Should driveshaft spin easily when rear wheel on bike stand?

[Bbennett]

I could not get the V11 Sport to start today. So, I tried to bump start it in 2nd - this always works - and the rear wheel just skidded.

 

When I put the bike up on a stand, should I be able to spin the rear wheel relatively easily?  I can only get it to move about 1/4 of a turn in 6th.

 

Thanks,

Bob

 

[luhbo]

Your bike seems to be quite normal. In case you could spin the wheel easily in 6th, even start it, you should try to make money with this show.

For jump starts use the 3rd gear and use all the weight you have. On dry roads only. When wet you can try 4th or 5th even. The point is the jump start. Let it jump over the compression only once, then push, then jump again. Jump, clutch, push, jump, clutch, and so on. This engine jumps quite willingly this way. Don't do this when over 56

 

Hubert

 

edit: bump start, if you wish. I feel jump start being the better expression.

[Bbennett]

Thanks, are you saying the rear wheel should spin pretty easily in 6th when elevated on a stand?  That is not the case here.

[luhbo]

No, I'm saying in case you could spin the rear wheel by hand then you could act the Hercules in some Freak Show

[stewgnu]

"Bump in 3rd"

I'll second that!

My battery died whilst tearin' about on Skye- nearest bike shop?  ......  Inverness!

Wouldn't mind quite so much but I'd literally just been 'Haha!' -ing at my chum as his Speed Four battery died just before mine:  "Ha!  Brit-built shite, should've got a proper bike like mine!"  Ah when Irony rears thy head...

 

150 odd miles of bumpin to get there.  No chance in 2nd; 3rd or 4th work fine.

 

O course, weren't me that were pushin..

 

Of course they didn't have the right battery ... But that don't stop the industrious guzzisti!  (Another story)

[mznyc]

No.It shouldn't spin freely.There should be a resistance.Even in 6th.I have no problem bump starting in second,even without jumping on to it.Second gear,key on,run along side with hands on the bars for 5-10 yards,release clutch and a bit of throttle ,it'll start 9 times out of 10.Are you very light?

[Bbennett]

Thanks for all of the replies. This all happened after driving around town the day before at insufficient RPM's to charge the battery (long idles in slow moving traffic).  I have the bump start technique mastered but the rear wheel would not rotate as usual during my normal procedure, and the bike would also not start from a "jump" from a car battery.   Normally, both of those methods are foolproof.  This made me wonder if the engine was somehow seized, hence the question in the Thread title.  Thanks mznyc for your answer, it makes me think something else is amiss rather than an engine that will not turn over.  Upon reflection, a slightly wet street sruface is prob. the cause of the bump start "skidding".  I should have tried 3rd gear but I only had a limited amount of ramp to go down.

 

In the process of trying to jump the bike with a car battery, the jumper cable must've touched the ECU as I fried the negative battery connector cable and the black (ground?) wire to the ECU.  It was not a good day and it is one of the few times my bike has been unavailable to ride.

[nobleswood]

That sounds like it could be expensive.

[gstallons]

Remove the spark plugs..With the bike on the rear stand , shift the bike to 6 th gear and rotate the rear wheel . It should rotate with some effort because there is no compression .

 BTW you need to test the charging system , replace the battery if it needs it , get a good battery charger and rehearse how to jump start the bike. There are smaller jumper cables that are available for 4wheeler/motorcycle applications you can purchase .

[Bbennett]

Bike is now fixed.  I took it into the shop where they replaced several burnt wires, the starter and the starter solenoid. 

[docc]

Make certain your main battery ground to the gearbox is clean and solid!