2001 Suzuki Katana 600 not starting

[jjherriott3535]

Hello all! This is the first time posting and I am hoping this is the right spot for the question. I had posted this under Riding tips for some reason and then after I seen this section but I don't know how to delete the other thread lol sorry!

I got this bike about a month ago and I have done quite a bit to try to get it going. I have replaced the petcock, throttle cables, throttle, starter relay, clutch switch (bypassed but should be here in a couple days), battery, spark plugs, gas cap, cleaned the carbs, and changed the oil and filter. Finally I got it to turn over!

I just got my new petcock in today and I thought that would get it started since my old petcock wouldn't allow any gas to flow even in prime. I also took the vacuum line off and felt the suction when it is trying to start it. I have tried cleaning the spark plug wells also.

When trying to start, it turns over fine as far as the starter goes. So I assume that means the starter is good. And when I am trying to start it I see a small amount of white smoke coming out of the exhaust which to me tells me there is spark (again guessing).

My question to you all is where do I go next? I am lost. This is my first bike ever and have been learning to work on it as I go. Could it just be that the carbs need tuned? This bike has an inspection sticker of May 2015 so I assume its been over a year since it has been running. And when I got it there were no spark plugs in there so water may have gotten in there.

So does this sound like the carbs need tuned? Do you think if I push started the bike that it could start that way?

Also when in first gear and trying to start with the clutch pulled, it still jumps forward. That must mean the clutch isn't disengaging correctly right? Could that be the culprit of the bike not starting? I actually have the clutch switch bypassed until the new one gets here in a couple days.

Thanks in advance!

[shpielers]

I'm not sure if it would affect starting, but it does sound like your clutch does need adjusting. There is a how to on the site that is great.

It might be having a hard time starting simply because the carbs are empty. Turn the petcock to prime for ~30 seconds and the carb bowls will fill with fuel. The fuel will still have to get sucked through the jets, but that involves far less cranking than having to fill the bowls first.

[jjherriott3535]

i will definitely check that site out for adjusting the clutch! I tried putting it in prime for about 10 seconds but i heard you dont want to leave it on there too long cuz gas can go to other places that you dont want it to lol .. il try to leave it on there for a little bit longer. thanks for the tip!

Okay. I put it in prime for about 30 seconds and tried a few more times and the battery sounds like it's dieing. So, I will charge it back up, and I will update once I try again. Could a low battery, even though it is turning over, cause it to not start up? Not enough spark possibly?

[92xjunker]

Prime could be left on if your carbs are working correctly.

[shpielers]

Low battery could.
Also possible the wiring harness isn't in the best shape. If you dont have enough voltage going to the coils, the best battery in the world can't help. If you measure the voltage at the coils when the starter is cranking (2nd pair of hands makes this much easier...) You need 11v or higher. Less than that, and you can get spark, but it won't be hot enough to ignite the fuel. And that's if you get any spark at all.
Also, leaving your petcock on prime indefinitely should not hurt anything, IF your carbs are in good shape. The float valves will seal off and not allow any fuel anywhere it isn't supposed to be. If your floats don't seal, then yes, leaving the bike in prime is an issue. If they do seal, can't hurt anything.

Charge the battery up, leave it in prime a little longer, make sure you have the choke engaged, and give it another try. If it's still having issues, measure the voltage at the coils.

[jjherriott3535]

small update .. charged the battery and made sure choke was on and still the same thing .. it is definitely trying to start .. just gotta borrow my friends multimeter to measure that voltage at the coils .. will update again once that is done .. again thank you all

[92xjunker]

You'll need 11v+ at the coils for a good quick start. Anything below will cause slow start, below 10v is a very slow to no start.

[jjherriott3535]

where exactly on this coil am i supposed to put the wires? I was messing with it more today and I actually got it to start for about a second before it would die. I tried to give it a little gas and it would die or it would just die on its own. Any ideas on that? Does that prove my coils good? If so does that sound like a tune up of the carbs and I should be good to go?

[92xjunker]

If it starts the coils are good. You have a carb issue.

[jjherriott3535]

ok new update again lol .. its a good day .. every time i start it up it takes longer and longer for it to die .. i can even rev it up (with slight hesitation). I only revved to about 6000 rpm but needless to say it sounds great to hear it for the first time. It seems to start almost every time now after do it a few times. I assume its just because the fuel needs to go through the system and all that other science stuff lol. So I will get a tune up and call it good. HOWEVER my last question before this thread is done, is it normal for it to smoke a lot? This is the first time its ran in a year or so. Will the smoke eventually stop? Or do I have another problem? I believe it's like a bluish smoke.

[maniac1886]

White smoke = water
Blue smoke = oil. (should be able to differentiate the above by smell)
Black smoke = too much fuel.

[Katfan]

... is it normal for it to smoke a lot? This is the first time its ran in a year or so. Will the smoke eventually stop? Or do I have another problem? I believe it's like a bluish smoke.

I went through a very similar exercise like you. My bike was also in storage for a year or so and the fuel leaked into the crank case. I drained 2 gallons of oil/gas mixture. After I got my bike started the smoke started appearing after the engine warmed up maybe a minute or two. It turned out the oil soaked the muffler and when I started the engine the oil simply started to burn out. Following a suggestion I removed the muffler when the smoke appeared (be careful, wear ear plugs and don't burn your hands) and no visible smoke came out of the header pipe.

In any case I followed the process of elimination and tried to keep it simple. Clean the air filter, check all air and fuel connections, clean the carb. REALLY thoroughly. Check / adjust the float levels to specs. Change spark plugs.

I don't know if this helps but worked for me so I figured I share.

Good luck!