Finding the time to fix your bike

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Monstyr
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Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Monstyr »

Here I am, years later with a still unfinished strada in my garage, fairly common story I think.

A while ago I bolted the lot back together and got it to run- after a fashion.
It runs on choke but stalls if that is closed and can then be hard to restart after that, I even managed to ride it a few yards under its own power though didn't want to go anywhere as it's not insured etc.

I'm sure I might eventually be able to figure out what the issue may be but the fact I have to completely disembowel my whole garage to get it out means that it just never sees the outside to enable any diagnostic work to happen, so, anything I can get done ought to be focussed on getting it to run I think.

Where do I start?
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Ming
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Ming »

I'm in a similar situation in that mine has been 'in progress' for a similar time (but the entrance to the tunnel is now in sight).
As yours has not run for a time, have you cleaned the carbs? I cleaned mine and checked all the jets. It starts easily (on choke), then soon runs steadily on both, so I think that's where I would start. You could also check that your ignition coil is not low resistance - though that is not a definite indicator, but may point in that direction.
MickeyMoto
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by MickeyMoto »

I had the same problem. I had to richen the mixture on the screws by a lot more than the standard setting. I think they are mixture screws and not air screws so you come out to richen the mixture. Of course this is for tick over and small throttle openings. Does it run on an open throttle with chokes off?
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72degrees
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by 72degrees »

MickeyMoto wrote:I had the same problem. I had to richen the mixture on the screws by a lot more than the standard setting. I think they are mixture screws and not air screws so you come out to richen the mixture. Of course this is for tick over and small throttle openings. Does it run on an open throttle with chokes off?
Indeed. A 'fuel screw' not an 'air screw' on Dellortos. Sounds like the idle jets or passages in the body may be gummed up though. VHBH carbs are simple souls and don't usually need the full ultrasonic treatment - though that does work very well on them <pats cheap ultrasonic cleaner of Ebay that has paid for itself several times over>.
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Monstyr
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Monstyr »

I cleaned the carbs as part of the rebuild so their condition is fairly good, I've tinkered with the setting screws a little but admit to not knowing too much about what I'm actually doing.
I recorded all the settings and returned the screws to where they were before being stripped so I had a start point that (nearly) worked.
The bike does not run without choke and even on the throttle it soon falters and cuts out, it's a pig to get restarted as well.

No idea how to check ignition coils or any other sorcery powered parts so I wouldn't know what I'm looking at, they were put back in exactly the same way as they were before.


I know the bike was a bit rough running when I got it but I put that down to the carbs needing cleaned and sorted which has been done but maybe that was only part of the problem. I dont really have good diagnostic skills but can assemble and adjust parts if I know which relevant bits to focus on.
The tricky bit is finding out which componants need sorted, after that it ought to be simpler to get somewhere.
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72degrees
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by 72degrees »

Starting reasonably when cold but not hot could also be the stator ignition winding breaking down once it warms up. A common fault with similar ignition systems of that ilk on MX bikes. Try checking the resistance on the stator green wire when both stone cold and just after it conks out. Even better, hook up a multimeter to the green wire on AC volts, start it up on the stand and watch the voltage. If it falls suddenly as the engine gets hot, that's the culprit.

In my experience, many Morini starting and running woes come down to the stator/rotor. If they are below par it will never run correctly. That's assuming it has good compression on both cylinders. The old mantra is as true as it ever was - Compression, Ignition, Carburation to be checked in that order.
Mepstein
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Mepstein »

Clean and organize your garage so you enjoy working in it.
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Monstyr
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Monstyr »

72degrees wrote:Starting reasonably when cold but not hot could also be the stator ignition winding breaking down once it warms up. A common fault with similar ignition systems of that ilk on MX bikes. Try checking the resistance on the stator green wire when both stone cold and just after it conks out. Even better, hook up a multimeter to the green wire on AC volts, start it up on the stand and watch the voltage. If it falls suddenly as the engine gets hot, that's the culprit.

In my experience, many Morini starting and running woes come down to the stator/rotor. If they are below par it will never run correctly. That's assuming it has good compression on both cylinders. The old mantra is as true as it ever was - Compression, Ignition, Carburation to be checked in that order.

While I understand every individual word of that when you arrange them in that order it's like magic juju language.
I've no idea how to test electrical stuff, not even sure if what I think a stator is might be the same as what your thinking of. :lol:
Is it the whirly bit behind the flywheel or that little plastic switch thing above the clutch?



Working in my garage is but a fond memory, I have two other working bikes that I keep at the front but I need to move all of them and some other stuff before even getting access to the strada- that takes about twenty five minutes on its own, putting it all back takes a bit longer.
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you can't tell whether or not they're genuine" - Abraham Lincoln
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72degrees
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by 72degrees »

The stator shouldn't whirl round. The rotor is the magnetic 'flywheel' bit that whirls round outside the stator within it, which is the bit with 6 things that look like cotton reels with wires connecting them.

If this is an electric start Strada I'd consider relieving you of all the hassle of getting to it and getting it running properly again ;)
Papa Lazarou
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Papa Lazarou »

it runs, but poorly. Start with the carbs. Clean and strip them. New jets-not cleaned up jets-all round. then report back.
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Ming
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Ming »

I think that to expect to be able to fix a non-running bike that is 30 plus years old, you need to have a certain level of proficiency in both spannering and electrickery. If not - it's going to cost you.
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72degrees
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by 72degrees »

Ming wrote:I think that to expect to be able to fix a non-running bike that is 30 plus years old, you need to have a certain level of proficiency in both spannering and electrickery. If not - it's going to cost you.
To be fair, even with 30 plus years experience of fixing Morinis it can still cost you in parts alone!
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Ming
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by Ming »

[/quote]To be fair, even with 30 plus years experience of fixing Morinis it can still cost you in parts alone![/quote]

True, but a little research on this forum, or on the Dutch site (for example), plus a cheap digital multimeter, can help with the simpler stuff. Then reference to Paul's youtube videos (Sorens too).
The main thing would be to decide that it is going to run and that the garage will be rearranged to make it accessible.
Or, as you suggest, if it's an electric start model, sell it to one of us doddering, wonky-knee'd types. :lol:
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72degrees
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Re: Finding the time to fix your bike

Post by 72degrees »

Absolutely. Any new Morini owners first purchase should be a Multimeter if they haven't already got one!

Oi - I claim first dibs on any E-start Strada needing a new home - at a sensible price ;)
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