Hi everyone.

I have previously posted here about a very peculiar problem which my
pulsar picked up at about +- 5500 km's and which still plagues me
today at about 13700 km's on the odo. Before i continue i must stress
that it happens totally infrequently, sometimes it does it for a week
on end each day and sometimes i can ride for a month no probs.

My bike has this strange "habit" of starting to stutter, and then
cutting out completely. My original dealers were unable to find or fix
the problem because just as luck would have it my bike behaved
perfectly each time they took it for a test ride. To recap - they
changed the cdi, bike still did it. Then they changed back to my
original cdi, and put new coils on (which i still have on). Bike
seemed fine but it started again after a week or so. Then they
suggested that maybe its the magneto which is at fault, or maybe a
combination of these three things.

As i am a young working person i cannot afford to replace every piece
of electronics on my bike and by that time i had gotten serious doubts
whether the problem was mechanical at all, because when the stuttering
starts if feels like the fuel is interrupted somehow. Last week i took
the bike to another bike place for the 12500km service. I also had
them strip and clean my carb, thinking it might be that.

Well, it still does it. Took my bike back to them this morning. I
noticed yesterday though that there were quite a few drops of
condensation on the INSIDE of that little window on the left hand side
of the engine, and while im no mechanic i DO know that water inside
and engine=no good...

Other possibilities i have thought about is maybe severe dirt or
something inside my tank, being sloshed around could explain why it
happens randomly. I have even tried riding with my fuel tank open to
see if its maybe a compression thing. Apart from these things it could
of course actually be the electronics, in which case im screwed as i
dont have money to replace everything electronic.

I would love to hear everybody's comments on this. If it werent for
this problem i would have sold my bike looooong ago and bought
something else but no one is going to buy it this way, and im not
about to sell my bike AS IS for next to nothing, not while its only 1
1/2 years old.

Somebody PLEASE help me, i cant take it anymore...

The window on the left side cover is to see the TDC markings on the
flywheel. That's where the stator coil is. Moisture there is not
serious, it gets in around the rubber grommet the wires go through.

I think it would be worth trying a fuel filter, in case it's caused by
water in the fuel.  The smallest GUD fuel filter.
Check the fuel tap bowl when you get the problem. Usually when there's
some water in the tank, a drop or two collects there. (It doesn't
mix.) And if you're getting water in the tank, it can cause rust, and
then rust particles can block the main jet.

Cat, you were right on the mark - the bike shop just phoned me to say
there was water in the fuel...going to go pick it up today but in the
meantime i will start looking for that GUD fuel filter, i suppose
midas should stock them? Just a last question - should i fit the fuel
filter between the fuel tank and the fuel "kraantjie" or between the
"kraantjie" and the carb?

thanx for the advice again, really appreciate it and i really, really
hope the problem is sorted now, once and for all.

This photo gives you some idea of what the right GUD fuel filter looks
like:

http://bajaj-riders-rsa.googlegroups.com/web/fuel_filter_1_(cat).jpg?...

This photo shows that the problem is that the enrichment knob thing is
in the way, it's where you need the filter to be:

http://bajaj-riders-rsa.googlegroups.com/web/fuel_filter_2_(cat).jpg?...

So the filter is higher than it should be, in relation to the fuel
tap. If you position it in front of the choke, then the fuel pipe has
to run up slightly to the carb. Maybe that would work ok, though,
maybe the gravity/pressure from the fuel tap down into the filter is
enough to push it up to the carb. I think I'll try it.

I posted replies yesterday and they still haven't appeared?

PS: Apparently the GUD filter are the only ones that trap water; the
others are fine mesh that traps only dirt particles. (Talking about
the accessory filters. The OEM car fuel filters are mostly metal
canisters with pleated paper filters and they do trap water.)

Good, I'm glad to hear that. :-)

It just struck me that one way of getting water in the fule could be a
fuel cap that doesn't seal well. (I think someone said they'd had
theirs replaced, that the whole fuel cap didn't fit properly.)  And
I've just hosed my bike, a lot, cleaning it for the first time in
about 6 months. (And there's a lot of rust, and the black engine paint
has come off in chunks.)

Anyway... sometimes there's water in the tanks at gas stations.

Yes, midas shops will have the GUD filters. I'll try to find a picture
of it. It's the smallest one, but it's quite big. The filter element
inside looks like a pleated paper air filter. They might try to sell
you a chrome one with a replaceable element, a heavy clunky chrome
thing. Don't do it.

It goes between the fuel tap and the carb.

You *will* get a problem, though. I took mine off, that I'd put on as
soon as I got the bike. (But I must do something about it, and I've
got a solution.)

The filter is quite big and on the Pulsar there is not much space
between the fuel tap and the carb. It's difficult to get the filter
positioned so that it's at all vertical - I mean you can't have the
fuel flowing down out of the fuel tap and then up into the filter - it
works on gravity.

What happens is that when the tank goes to reserve, the fuel stops
flowing out the tap when it's in the normal position, you notice it
and switch to reserve. With the fuel filter, you switch to reserve but
the carb still doesn't get fuel again,  What happens is that the
filter gets drained and somehow the gravity/flow is enough to fill it
again. You have to pull the fuel pipe off the carb, get it hanging
straight down from the fuel tap, turn the tap to reserve so that gas
pisses out, then put your finger over the pipe, turn the tap off and
put the pipe back on the carb. Or, have the original fuel pipe - and a
good cloth to wipe the petrol off your hands and so on - under the
seat, and if this happens, you can always just put it on to go home.

No way is there any way to arrange the filter and pipes so it doesn't
happen.

You need fuel line with 6mm ID, the black rubber kind. Not the clear
PVC / polyurethane / blue braided stuff.
You can take off the original pipe and stash it under the seat.  Then
cut a length of pipe as short as possible to go between the fuel tap
and the filter - enough so that it can bend down from the fuel tap.
Then sort out how long the other piece needs to be , from the filter
to the carb.

:-)

I have the same problem on my Avenger, the fuel cap doesn't seal properly. I
filled up the bike the other day on the main stand, once I got home and put
it on the kick stand I had a waterfall of fuel all over the place.

With regard to the water problem, I am sure that one needs to have a
vertical filter with a drain at the bottom, like in compressed air lines or
Aircraft fuel tanks. But the basic problem is that the fuel tank filler cap
does not prevent water getting in if you give the machine a wash.

You guys are all Pulsar riders, who out there is riding an Avenger( more
comfortable and the same performance)????

Chromedome

Hi Chromedome,
I have had my Avenger for a year now. Absolutely no complains, not even
water getting into the tank thank goodness.
Regards
Gerry Hardwick

So either the rubber seal on the flip-up cap needs to be
thicker...?...or is it the seal of the actual..thing mounted on the
tank with screws, the "ring" part? - that would also have some kind of
rubber seal ring...even thick paper/fibre type gasket material would
do it, or it could be sealed with epoxy.

Hi chromedome,

Not the same performance on my 200 but also nothing to complain about
no cutouts or anything. Going on tour of Africa on mine next year.My
nephew's got a blue one and nothing to complain about now, either.
Mine is grey. we have already done small preparatory trips to
Dulstroom, Greytown and Swaziland. Mostly on dirt, or alternative
roads, very comfortable especially on corrugations, :-) much
impressed. 34km/l consumption getting better as bike gets less stiff,
and that is with all camping gear strapped to it... How do you feel
about yours?

On Aug 12, 7:43 pm, "Bill Bower" <bo...@pluto.co.za> wrote:

Hi
I am generally very happy, only done 520km also a blue one. I don’t know if
I would do a long trip like yours,(a) got to get the wife to jump on the
back...(b)Don’t have the time at the moment. Well, best of luck with your
trip.

Best regards

Chromedome