I'm new to Evo's, and had a situation yesterday where the stator plug was disconnected while riding long enough to drain the battery and leaving me stranded on the side of the road. I got the bike home and got it on the battery tender, and I had a green light on it when I got home from work. It spins over at what sounds like the usual speed but won't start. Can anyone point me to some technical advice regarding diagnostics? I can check the stator easily enough but not the regulator since it won't run.

 

Strange, Don't have an answer.

 

Not starting is Not due to charging system if it Turns Over..
Pull wires and attach spare plugs [grounded] and check spark!!!

 

Spark, fuel, timing and compression. You're missing one.

 

Yeah, it ran without issue before this. I suspect spark, but it's just a guess. Not sure how to proceed.

 

Check for fuel first..it's the easiest thing to check. Next check for spark. If you still have an issue then check compression......Actually the first thing you need to check is for the correct battery voltage then check the list

 

pull a plug,spin motor,check for spark

 

 

Yup, the latter. You hook the spark plug into the plug cap all the way and you touch the threaded part of the spark plug to the cylinder head firmly so you get a good ground. Then hit the starter and watch for a little spark. It helps to be inside a garage or somewhere darker than outside so you can see the spark easily.

I'd wear a leather glove, sometimes the spark can travel through a shitty spark plug boot and give you a little zap. Nothing deadly, just uncomfortable.

It also helps to take both spark plugs out so the motor spins easily.

 

I remember learning that one the hard way when I was a kid! I had scrounged up an old lawn mower from a neighbor, and was piddling around with it in the garage. Was actually pretty surprised when I eventually got it started. Had the really nifty idea of reaching down and pulling the wire off the spark plug. An eight year old learns right away not to do that twice!

(It was a different world then, wasn't it! My mother happily left me to my lawn mower and gasoline in the garage. One suspects that today's young mothers are more cautious. Too bad.)

OP, nothing here to really worry about. Personally, I'll put on the gloves, then hold the spark plug with an insulted pair of pliers. Never have had one bite me doing it that way. If you have someone around who can thumb the started for you, that helps. Allows you to get right down there and really look for the spark.