No matter what make or model you ride, there is always a situation when your bike suddenly dies and refuses to start again. It could be a very tough situation for some. So here are some things to check when this disaster happens to your bike.
1. Check Fuse
Remember the last time you got stuck on the road when the bike just suddenly died and refused to budge? In all probability, it was the fuse that has had a short-circuit, and the mechanic acted all smart and charged you a bomb without telling you what exactly was wrong. The fuse dying down is one of the most common problems. There could be many reasons for breaking of a fuse so when this happens to you, just locate the fuse box and replace it. Most of the bikes have a spare fuse in their fuse box for emergency purpose. All you need to do is just remove the damaged fuse and put a new one and get the things back together and you are good to go again.
2. Check Battery Terminals
One loose wire can leave you stranded on the road. Usually, it happens when the terminals of the battery are not tightened properly. Another reason is that the terminals get corroded over a long period of time or say they get carbon deposited over them. If something like this happens to your bike all you need to do is just open the terminals gently rub them with sandpaper and get them back in place. Responsibly tight the terminal nuts so that it could avoid any further problem.
3. Check fuel pipe
Your bike has a tank full. Great! But, is it even reaching the engine?
The fuel pipe carries fuel from the tank to the carburetor or the throttle body. But, with time, this pipe can get clogged. All you need to do is locate the pipe, remove it and clean its ends with a needle or pin so that the flow is maintained. While doing this, however, we’d recommend you to be cautious and avoid your beloved cigarette as unless you want to become a ghost rider meme.
4. Check Engine Oil Level
Usually engine oil level does not drop down easily. But if it happens, the reason could be the worn out piston rings, which starts burning engine oil slowly. You can easily spot it as white smoke starts coming out of the exhaust. Other reason could be leakage of engine oil from any seals or the oil drain nut. If the oil level gets dropped and your bike stalls, just try topping up the engine oil. If you are lucky enough, it will start, else you have to re-build your bike’s engine which could probably dig a hole in your pocket.
5. Choked Air Filter
Just like you, your bike needs air to breathe and to survive. Remember, the science class where they taught how oxygen is needed for combustion? The hero doing this in your bike is the Air filter. It prevents dust and dirt to enter the combustion chamber as if neglected it can lead to many problems. The air filter gets chocked when there is too much dirt collected in it. If you are stuck with a choked air filter, open it up, pat it gently and blow some pressurized air. But we suggest you to replace the air filter after this.
6. High Engine Temperature
It’s a sunny day and you’re enjoying the breeze in your face, but suddenly your bike dies down. Don’t worry. Bikes these days come with a very high compression ratio which leads to more generation of heat. All big bike owners know it very well. If this happens to you, just relax. Take a deep breath and probably sip on a soda from the nearby shack so both you and your bike can get some cooling-off-time. Once the bike engine cools down, it should run smooth. But, also keep the coolant level in check. A low coolant level may lead to quicker heating up of your bike’s engine temperature, and then you might need a crate of the soda to keep you hydrated as you push the bike till the service station.
7. Molten Wires
There are bad days and then there are really bad days. This is something that happens on the latter. Usually local mechanics don’t put the wires back after working on them, which leads to hanging wires on the bike, which make it ugly and risky as well. As the loose wire near engine or exhaust can melt due to heat generated and you may end up replacing the whole wiring set of your bike and repairing it is not what everyone can do. We recommend you to get all your wiring works done at a trusted workshop or by an experienced person.