bike problems, what could it be?

[desi]

Last night my M50 while riding on the freeway backfired all of a sudden and then just sounded and felt as though the bike wasn't running like it is supposed to. After that happening I exited the freeway and proceeded to stop since I was approaching the red light. But before I could come to a complete stop, the M just turned off. I tried restarting it and nothing. It sounded like it wanted to catch while trying to start but didn't. The only way I was able to start it was by holding the throttle and then starting it. I am going to take it to a shop in about a week or two but in the mean time was wondering maybe you guys could give me some kind of insight as to what it could be. Thanks for taking the time to read and help.

[d_m50]

So when you restarted it...it ran fine?
Were you a bit low on fuel? Or maybe something up w/ the fuel you were using?

[cyclechris]

Yeah with FI it is strange you'd have to open the throttle to get it started, wonder if you've got junk in your gas gumming things up or if the injectors are dirty or something. Hmm... But what worries me is that loud bang you got before it lost power.

[desi]

Originally Posted by d_m50

So when you restarted it...it ran fine?
Were you a bit low on fuel? Or maybe something up w/ the fuel you were using?

when it restarted I had to hold down the throttle so that it could start. And even though it was kind of running, it ran real bad. Didn't have any power and it sounded a bit louder. Kind of when a catalytic converter in a car goes out. By that I mean you are going real slow but it makes a louder sound kind of a thing.

[desi]

Originally Posted by cyclechris

Yeah with FI it is strange you'd have to open the throttle to get it started, wonder if you've got junk in your gas gumming things up or if the injectors are dirty or something. Hmm... But what worries me is that loud bang you got before it lost power.

I have been filling up with Chevron for the most part. And even if I do use another gas station I usually go with a known named company than a mom and pop type of a gas station. But what could the loud bang mean since you say it worries you?

[cyclechris]

Well I'm no mechanic so take whatever I say with a tablespoon of salt, but a big bang would suggest to me you had some fuel build up and ignite explosively. Do you have a leak in the intake? I wonder if something going wonky with the pair valve could cause that, or maybe the bike was running too lean? Anyway, my gut tells me something is going on with your fuel system. If it were me I would check the fueling system to make sure things were not leaking, The injectors are clean, etc.

Sorry that happened, it would sure put a pit in my stomach! I hope that you discover the problem and it is quick and easy to fix! For sure, let us know what you find.

[womper]

go use some high octane fuel for a tank.
higher octane is good to stop pre-ignition and detonation... might clean things up

you may have fouled plugs etc...

check the basics... plugs, oil, air cleaner, fuel.

i've had a few backfires (back through the air intake) and scared the crap out of me, but it only happened a few times and i didn't lose power (i don't think)

if there isn't any banging/clacking or any noise after, it sounds like a fuel delivery/ignition problem.

are you getting a ton of gurgles and pops more now than before on deceleration?

[NateHarris]

It also sounds like it could have been running on one cylinder. Maybe a bad plug or coil. Or the backfire fouled the plug causing this. If it isn't running better the next day, pull the plugs and see if they are both clean. A very very light tan is a good color on the ceramic tip.

[Capkangaroo]

I doubt it had anything to do with the gas. Did you have a bad idle or it only ran bad when you opened the throttle? It could be several things. If you can be more specific on the symptons it may help to narrow down the possible problems.

Remove the plugs and tell us how they look?

[desi]

Well I finally fixed the problem. It turned out that it was the Cobra fi2000r. My friend and I first checked the spark plug and it was kind of okay. A little dirty nevertheless so we decided to change it since we had it out. After doing so I still had that problem and then at that moment remembered that I had installed the Fi unit. So we disconnected it and reconnected the old connections to it and it started up just fine. But thanks for all of your help.

[Paper Plane]

Originally Posted by cyclechris

Yeah with FI it is strange you'd have to open the throttle to get it started

it actually states in the owners manual that if the bike's hard to start, open the throttle slightly and hit the start button. tho its obviously not refering to a situation with a broken cobra fi2000

[cyclechris]

Oh OK, that makes sense. Yeah I guess the settings wren't optimal, or maybe that unit is bad. I hope the cobra is OK, I'm glad to hear you got it worked out though!

[desi]

Originally Posted by cyclechris

Oh OK, that makes sense. Yeah I guess the settings wren't optimal, or maybe that unit is bad. I hope the cobra is OK, I'm glad to hear you got it worked out though!

Yeah I got the M to work but the Cobra went bad. So I may not put another Fi unit on after all. Unless I decide to change the air intake, then I will be needing one.