Will it ever stop?!?!?!?!

[Bodybag]

Finally had time today to have a play with Beelzebub. For those that don't know, he's been off the road for 2 months with a bad case of Dieslinthetankitis!! Had the battery on charge since last night (Optimate is showing a red warning light which isn't good!). Put him back together and turned the key. Everything came on as it was supposed to, fuel pump engaged etc.

Pressed the start button. Nothing. Not a thing. Didn't even click!!

Had the joy of pushing the bike up a 20m 45 degree driveway and 100 yards up the hill outside my parents house just to turn him back round and bump start him back down the hill. Got him fired up straight away. You little beauty thinks I. Dabbed the brakes at the bottom of the street and nearly gave up my rights to claim any more family allowance!! Christ those Brembo's are still sharp. Anyway, I digress. The problem I have is that the starter button doesn't work even though the bike will start and run fine. AND more worryingly, after running for a couple of minutes, the bike started smoking from the oil filter housing in the bottom of the engine casing.

Need some reassurance more than anything as I don't want to ride from Leicester to Essex unless I know he's going to be alright.

Hope someone can shed some light on this.

Thanks.

Phil

[russ77]

Unplug the socket that leads from the RHS switchgear to check the starter switch is making contact at all. If not, try some contact cleaner on the switch. It's good stuff. If the bike's been sitting for a while, the contacts might have furred up. My hi-fi sounds great since filling the volume knob with the stuff. No more crackles:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=4153&criteria=contact%20cleaner&doy=8m11

As for the oil smoke: did you change the oil while it was laid up? It could be residue on the exhaust from the horizontal cylinder. Check the oil filter is on properly and tight. It's only meant to be hand-tight. If not, get it off, wipe some oil around the seal and replace. Try some degreaser on the underside of the motor and downpipe:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&productId=197231&categoryId=31475

Makes it shiny and new-looking. And less smelly.

I filled the tank of my diesel car with petrol a couple of years back. VW make a joke of this in their adverts. What they don't tell you in the advert is that they will charge you three hundred quid to drain the tank if you do. Apparently hangover-related damage isn't covered by warranty either.

Obviously check the oil level before going anywhere. Good luck

[gary tompkins]

Check 2 pin plug from starter switch hasn't dropped out of starter solenoid. It could also be a broken wire in the feed to the solenoid from the button. Make sure you are getting 12volts into switch and out of it when the button is pressed. Lastly it could be a knackered solenoid - have been known to fail quite regularly, or possibly duff starter motor.

You can test the starter by shorting the main terminals of the solenoid with a spanner or screwdriver. If it spins over the motor is ok - make sure bike is in neutral first!

[Shandy]

The oil thing may be a bit a seepage from the clutch slave cylinder rod seals (my 916 is doing this at the mo) blows out a bit of oil which collects at the bottom of the engine.

Or it could be as simple as everythings dried out while its been laid up and you getting s bit of oil out from the oil filter itself??

Can't help with the lecky stuff though mate, but as long as you've got AA cover or something like that with ongoing travel to destination go for the trip to essex.

Cheers,

Shandy