The battery on my 2001 1200s had died so I removed it and charged it. However when I reconnected it, the battery arced and the bike wont start (lights wont turn on, nothing). I am hoping I just blew a fuse, but I am not sure, any ideas?

 

Hi,

Did you check the fuse box?


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

Got around to checking it just prior to you posting that, It had turned out to be the 30A fuse that got blown.

I have another question. The bike takes full choke to get it started, the idle jumps around and if I take off all choke it will die after coming to a stop. I am thinking clogged carbs, what do you think?

 

Hi Mr. SwordfishII,

Sure, it could be dirty carbs. It could be tight valves clearances (or does your bike have hydraulic self-adjusting valves?), float height in the carbs, or a really dirty air filter. How many miles on your bike? What's the service history?


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

The bike is a 2001 Suzuki 1200s, a bit over 1,500 miles. I bought it used from a Harley Dealer in Hawaii.

 

Hi,

After sitting around for that long, you definitely want to clean every electrical connection and ground in the entire wiring harness. Coat the connections with dielectric grease to make them much less susceptible to oxidation from warm, moist air. Make sure the air intake system has no leaks. Verify your petcock is working properly. If not, replace it. The wrong kind of inline fuel filter can be too restrictive. If you use one, get one for a gravity-fed system like a lawnmower. Car fuel filters need a fuel pump. Car fuel filters will starve a bike.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff