Kawasaki Triples Club

So I set off from Bristol this afternoon on a 170 mile journey to Royal Tunbridge Wells to work for a few days with a mate. Took all my camping equipment and stuff for the Southern Rally this weekend because it's only about 20 miles from there.

Pissed down with rain the whole way to the M25 and then gridlock traffic for miles so I pull into Cobham services for a brew. When I get out I fill up with petrol and set off again, the traffic is better but the bike suddenly starts to misfire and run strange. There's a bit of a weird rattle coming from somewhere but I realise that it's probably when one of the cylinders isn't firing. I keep on going for half a mile of this hoping it is just water sodden coils or something and it'll clear up but start loosing more power and it seems to run onto one and then I see a bridge so pull up under it to get out of the rain. There is a lot of white smoke coming out of the pipes - can't really see if this is from all three or just one of the right hand ones because the bike dies and then won't start.

I suddenly have this horrible thought that I may have put diesel fuel in the tank because I'm so used to doing this with the family car - could this have caused the issue I wonder. Smells like petrol but I can't be sure. Then this white van pulls up and a guy jumps out - turns out he's a motocrosser and offer me a lift to the next services so we lift the bike up into the back and strap it down and off we go. Top guy!

So now I'm here at Clacket lane services under the garage awning out of the rain. Bike will not start at all now. Nothing. I'm all kicked out. Kick starter has bent again which doesn't make things easier.

So far I've had the tank off and drained all the petrol out and refilled it with regular good fuel just in case there was something wrong with the last lot. I've had all three plugs out and cleaned them and the gap looks OK. They were very black and oily but then they would be after misfiring for several miles. I've WD40d all the HT leads and coils and wiring back to the CDI units.

Don't know what else to do by the side of the road with basic tool kit.

I've resorted to ringing a recovery service (never done this in my life before!) so now waiting and they say they'll be here in an hour or so.

Anyone got any ideas what the problem may be? What should I do first when I get the bike back home?

Gutted that I probably won't make the Southern rally now.

Pissed off. Wet. Starting to get cold.

Disconnect the black/white wire from the ignition boxes, (under the seat) , as it could be water in the switch

Barrie wrote:Disconnect the black/white wire from the ignition boxes, (under the seat) , as it could be water in the switch

This!

Hi Bic
I am not far from where you have broken down, PM me your mobile number unless you are already being relayed back to Bristol.
Clive

Took tank off again and spread out all the wires and cleaned/dried and WD40 them all. No start.

I also had a look at the air filter and it's clean and OK.

I've checked kicking over with plugs out and there is a good spark when earthed to the cylinder head.

I don't think this is ignition problem.

Recovery van is now half an hour late!

As you have a lot of smoke from the exhaust pipes i would say you have most likely put
diesel in the tank, 2 H2 owners local to me have done it.
You need to flush out the old fuel from the carbs to get good fuel to the cylinders.
Or you have a major oil pump failure.

I have pm`d you my phone number.

Thanks for everyone's offers of help. Much appreciated.

I've now had a recovery pick up and was told that my insurance policy has a 20 mile limit for free relay! So I looked up my mate's house in Tunbridge and it was 19.75 miles from Clacket Services - result! So got the bike dropped off there and then the guy gave me a free lift to my hotel at the other end of town. Top bloke again! I think that all people who ride bikes are always so helpful to other bike riders.

Got three hard days design work now but I will have some time to spend before the weekend to see if I can resolve the problem. First thing is to drain the carbs because if they are full of diesel fuel then I need to get it out. I honestly can't think whether I may have done this stupid thing - but my mind was definitely distracted when I filled up, I was wet and cold and thinking about work.

It's not the ignition now I'm pretty sure.

I'm having a beer at the hotel at 11pm. Best beer I ever had. Took me 9 hours to get from Bristol to here. Jeez!

I'm trying to think about the diesel issue. Does anyone know of the consequences of this and what happens when diesel is mixed with petrol?

At Cobham services I had done about 65 miles from a full tank so with my bike this means I was about to run onto reserve. So I guess there was the whole reserve and a bit more of petrol in the tank at that point. Then I filled up to the brim with whatever fuel my subconscious brain chose. Then I reset my trip meter as I always do and set off only to do three miles before the problem started.

So my question is does this compute with diesel mixed in the tank? Could the engine do three miles on the good fuel in the carb float chambers and then start to misfire when the contaminated fuel started to feed through? Or would the problem have happened sooner?

What happens when you mix diesel and petrol? In my mind the diesel sinks to the bottom so that if you look in the tank the stuff at the top is petrol and smells of petrol. Is this correct? Now I've thrown away the tank load I will never know.

