Modern Buddy

Hi, ya'll. I got caught in a storm yesterday, and my Stella died on the road. I let it dry off all day, and it will start up, but it dies after 10 seconds or so.
I did some research, and a common culprit is the kill switch getting wet, so i disconnected it, but no luck. I also replaced the spark plug, to no avail. I figured I might have water in the motor, so I kick started it without the spark plug and with the fuel off, still no dice.

Anyone have any ideas as to what might be wrong?

For background"s sake, its a 2005 with around 2,400 miles.

Are you getting spark?

Are you getting spark?

How can i test it? I got a new spark plug, fwiw

Take your new plug out, Connect it to the plug wire and hold it by the wire so that it's next to the metal part of the engine. Have a friend kick the bike over or use the electric starter.

You should see a tiny arc from the plug to the engine.

You can also buy an in-line spark tester and use it if you don't have a friend handy.

Well, it's gotta have spark to run ten seconds....so, what you must do is check for spark immediatly after it dies out.....this because it has spark in the beginning.
The odds are, though, a mechanic is going to have to check all the ignition circuits to find the one with high resistance.

Rob

Robbie wrote:Well, it's gotta have spark to run ten seconds....so, what you must do is check for spark immediatly after it dies out.....this because it has spark in the beginning.
The odds are, though, a mechanic is going to have to check all the ignition circuits to find the one with high resistance.

Rob

Would I be able to check the circuits myself?

stellisimo wrote:

Robbie wrote:Well, it's gotta have spark to run ten seconds....so, what you must do is check for spark immediatly after it dies out.....this because it has spark in the beginning.
The odds are, though, a mechanic is going to have to check all the ignition circuits to find the one with high resistance.

Rob

Would I be able to check the circuits myself?

Of course you can....but I don't know your capabilities....only you can answer that one.
If you have a volt/ohm meter and the wiring diagram, and a understanding of the components involved you'll be fine.

In general, I recommend a shop because if the question is posted it usually means the problem has gone beyond the posters capabilities.

Regards,
Rob

Fair enough, I'm just feeling stubbornly DIY. I will take it to a shop, this is a little beyond me. Thanks for the help everyone, I will report back for the sake of thoroughness.