Ever feel let down ***UPDATE = PROBLEM SOLVED***

[Flrider]

This is my second post and unfortunately it is not good.

My new to me (1 month) 99 Interstate as only been around town for a couple of short trips and I was already falling in love with this beast.

Today, I was to do a ride with friends and all was perfect, beautiful weather, bike felt great and I was thinking this bike is a keeper. All of the sudden I loose power and the oil light came on.
Check the oil and it does have oil.
Tried to restart but it idled rough and died if I let off the gas.
Had to go pick up my trailer and towed it home.
It is now sitting in my garage and I am BUMMED  

Anyways, I am used to doing all my work on my VTX 1300 but I have no idea where to start with my Valk since I just had it for a month.

Anyone know of a shop or someone in the KISSIMMEE / ORLANDO  area that works on Valkyries.
I really don't want to take it to just anyone that might make things worse.

Thanks for letting me vent and any input will be greatly appreciated

[Patrick]

Well,, why did it quit ?? Its time to take a look.. Check for fuel and fire.. Let us know which one it doesn't have and we can go from there..
These monsters usually don't have ignition issues unless the battery or alternator fail.. They do at times have connection issues,, usually just a poor battery ground or dirty connections..
I have a feeling your problem will be fuel related,, like a petcock or tank vent issue..

[sandy]

Silly question. Is it full of gas? The vacuum operated petcocks can fail if the vac line gets old or the diaphragm in the petcock gets too old. How many miles on it? Have the vac lines been replaced (ever)? Post more info about the miles and history pertaining to storage in recent months(years).

[Flrider]

I bought the bike and it was running okay, just a little shaky like it needed a cleaner on the gas tank but that is it.
Apparently the bike had been sitting without use for about two or three months, just the occasional start up.
It has 33k miles and the petcock seems to be working okay.
If I shut it off and keep running the bike, it will start gasping for gas in about a mile.
Don't know if any of the vac lines have been replaced. No way of knowing, don't know of any of it's past history.

I just changed the battery last week and has been starting with no problem since.
I cranks with no problem so I don't think it is the battery.

I am going to check the breather hose tomorrow first thing.

Funny think, I had just filled up about 3 miles before it started acting up.
Don't think the grade had anything to do with it?
I used mid-grade

[GJS]

Sounds like fuel starvation to me too.

Time to learn about pulling your tank off.
Do you have the service manual?
If not do a search and your will find it.

Patience and help from this crew will serve you well.

I went form this:


To This:



With the help and support of this board.

[chip]

I had had the tank off of mine for minor maint. and pinched the vent line. Pop the gas tank fill cap. Then try to start and run it. See if this helps, next check fuel flow before and after the petcock. Work thru it one step at a time. don't let it get you down. Just a machine. As stated earlier , Fuel, Spark, air.

[Blackduck]

3 miles from a fill sort of sounds like you may have some crappy/contaminated gas.
Then again a problem with the vent and a possible faulty seal on the gas cap, was letting in air before but when you filled up it made a good seal. Easy check is as suggested previously, try running with the gas cap open.
Cheers Steve

[Hoser]

There are a lot of experienced members in Florida, as soon as they see this post you will hear from them,  Many are excellent Valkyrie mechanics.  Stand by.  Hoser 

[f6john]

   Don't feel let down, other than hydro-locking, most every problem with the Valk is minor and cheap to fix. As with any vehicle, finding the problem is more the issue than the repair.

[JC]

3 miles from a fill sort of sounds like you may have some crappy/contaminated gas.
Then again a problem with the vent and a possible faulty seal on the gas cap, was letting in air before but when you filled up it made a good seal. Easy check is as suggested previously, try running with the gas cap open.

+1 on the crappy gas, especially mid-grade. Experience talking   

That stuff doesn't sell much so it sits in the tank and gathers moisture and crap. Most sales are regular or high test so they are generally the safer pick. I avoid mid-grade.

[Grumpy]

Being as you just got gas a few miles before, I would suspect bad gas. On the lower right side of each carb is a screw with a hose next to it. These are the drains for the carb bowls, they go to a block and exit under the bike. I would shut the petcock off, and open the drain screws on a few of the carbs. You need to catch it where it comes out under the left side of the bike. After you have drained the bowls, look at what came out, for water etc.  If there is water you will probably need to drain and clean the tank. I would be glad to look at the bike, but I am east of Tampa (Seffner Fl ) If you cannot find someone local, give me a shout.

[BradValk48237]

PETCOCK.....

LOL (thats my standard answer for any fuel related issues......)

