Sportster Shutting Off When Riding and at Idle
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5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 9
Likes: 1
From: Toronto
Sportster Shutting Off When Riding and at Idle
Hi Everyone!
I had emergency surgery on my knee at the end of August (all is good now). I went out on my 2013 Sportster today for the first time since the surgery and a couple strange things happened. I think it was mainly due to sitting gas with no stabilizer and/or condensation build up, but would love to hear if there are other issues I may have.
1) Due to the surgery I wasn't able to prep the bike to sit for 7 weeks as it did. It was on an empty tank. My friend was able to connect the battery tender and tarp it up well, but it was outside in a Canadian Fall season, i.e. rainy and cold. Also, no fuel stabilizer was added.
2) When I clicked "run" the first time, the fuel injector/primer didn't do spray/noise until the very end of its usual spray. I cycled the off/run switch and got maybe a half spray. I tried cranking it after that and simply nothing happened. I shut the bike off, turned it back on, set the switch to run again (this time I got a bit better spray) and the bike started up with higher than usual rpm at idle. Within 30 seconds it was running at normal idle. I let it run for 5 minutes, and then was on my way.
3) I got to the gas station and put a fresh tank in about 15 minutes after startup. Got back on the road and in 4th gear doing 65km/k the bike just cut out...... I cycled the off/run shift, had the clutch in the whole time, and then it fired back up so I continued riding... at the next light, at idle, it cut out again... did a full shutdown at the light and it fired back up fine.
The rest of the ride was absolutely fine. Again I'm thinking that the gas had started to get a little weird after sitting for 7 weeks with no stabilizer and that maybe there was some condensation build up in the motor since we are in the rainy season up here. Battery was on a tender so it should be fine.
Would love to know if people agree, or if there could be a bigger issue going on!?
Thanks a lot!
Cam
I had emergency surgery on my knee at the end of August (all is good now). I went out on my 2013 Sportster today for the first time since the surgery and a couple strange things happened. I think it was mainly due to sitting gas with no stabilizer and/or condensation build up, but would love to hear if there are other issues I may have.
1) Due to the surgery I wasn't able to prep the bike to sit for 7 weeks as it did. It was on an empty tank. My friend was able to connect the battery tender and tarp it up well, but it was outside in a Canadian Fall season, i.e. rainy and cold. Also, no fuel stabilizer was added.
2) When I clicked "run" the first time, the fuel injector/primer didn't do spray/noise until the very end of its usual spray. I cycled the off/run switch and got maybe a half spray. I tried cranking it after that and simply nothing happened. I shut the bike off, turned it back on, set the switch to run again (this time I got a bit better spray) and the bike started up with higher than usual rpm at idle. Within 30 seconds it was running at normal idle. I let it run for 5 minutes, and then was on my way.
3) I got to the gas station and put a fresh tank in about 15 minutes after startup. Got back on the road and in 4th gear doing 65km/k the bike just cut out...... I cycled the off/run shift, had the clutch in the whole time, and then it fired back up so I continued riding... at the next light, at idle, it cut out again... did a full shutdown at the light and it fired back up fine.
The rest of the ride was absolutely fine. Again I'm thinking that the gas had started to get a little weird after sitting for 7 weeks with no stabilizer and that maybe there was some condensation build up in the motor since we are in the rainy season up here. Battery was on a tender so it should be fine.
Would love to know if people agree, or if there could be a bigger issue going on!?
Thanks a lot!
Cam
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,052
Likes: 993
never say never but the gasoline probably wasn't the issue. i have seen fuel stay in a gasoline tank for years and still fire up. the big diff is if the tank is vented. if it uses a press/ vac system fuel can last. i sometimes do not run mine for weeks and it runs fine.
off hand, it could have been a rail with air in it or a pressure regulator sticking. if it started and ran high idle, a sign of lean out. stalling out also sounds like a pressure issue.
now for the water, that could be an issue if there was some in there since that could cause regulator sticking issues.
anywho, she is running fine so ride on brother ride on.
off hand, it could have been a rail with air in it or a pressure regulator sticking. if it started and ran high idle, a sign of lean out. stalling out also sounds like a pressure issue.
now for the water, that could be an issue if there was some in there since that could cause regulator sticking issues.
anywho, she is running fine so ride on brother ride on.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 416
Likes: 148
From: BC
Everyone gets to worried about gas.
Think about the bikes at the dealership or all the cars on car lots. Just sitting there hardly anything in the tanks.
Try to run out some of the gas to ease your worry.
I would be pulling fuses and cleaning and checking your ground cable.
Sporty are a little bad for bad connections.
Think about the bikes at the dealership or all the cars on car lots. Just sitting there hardly anything in the tanks.
Try to run out some of the gas to ease your worry.
I would be pulling fuses and cleaning and checking your ground cable.
Sporty are a little bad for bad connections.
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