bike just cut out

[briholt]

Hey folks, been a while since I've posted.  I hope you've been well

Today I brought the 400 out.  today was a nice and dry 58 degrees, with some cloud cover.

around 10am I started the bike up; it warmed up to where the radiator fan kicked on.  After it shut off I turned the engine off and did some things around the house before heading out.

I did this because for some reason the bike has been stalling.  It will start, warm up, idle fine, and that at some point (heat related?) it just dies.  And this is within about 5 minutes.

So, I figured I'd test it by warming it until the fan kicked off.

well, I started it up to leave, drove about 40 seconds where it died right in the middle of an intersection.  I was at the stop light, it turned green, I started to go, got into 2nd gear and it cut out. 

It's now sitting at a person's house who was kind enough to chat with me while I trouble shot.

I discovered that the hose coming off the fuel tank (I believe it's the overfill hose, and not a vaccum hose) was loose. 

I'd say it's got to be something to do with the fuel system, but my concern is that it might be the brain.

The battery has been really weak, although I just charged it and it felt strong.  The problem is that cranking it over and over without it starting drains the battery so quick, I went ahead and got a new battery thinking that would help. (fwiw, the battery doesn't take a charge very well, either).

So, I'm not sure where to begin.  It's been a while and I haven't been driving it as much as I should, but this is the first time it's been so persistent.  Usually after getting it warm and flirtin' with the redline it seems to clear out fine.

not so much now




Any ideas?

[gsxr400 racer]

pick up coil

[briholt]

thanks racer,

I figured I'd get it home first and see if I can get spark.

the strange thing is that if I let it sit for a day, it usually starts up again.  I'll see if that holds true.

if it does, does that rule out the coil or brain?  Are coils that intermittent when they go?

And if the coils are bad, how much do they cost?

Cheers!

[gsxr400 racer]

the pick up coil is behind the left hand cover the small one and is a electrical switch nothing more check resistance run when it dies check resistance again all spark goes when this goes bad when a regular coil (spark plug wires connected this coil) sounds like your bike lost a cylinder or two would still run but ill

[briholt]

there are two coils under the tank (shape of cylinders).  When you refer to the coil under the left hand cover, are you talking about the rectifier?

Also, the bike was running very strong; no misses or anything.  But I have to say that when it died, it was as if a kill switch was flipped--it wasn't   :)

the pick up coil is behind the left hand cover the small one and is a electrical switch nothing more check resistance run when it dies check resistance again all spark goes when this goes bad when a regular coil (spark plug wires connected this coil) sounds like your bike lost a cylinder or two would still run but ill

[gsxr400 racer]

Sitting on the bike the left hAND engine cover behind that is a pick up coil the wires coming out of the coil can be tested when the thing dies should have some where around 100 ohms? Some will chim in if im wrong