Motorcycle Repair: starting issues, honda nighthawk, vacuum hose

Question
hi wayne, i bought a '84 mint nighthawk s with 12000 mi. in july from california. i live in ohio. since the weather is getting colder i haven't ridden the bike as much as earlier. i ride about once a week. i went to start it up and it almost did, but quickly just kept turning over, with the faint smell of gas. now it won't come close to starting, but will turn over fine. still smell a little gas. if it's the petcock, what's the best way to fix that problem? thanx in advance. -michael

Answer
Michael,

-sounds like it may be flooded,
was the choke on?

-You may have to dry the spark plugs
and check for spark. Be careful
in case gas shoots out of an open spark plug
hole.

-if it has spark, try some dry or new
spark plugs. When starting
keep the throttle closed or slightly
open. Try it first without the choke on.

-if you smell gas it may be because
it is flooded.
Sometimes if the petcock diaphragm is
faulty the engine will suck gas in
through the vacuum hose.

-make sure the battery is fully charged
to get good spark.

-the carb could need cleaning or
may have a sticky float valve, but
if it was running okay lately
it may not be that serious.

-if it has no spark, check
the battery and fuses first.
Check all connectors on the ignition.

-you can also try spraying some
wd40 or carb cleaner in the carbs
to see if it fires on that.
Only do that if it is not
flooded (if flooded the plugs will be wet)
and you have spark.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Honda_Nighthawk_Owners_Repair_and_Maintenance_Guide...

http://www.cyclewareables.com/pages/street_motorcycle_petcock_repair/petcockrepa...