It’s really frustrating when you’re on a pleasant trip and your bike won’t start. You turn the key but your bike is silent and it won’t start. Whether your battery is dead or your fuel line has water or you’re using the wrong oil there is a number of reasons that interfere with the performance of your bike and you don’t know when it’ll fail while running on the road. So before you book an Ola cab or call your buddy in any such situation check these common reasons why your bike fails to start and ends up in the shop.
#1. Fuel/Air mixture
Sometimes your bike’s engine has trouble getting fuel because of a clogged petcock or breaking down of fuel during prolonged storage. This leads to drying out of your fuel system and your bike won’t start. If the flow of fuel to the engine won’t be efficient it will affect the performance of your bike and if you neglect this problem your bike might stop functioning. It is therefore recommended to check the fuel lines and see if the fuel is flowing efficiently into your bike. You should also keep a check on to the amount of fuel in the tank and add a fluid that will ensure that the fuel efficiently flows into the fuel system. The clogged vent tubes are often the reason that hinders the flow of the fuel and you’re unable to start your bike.
#2. Check battery life and connection
One of the most common reasons your car won’t sputter to life is a dead battery or an uncharged battery. It’s natural for batteries to get old and begin to fail but mostly they have the life expectancy of about 3 to 5 years. If the problem persists in between this tenure then either the alternator has failed or the battery is not getting current on its output. A really cool way to check your battery power is to push the horn button and feel if the horn is weaker than usual. If you’re not getting a proper ignition you need to replace your battery and check the terminal connections. If the connection is loose your problem can be solved through manual tightening else battery replacement is the only alternative.
#3. Blocked muffler or Airbox
Many times you put keys in the ignition point of your bike but it won’t just catch up. The next time you face any such problem try checking the muffler exit. It might get blocked due to a rodent in the muffler or a blockage in the form of a tiny ball or stone in the airbox exit. It might have been done in a prank but the ignition switch will definitely get jammed because of it. By checking on the airbox exit you can save your bike from being a part of a big havoc. It will also save your time when you’re in a hurry to reach your destination.
#4. Spark plugs
We often neglect smaller parts and processes that lead to the improper working of your engine system. Spark plugs often go overlooked when our bike fails to start and we keep thinking about other problems like an issue in the battery or dysfunctioning of the injector system which doesn’t always happen. It’s important to tackle basic operational issues through in-depth engine tune-up. Sometimes your bike just needs a tune-up and you get ready to cruise around the globe.
#5. Compression
In order to provide optimum power to your bike, your bike’s engine should have a good cylinder compression which in turn facilitates the combustion process. If your cylinders have low compression your engine will not work nicely and without optimum compression, the mixture won’t ignite. The best way to know your bike has a low compression problem is the sound of a misfire that happens when you try to start the bike. If you’re facing low or no compression of your engine you can compress the air/fuel mixture needs to a point where it reaches to its optimum combustion state. This will fix the issue helping your bike to move and function.
These are the common issues that can affect your bike’s ability to start while on the road. From now on you don’t need to struggle to figure out why your bike won’t start as you’ve got every probable reason right under your nose.
