Motorcycle Repair: Bike Wont Start, suzuki gsf bandit, wood hi

Question
Hi,

Just wondering if you can help.

I have a 1996 Suzuki GSF Bandit v400.
I took it to a mechanic who checked it over and couldnt work out what was wrong with it, it seems like an electrical fault.
engine turns over but wont start.
He sugested the CDI unit might be gone as when you pull the cables out and put them back in it starts(most of the time).
I got a new CDI and that didnt work, it still does the same!
Any ideas what else we could try to get it working?

Any advice would be much apreciated.

Many Thanks

Dave Wood

Answer
Hi Dave.
 This sounds more like a shorting problem than a CDI box problem.  Worst case, you would need a new wiring harness, but I suspect that you may just have a short or two in the system.

It is likely that the mechanic that you took it to was not too savvy on eletrical stuff.  Many are not.  You have a short somewhere between power and the CDI box and/or between the CDI and plugs.  You could also have bad coils.  You need to test all of the testable components and test the wiring with a multimeter.

You will need the repair manual for this as it has the schematics as well as the specs for the ignition coils as well as test proceedures.

Check your ignition switch and connections as well.  You could also have dirty and/or corroded connections.

Start there and let me know what you find.
Good luck.
FALCON