QuestionHello, While riding at highway speeds, my wife experienced a sudden loss of
power and made a much louder than normal engine noise similar to an
exhaust pipe problem. While exiting on an offramp the bike stalled. Once we
got it going again, the bike seemed to have a rattling noise increased with
throttling up. A small engine mechanic friend did a compression test and
noted there was compression present at about 60. He ran a magnet wand
through the oil and had no filings / shavings. Spark plugs are dry and free of
oil / fluids. Wondering your thoughts on salvageability, repair, etc. Bike has
33,500 km.
AnswerTrevor,
so is it your wife that lost power on the highway as you mentioned
or your bike? ;) I imagine it is the bike.
-It sounds like it may have some kind of engine
problem, possibly a burnt or broken piston.
Maybe a broken valve or cam chain assy problem.
Compression on these engines should be over 150 psi
and closer to 200 psi when new.
-I suspect a valve or piston problem.
The engine needs to be disassembled and
inspected for damage at this point.
-Whatever the damage is, the cause should be
corrected as well to prevent it from reoccuring.
Check the lower end as well if the top
of the engine is off. See if the rods are
still tight on the crankshaft.
-Don't run the bike anymore as it might damage more parts.
Whether it is worth repairing depends
on the damage cost and the labor to do the job.
