HELP, bike stalling
 

OK, I don't have a clue. Riding the 98 VTR today and I had to slow down rapidly for a curve, put a nice lean into it and when I went to crack the throttle after rounding off.... "nothing".......looked down and the oil light was on. Flicked the start button and away I went.

Continued down the interstate and 20 miles later exited off a ramp coasted to a stop and it was dead...again it had killed on me. Flicked ther start button and again, away I went.

I'm clueless, I'm sure it's something stupid......wasn't the kill switch....LoL!

Got a friend going to take a look at it, he thinks maybe a lose kickstand? Doesn't seem lose to me. But he's putting some D&D pipes on it for me in exchange for twisting the throttle till the tank runs dry.

Just a thought, are you pulling in the clutch for an extended time say 2 to 3 seconds and while throttle is off. If so the engine may just be stopping.

The SuperHawk are notorious for engine dying while trying to coast with throttle at rest and clutch pulled in.

actaully yeah.........both times that's exactly what happened? Is there a way to fix it? Killing on the interstate is not cool.

Well, if that's all it is, try letting the clutch out gently with it still in gear - should just start up again with no drama. Mine's like that, and it's a 2006 version. (You may need to kick it down a gear or two while the engine's dead, that's all...but you do not need to stop the wheels turning or to use the starter.)

Yup, like PJay said, it's pretty much normal for the VTR. Mine used to do it all the time when newer. Now for some reason, I've no idea why, it just doesn't do it anymore. I can coast all day at 50mph. Before I would pull in the clutch and it would die at anything over 25mph.

The only times I ever coast with the clutch in is when I need my throttle hand to scratch a place I can't reach with the other one.

Other than that the only time I have the clutch in is for the instant I'm changing gears or when actually stopping.

When I'm cornering, whether decellerating, holding steady throttle or gassing it, the bike feels more stable to me if the clutch is out.

I have noted that the bike will stall if coasting with clutch in, I'm not sure why. I just don't coast with the clutch in.

Now that you guys are talking about it, it did do this same thing to me the first day I was riding it......figured I just did something wrong...everytime it stalls I pull in the clutch, hit the starter and it fires right back up.

you'll get used to it after a little bit. The superhawk is really the only bike i've ever ridden so i guess it was a little easier cause i didn't have to unlearn any habits. also if you go on Greg's website there is a minor carb mod that you can do that might help a little with this problem. it helped my bike but it's all really just a mystery to me.

http://home.nycap.rr.com/ghlbo/index.html

that is so weird....thanks for the link

just modulate the throttle instead of pulling in the clutch, unless you are actually stopping.

I have found that in slower turns where the torque can throw off your balance, its best to keep revs up and slip the clutch. Seems to keep me faster thru and more balanced.

This would certainly be a new way of driving for me. So use the engine to slow down entering a curve then open the throttle during exit and not use the clutch at all?

The "proper" way to corner doesn't involve the clutch, it is to: "slow, roll, look, and press."

Here is what I was taught at the MSF (and already knew from riding since I was 4, but they explain it well)

SLOW. As you're approaching the corner, you need to slow to a suitable entry speed. A suitable entry speed is one that allows you to roll on the throttle and accelerate all the way through the curve. As you slow, you're going to position your bike for the turn. Position it to the outside of the turn. This means for a right turn, you're going to position your bike 2-4 feet from the left side, the centerline. (Oncoming traffic may require you to move farther right.) For a left turn, position your bike 2-4 feet from the right side, the fog (white) line.

ROLL. Once you've set your entry speed, it is critical that you're back on the throttle. You don't have to whack it open, but it needs to be "open"--that is, positive throttle--all the way through the turn. Decelerating or rolling off mid-turn destabilizes the bike, reduces traction, and reduces cornering clearance. Smooth, open throttle is what you want. NOTE: You haven't started turning yet! You've only slowed down, then opened the throttle back up.

LOOK. You have to focus your head and eyes on where your bike is going to be in 2-4 seconds. Your bike will want to go where you're looking. Look as far through the turn as you can to find the exit--the point on the road where the turn is finished and you're going straight again. Since your bike will want to go where you're looking, you want to avoid staring down at the ground in front of the front tire. You don't want to go there. You also want to avoid looking at the edge of the road, the ditch, the oncoming traffic, the trees, the gravel shoulder, etc. Stare at those things long enough and guess what? Your bike will go there. Focus on where you want your bike to be in 2-4 seconds. NOTE: You still haven't turned in yet. You're still set up on the outside of the turn and you're following the curve of the road only.

