Hydraulic Lock??

[Barbarian]

Today I got to my '99 Interstate after work and was talking with a friend while I got ready to ride.  While we we talking I opened the fuel petcock, got on the bike and hit the starter.

The starter cracked for about a half second and then CLANK!, stopped.  Dread flooded my being.  Two or three times I pressed the starter button and absolutely nothing happened.  Silence.

I put it in gear and rocked it for and aft a few times, hit the starter again and it just started up like nothing had happened.  Stopped and restarted it several times since then, and everything seems normal.  Rode it about 25 miles with nothing out of the ordinary.

Anyone have an insight of WTF happened here?

[nogrey]

My first guess would be that you either have a starter switch going out or a battery just about to kick the bucket.
Now, please don't take this the wrong way, but when it "stopped" so suddenly, and you clearly thought you may have the dreaded hydrolock condition, why on earth did you hit the starter again? The thing to do (in my opinion) would be to get under the seat, grab the tool kit, and remove all spark plugs. Then try cranking it. If you don't get a spurt out of one of the cylinders, you're good to go and try other things. But hitting the starter after a suspected hydrolock condition was (IMHO) a bit reckless, and could have resulted in the even more dreaded broken starter gear.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I agree with Nogrey. Hopefully you got lucky 

[Barbarian]

Yeah, didn't think about the starter gear, actually wasn't aware of the problem until yesterday when I started trying to research it out.  The reason I didn't think it was the starter switch was because of the absolute suddenness of the way it stopped cranking, along with the loud "clank" as it did so.  seemed to be a very mechanical thing.  I would have expected the engine to wind down a little if the current was cut while starting.

The bike only has about thirty thou on it, but it IS sixteen years old now so There are things I am going to have to do to it (hoses, vacuum lines, etc.) to keep it running well.  The problem is, I don't like wrenching like I did thirty years ago.  If I enjoyed working on it as much as riding it I would still have an Electraglide.  This is my third Valk over the past fifteen years, and they have all been very solid performers.  If I could afford to upgrade to a newer Honda I would probably do it, but that would put a little bit of a strain on my old broken down retired finances at the moment.

By the way, know anyone in the north-of-Seattle area that does good work?  I have used Everett Powersports three times in the last three years but I have been very unimpressed with their work.

[gordonv]

Just keep posting here as try to get a work party together with some locals. They are out there, but currently riding.

I would start with the usual heavy doses of carb cleaner in the fuel tank. With only 2K a year of driving, I'm sure things are gummed up.

Also test your petcock. Each Monday on my drive to work, when I hit the hiway, I would turn off the fuel, and wait for the engine to start to bog down, then turn it back on. It's only one part of a hydrolock, but an easy one to test for.

Also, when the engine stops turning with a clunk, put it in gear and rock the bike and see if the engine turns over. If it wont, then you pull the plugs and try to crank the engine again.