But anyway, I will take off the carbs and flush out whatever is in the float chambers and see if we can get the bike running.

I want to get to the Southern rally! I have three days to sort this out. But I only have the bike's toolkit with me so no major surgery possible.

Bic_Bicknell wrote:I'm having a beer at the hotel at 11pm. Best beer I ever had. Took me 9 hours to get from Bristol to here. Jeez!

I'm trying to think about the diesel issue. Does anyone know of the consequences of this and what happens when diesel is mixed with petrol?

At Cobham services I had done about 65 miles from a full tank so with my bike this means I was about to run onto reserve. So I guess there was the whole reserve and a bit more of petrol in the tank at that point. Then I filled up to the brim with whatever fuel my subconscious brain chose. Then I reset my trip meter as I always do and set off only to do three miles before the problem started.

So my question is does this compute with diesel mixed in the tank? Could the engine do three miles on the good fuel in the carb float chambers and then start to misfire when the contaminated fuel started to feed through? Or would the problem have happened sooner?

What happens when you mix diesel and petrol? In my mind the diesel sinks to the bottom so that if you look in the tank the stuff at the top is petrol and smells of petrol. Is this correct? Now I've thrown away the tank load I will never know.

But anyway, I will take off the carbs and flush out whatever is in the float chambers and see if we can get the bike running.

I want to get to the Southern rally! I have three days to sort this out. But I only have the bike's toolkit with me so no major surgery possible.

I have and blackhat has also misfueled with diesel, flush the carbs and it will eventualy run,be prepared for it to stink and smoke for a while as its in the baffels also

Sorry to hear of your troubles Bic.........have you checked your fuel receipt if you have one?

Good luck sorting her out

Just flush out the carbs, no damage should of been done

Petrol and diesel mix just fine. Where did you manage to ditch your fuel?

Hi Bic

I think your diesel episode is the correct diagnosis.

It will stink when you run it, although a different fragrance.

If it helps (and it probably won't) I put Orange juice on my Cornflakes this morning.

Doc

Mitsui Spy wrote:Petrol and diesel mix just fine. Where did you manage to ditch your fuel?

Like he said......that was my first thought....where do you dump what is OBVIOUSLY fuel.....and not have everyone staring at you sideways? How deep into the forest did you walk?? LMAO??


Hey, stuff happens.....but it's funny as hell when it happens to a friend!
jeff

I also put diesel in my 500 the other week, but only just over two litres. Realised when I looked at the fuel handle.
Smoked like hell for a while. Wife noticed the different smell when I arrived home.
Running OK after the episode though.

All the best with yours.

happened to me when I came back from Northern rally 2014 as on these Uk petrol station diesel pump waswith a blue mark which is the color of super 98 in my country.
Discovered when I look at the price after refuelling the whole tank (was in reserve).
But that I want to say Bick is the tank smelt really diesel and not at all petrol.
Don't think was the case for you.

Drained the tank and put petrol in. Then back home w/o any trouble but I haven't fire up the bike with diesel.
Only weak point was Nigel S. came just at this time and took some pictures he put on the forum the naughty guy

husson73 wrote:happened to me when I came back from Northern rally 2014 as on these Uk petrol station diesel pump waswith a blue mark which is the color of super 98 in my country.
Discovered when I look at the price after refuelling the whole tank (was in reserve).
But that I want to say Bick is the tank smelt really diesel and not at all petrol.
Don't think was the case for you.

Drained the tank and put petrol in. Then back home w/o any trouble but I haven't fire up the bike with diesel.
Only weak point was Nigel S. came just at this time and took some pictures he put on the forum the naughty guy

Bertrand made me do it

I've managed to get time to take all three carbs off and drain all the fuel that was in the float bowls. Cleaned all the area and refitted everything. New fuel fed through and the bike started pretty much first kick. But smoked a LOT and back fired massively. Ran it for a few minutes but it didn't appear to be clearing. Let it rest for a while and fired it up again with my mate filming.

Please can anyone take a look at this Youtube link and see if you can help diagnose the problem.

At least it's running but there is either something really wrong with the fuel still (maybe it takes longer to clear out all the diesel residue if this was the problem?) or is the white smoke the engine burning gearbox oil somehow?

I don't think it's an ignition problem because I'm pretty familiar with these things and I don't get the smoke in many of these situations, backfiring and unclean firing yes but not smoke.

Any help, comments or appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1hSP1U ... e=youtu.be

Youtube vid not working!

Try again to play, I think it was set on private viewing, should be working now.

Water.

Water where mate? In the fuel? This can't be now because all fuel changed. Any water in wiring has now been dried out now I think.