PRESS. Press on the handlebar to lean the bike into the turn. This requires countersteering. To lean right, press forward on the RIGHT handlebar (or pull backward on the left handlebar, if that makes more sense.) To lean left, press forward on the LEFT handlebar, or pull back on the right.

slow, roll, look, and press

In 30+ years of fast riding........
The ONLY time you use the clutch is when shifting up or down, and at a stop light when you're ready to go...period.

Wow.........I use my clutch for everything.....I clutch at turns, clutch to red lights, clutch for slower traffic, clutch down hills..........

I said at slower speeds. I am talking about tight turns below 10mph where the torque and chain slack can cause you to come off balance. And as for MSF, the teach you this in the "box". Basically, if the hawk had a slipper it would be doing this for you. Maybe its me, but that transition between go and slow(bouncing between chain forward/rear at transient throttle positions) at high lean angles and slow speed throw my balance off.

As for high speeds, use the slow cooked rolls thing MSF uses.

"using" or "slipping" the clutch to modulate engine speed vs. power to the rear wheel when cornering is one thing. If you're slipping the clutch this way, it is still partially engaged, there is no way the engine will quit.


Freewheeling with the clutch lever against the grip is another thing. I don't see the point in doing it.

don't worry too much California69gs.

Like some others have said, slip all you want at low speeds or even at high speeds. the only thing you need to worry about is completely disengaging the clutch at speeds over 30 to 40 mph.

give it a try. go out and coast at like 10mph and see if it quits. then try it again at 40. I bet it will run all day at 10 and quit at 40. everyone's bike is probably a little different though.

joe

EXACTLY. just to use a high speed reference, at my track day I found that I was hardly using the brake at all. I was doing 90% of my braking with the engine. granted, it was a tight track and I only needed to be in 2nd for most of it, but lots of turns. but riding on the street, the procedure is approaching a turn or a stop or whatever I need to slow down for, I let the revs run down, downshift and blip the throttle so that the rpm level when I release the clutch in the lower gear is close to the rpm level that your bike would produce while engine breaking in that lower gear. so the transition is smooth. this prevents rear wheel hop from engine braking too hard suddenly, while still slowing you down pretty fast(especially in 2nd). if its a stop, I grab the clutch and brake right at the end. don't know if this helps but my bike has done what they are all talking about, but I adapted my technique and dropped some bad habits. since I adjusted, it has caught me off guard only once in 2 years.

I've been practicing using engine breaking and well it takes some getting used to, I like it. My father always used to yell at me when driving the car and I didn't clutch, so it's one of those habbits that will be hard to break.

I have indeed noticed that if I pull in the clutch at speeds greater then 40 it kills on me, I haven't noticed it yet doing it at lower speeds. Also, I could be over-reading this, if at speeds greater then 40 I clutch and downshift quickly it doesn't kill? Again I could be reading into it.

The slow, roll, look, press thing has been a challenge for me, I definatley need to work on my throttle roll as I "jerk" quite a bit through the turn.

That's correct on the stalling comment.

I just taught the MSF course over the last two days. I'm an instructor for the Navy. What problems are you having? I can probably help you out. The throttle is rolled on and off smoothly. Quick, jerky movements of the body and the controls upset the handling of a motorcycle. If the motor is lugging, try a lower gear. If you're in first then you should use the friction zone.

Update, since I started using the engine to make my breaking slowing the bike hasn't stalled out on me. It has taken/taking some serious getting used to as the enine breaks me a lot faster then I used to, I did a ton of free rolling. Mostly cuz I wanted to get the most out of every gallon of gas. On the plus side, I've got a D&D installed on my bike now and the burble I get while engine slowing is very enjoyable.

Good to hear you got the D&D's on, hope you like them.

Kendrick

Hey, like wanna shoot flames ?? When my testies take the control over my brain, I do this between burnouts to keep the crowd happy. Hold the throttle wide open and control the RPM with the kill switch, cut at 7K enable at 3 k, boom lol I have been doing this since the beginning, but I had to re-drill the rivets of my D&D. As pulling the clutch at speed just blip the throttle when you pull the clutch, those stupid CV's are closing too slowly, I would imagine two flat slide on the VTR would fix this but will be a bitch to wack open. FI rules !!

Also braking slows you down- breaking is when you smash it into peices.....:thumbsup: