04 1150 RT not starting

Howdy All Oilheads,

Ok, I have an 04 1150 RT that got me home a couple months back.. but just on a wing & a prayer.

Here is what I found, both main plugs were toast (little over 2K miles). I did discover the HES had the disintegrating insulation issue. Put in new
HES (due to time restrictions working on bike has taken awhile).

I only use non-ethanol fuel. New plugs, new coils on main plugs, new starter, new battery. Presently I have all 4 plugs out, bike turns over, appears good spark all 4 plugs.
But, even though I hear fuel pump, no fuel appears to be entering cylinders.

I have turned on key (no choke) 2 times throttle full, turned off bike.

What am I missing? Is it possible the Motronic has an issue? Or am I dealing with a fuel pump & or fuel filter issue?

Thank you for any possible suggestions.

Since original post

Howdy All again,

Since my original post I removed both fuel injectors, cranked bike, had good fuel spray from both injectors.

Really confused.

Welcome to the forum!

There are a lot of members really good with Oilheads, they will be along. How is the battery? A good check is the battery voltage while cranking.
Good luck.
Gary

Thank you for the Welcome

Omega Man said:

Welcome to the forum!

There are a lot of members really good with Oilheads, they will be along. How is the battery? A good check is the battery voltage while cranking.
Good luck.
Gary

Click to expand...

Howdy Gary,

The battery is new, and I keep on battery tender after trying to start.
The bike cranks really good, better than it ever did after I replaced starter (after taking original starter off I determined it needed rebuilding).
I am at a loss.
Spark all 4 plugs, fuel injectors misting like one would expect.
I have tried doing small adjustments to HES then trying to start with same results.

Start with the basics, check fuses and grounds. Actually pull the fuse, look at it and put it back in.

Make sure you have spark.

Make sure your air filter isn't fouled/plugged.

If you have air, and fuel with spark, you need combustion. That's a function of pull, push, bang, blow.

Could be as simple as a timing problem or not enough compression.

Is the timing cup tab in the correct position on the crankshaft after the HES replacement?
If not, the bike won't start.

GSAddict said:

Is the timing cup tab in the correct position on the crankshaft after the HES replacement?
If not, the bike won't start.

Click to expand...

99% certain the tab is correct, but I will take pulley off & check.
Air filter good, fuel good, spark good.

P.S. I do have an old HES...

After you check the pulley, if it still won’t start, check fuel flow/pressure. It is possible to see some mist from the injectors but not enough to start. The culprit is often something inside the tank, usually the u-shaped hose.

To test it, open the RETURN Quick Disconnect (QD) which is the one on top, then press the check valve in on the male QD (left hand half) without covering its outlet. Next, turn on the key, while then pump is running for a second or so, you should get a strong surge of fuel. If it does, inside the tank is good, if not you’ve got to open the tank and figure out what’s wrong.

servicing inside the tank , (U shaped hose/filter, vibration damper) is pretty important, here is what the U shaped hosed looked like on my bike when I changed it at 20K, of course it was this year and 20+ years after build.
Another point, you mentioned playing with HES adjustment, did you scribe the location of the old HES before you removed? On the couple units I have replaced installing new in alignment was pretty close to spot on.

Strong surge of fuel

roger 04 rt said:

After you check the pulley, if it still won’t start, check fuel flow/pressure. It is possible to see some mist from the injectors but not enough to start. The culprit is often something inside the tank, usually the u-shaped hose.

To test it, open the RETURN Quick Disconnect (QD) which is the one on top, then press the check valve in on the male QD (left hand half) without covering its outlet. Next, turn on the key, while then pump is running for a second or so, you should get a strong surge of fuel. If it does, inside the tank is good, if not you’ve got to open the tank and figure out what’s wrong.

Click to expand...

Howdy,

I have strong fuel surge. My next step when it gets warmer (cold here on top the mountain), going to totally drain tank, fill with best 91 octane non-ethanol fuel, set HES to center vertical, pull off pulley to again confirm tab in correct position (done more than once, but then again - something is keeping bike from starting), Confirmed great spark...

With the bike torn apart sitting in corner of garage... she feels neglected...

Rt

cavedweller22 said:

Howdy,

I have strong fuel surge. My next step when it gets warmer (cold here on top the mountain), going to totally drain tank, fill with best 91 octane non-ethanol fuel, set HES to center vertical, pull off pulley to again confirm tab in correct position (done more than once, but then again - something is keeping bike from starting), Confirmed great spark...

With the bike torn apart sitting in corner of garage... she feels neglected...

Click to expand...

You could remove both injector's from the throttle bodies and keep them connected, but insert each one in a glass bottle to check fuel spray when cranking. That way you know you have fuel spraying at the injector's during engine crank.

RT no-start

Hi there,
I'm and old school mechanic and there is an order of operations when diagnosing no-start or running issues. In this order, every time: 1. Mechanical (compression test, valve lash check and adjustment, intake vacuum sealing, exhaust blockages like a plagged cat, etc). 2. Electrical (good battery and cranking, ignition - spark quality and timing) 3. Fuel delivery (pressure, flow, etc.).


If you aren't sure of one, don't move to the next. Go over recent services. If a valve adjustment was done, was it all set accurately and properly torqued jam nuts? Too tight valves can cause running issues but still give good compression readings as the valve timing would be affected by incorrect valve lash.
If the problem started with a deteriorating run quality over time, fuel filter, in-game hoses could be suspect. Misfiring and stalling could be fuel or electrical. The process of elimination is crucial.
Good luck!