Brad

[jer0177]

3 miles from a fill sort of sounds like you may have some crappy/contaminated gas.
Then again a problem with the vent and a possible faulty seal on the gas cap, was letting in air before but when you filled up it made a good seal. Easy check is as suggested previously, try running with the gas cap open.

+1 on the crappy gas, especially mid-grade. Experience talking   

That stuff doesn't sell much so it sits in the tank and gathers moisture and crap. Most sales are regular or high test so they are generally the safer pick. I avoid mid-grade.

*MOST* modern pumps mix low-grade and premium to get mid-grade inside the pump, therefore no storage tank for mid-grade exists, and no "staleness" or moisture issues. 

It is likely, however, that he stopped at an older station that isn't set up that way, but I wouldn't pin those types of issues on bad gas - it may not run quite right, but I don't think it would stop running completely.

I would look at the vent line, possibly the petcock if it were moved during the fuel stop.

[Chrisj CMA]

Now, I have a standard, so the idiot lights may act differently.  However, my oil light never came on when I suffered through the dreaded OEM petcock failure, even when the bike died and almost died several times.  It also never came on when my alternator was out because I blew the 55A fusable link. 

So, Im wondering why your oil light came on, maybe an IS owner can shed more light, but that seems to be something worth investigating beyond the fuel system

[6tigo]

Did anyone else in your group fill up with the same fuel?  If so and they did not have problems start troubleshooting.  Otherwise I agree with blackduck.  Drain the carbs and tank and replace fuel. 

As for the oil light, it probably came on when the engine quite running. 

[Tropic traveler]

Crap and/or rust in the tank plugging up the petcock sounds like where you're at. Likely these being the culprits if the bike sat unused for an extended period of time in it's past.
Replace petcock & have the tank cleaned. Check the carbs while you have the tank off.

What 6tigo said about the oil light is probably true.

[Skinhead]

IF the oil light came on before the engine quit, I would be concerned.  However, I would not expect that is the case.  Sounds like a fuel delivery issue.  Fuel, spark, and compression are the 3 things you need, find out which is missing, I suspect fuel, but spark is the easiest to check.

[Flrider]

Well gentlemen, problem has been solved and all I can say is I LET MYSELF DOWN

After reading everyone's input, I remembered that I had propped the tank up a little.
I checked the breather hose and sure enough, it was kinked.
Imagine how I felt  

I am usually pretty good at not making this type of mistakes but I guess I was too much in a rush to do things that I did not notice as sat the tank back down.

I was just a little bummed out cause I missed that night's bike night and I was not going to be able to ride the Valk to some other events if it was not something I could fix right away.
This month of October has some great riding weather here in Florida and we have the Sanford Bike Fest, Biketoberfest, Pumpkinrun bike and auto show plus some other events.

I do have another bike, a VTX 1300, but after today's ride ( 200 miles) I am convinced that I will keep the Valk.
I absolutely love everything about this bike and did I mention the power addition


Anyways, a BIG THANKS TO ALL, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU  GUYS TAKING THE TIME TO HELP.
                YOU GUYS ARE A CLASS ACT.

FLRIDER out.

[Regis]

good for you , you solved the problem and also , let us know what it was !

[Grumpy]

Thanks for the update, hope to meet you soon, I am about 60 miles east from you.

[Oklahoma_Valk]

Woohoo!! Glad to hear you got her fixed.

ps Ive always wanted a VTX. If I had another bike, an X would be it.


-cheers

Okie

[Blackduck]

Just love it when the get out of jail card is free.
Been down the pinched line myself and we are no orphans.
Good luck and enjoy
Cheers Steve

[chip]

Guess you know why I sugested the vent line was kinked. Yep did the same thing. Glad you found it

[billyboy]

Glad you got it fixed.  I live in St. Pete and always looking for a ride to anywhere.
Shoot me a PM and lets hook up. Bill

[Flrider]

Guess you know why I sugested the vent line was kinked. Yep did the same thing. Glad you found it

Yep,, there is always a first for everything  

Thank you

[Flrider]

Glad you got it fixed.  I live in St. Pete and always looking for a ride to anywhere.
Shoot me a PM and lets hook up. Bill

Sounds good Bill, appreciate the offer and will get with you, maybe we can ride over by Brooksville, always like that area.

Be safe

[Grumpy]

Guess you know why I sugested the vent line was kinked. Yep did the same thing. Glad you found it

Yep,, there is always a first for everything  

Thank you

Bunch of us are meeting at the Cracker Barrel next to Daytona Speedway, at 11 am tomorrow for lunch.