Motorcycle Repair: 1984 Honda 750 Shadow, honda 750 shadow, drowning in water

Question
Hey bike was running rough for a few days and finaly died. Will only putter once and a while on start up. Its a buddies bike so I dont know the details.. But all plugs fire. fuel pump is pumping. airfilter is removed. Is it the timing? And how do you adjust it?     Thanks in advance
                                       Timmy

Answer
Timmy, it sounds like either the pulser coil next to the flywheel has died or the control module has failed. Sounds like it is only running on one cylinder.

You could have gotten a load of water laden fuel and the carbs could be drowning in water. Drain the carb bowls and see if you can catch the fuel in a container to look for water or other contamination. Be sure the fuel filter is clear, too. There is a timer relay for the fuel pump so it only pumps for a few seconds then shuts down until the engine starts again.

You didn't give the mileage, so hopefully it isn't some kind of high miles mechanical problem. Check compression if you can. Should be around 150-175psi. If that is good, then you can look to the ignition or fuel systems. Check also the KILL switch for an intermittent connection or bad contacts inside.

Bottom line on the timing is that it is not adjustable. The control module handles all those duties. The timing signals have to come from the pulser coils, though. Check BikeBandit.com for illustrations of parts on-line.

Bill Silver