New guy with funny noob story

M

Movie Mike

New Member
Hi everyone.

My name is Mike. I live in a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I got interested in motorized bikes after a coworker built one. He let me ride his and I was hooked after one lap around our parking lot.

FedEx delivered my engine kit yesterday and I bought a Giant SedonaST yesterday afternoon. I had no major problems installing everything - mainly because I studied how my friend put his bike together.

I was excited after I installed the cables and carb today. I was rushing to get the wiring done so I could take my first ride. I mixed my gas and oil, filled the tank, then called my family out to watch the maiden ride. (I asked my wife to bring a telephone ready to call 911 just in case...)

I pedaled furiously up and down my street and couldn't get it to start. I could hear the piston moving, but the engine wasn't producing any power. I tried adjusting every lever, but nothing worked. I had a lot of trouble getting the spark plug wire to fit over the top of the plug. Maybe the plug wasn't getting any electricity. In frustration I held the kill switch down. Vrooooom! I let go of the switch and the engine died. Hmm.

In my haste, I connected the kill switch in a way that completed the blue wire to black wire circuit. It wasn't a kill switch; rather, it was an "on" switch. I puttered around my block for 15 minutes to begin the break-in process, but my thumb was really tired.

Tonight I rewired the switch correctly.

So, here it is: my moment of shame. Do any of you have any funny "why won't it start" stories?

Mike
 
All I can add is that on my first ride my clutch was really adjusted tight. I'd peddle, pop the clutch and almost get bucked off when it didn't fire up. I went through this process a half dozen times until I thought to choke it. Then it fired right up. But by then I was so hot, sweaty and out of breath that I had to go in the house to get something to drink and rest. But after that its been nothing but fun.
 
I'm trying to figure out how you had the kill switch wired. Did you have it in series on either the blue or black wire?

Welcome to the forum and the hobby BTW.

(p)
 
I hit the petcock lever with my knee and shut off the fuel. Didn't take long to figure out what was wrong but there was a moment of panic when the engine died. I was about 5 miles from home, no tools and and it was almost dark and looking like rain. Dummy...
Tom
 
Hey there, Finfan. You're right. The kill switch was in series.

I wired it this way: Black wire from the engine to one of the kill switch wires. Second kill switch wire to Blue wire from the engine. The circuit is complete only when I press the kill switch.

At first I thought it was a new safety feature so that the engine dies if you fall off the bike. It would be similar to the wrist band you wear when you ride a jetski or waverunner.

If I had kept it wired incorrectly, my thumb muscles would bulk up. I'd be a fearsome thumb wrestler!
 
OK, now I am confused. You should have the black wire from the engine to the black wire on the CDI and the Blue wire from the engine to the blue wire from the CDI. If you add the kill switch from the black side to the blue it should work unless you have a defective switch.
 
You're totally right. In post #6, I was describing my goofy wiring that required a thumb on the switch for the engine to run.

I rewired it correctly and everything works just like all the other MBs do.
 
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