running, I have a 2000 1100 that I’m working on know and had the same issues. Were you able to get it going again? I had to put mine on a Jack and had a friend moving the tire while I shifted for about 5 minutes to get it free. Still have to get the clutch unstuck completely