1989 Honda VLX 600 "Steed" (Shadow?) Issues.

[Wombat]

G'day!


Here's a small series of issues currently doing my head in.

My bike hesitates badly on and off in every gear. Sometimes it plain hesitates, other times it hesitates like it's taking a big breath in then just bursts out with speed again. Conversely, it pops LOTS. When trying to start the bike, which is no longer possible, it let's out a massive pop before it eventually kicks over.


OK.

Now I'm at the point where the bike no longer starts using the switch. I have to bump start it. It can't be the battery because it's brand new and everything else works when it's on, it just no longer starts. There was a brief period where I'd have to "move" the bike in order for the switch to work, but then it plain stopped working.

My mate pulled the carbies out and cleaned them out, replaced the sparkies, air filter (air filter was very dirty, so not sure how well drenching them in petrol and blowing through therm was supposed to clean them) but this did not fix the issue.

Drove the bike 50 kms home and all along the highway it was hesitating, throwing me around etc.

I've noticed it's the worst when I'm going slow and put it in 4th gear (higher gear on the bike) I can virtually reproduce it every time if I open up the throttle. It just slugs along and pops, jumps violently.

Any ideas?

[93gc40]

How fast are you going in each gear when this happens? Part of it sound like bogging from being too slow for a gear. Some of it sounds like and electrical issue. Fix that you might fix part of the rest. The run/stop and start switches can cause similar symptoms when it gets dirty and gummed up. Burned, shorted or weak relays and wires in the charging/starting system can cause miss fires in the ignition. Stuck choke or rich AF mixture can cause some of the issues. New does not mean GOOD or charged when dealing with Batteries.

[Liga]

I have a 1993 Steed, and had the same problem about a year ago. Suddenly it just wouldn't start. First thoughts were the battery, then regulator. Bought the two. No luck. I had to jump-start her every time I had to go anywhere (and the way the bike is geared, it's a nightmare, especially for a petite girl like me!). And sometimes, she wouldn't start at all! Then, on one of my rides after getting her going, I lost my number plate somewhere on the motorway, and with it - my number plate light. It was then, after inspecting the loose wires that I found a wire from the number plate light shortening to the body. The bracket of the number plate was all rusty so it must have been braking off bit by bit before falling off completely. So, after sealing off the loose wires, the bike has been great ever since. I don't know how the bike jump-started at all with the wire shortening (it doesn't make sense to me, maybe it was moving around?) but that's the story. BTW, I put the old battery and the regulator back in when it didn't make any difference to the way the bike behaved, and they are still fine.
Just a week ago I changed the sprockets and the chain, and now she doesn't feel sluggish at speeds when you would change the gears, she's more responsive.
Don't know if that's of any help to your problem but I was looking through the forums too when I had my problem, and never came across the solution. Not until it "presented" itself, that is. I just have to mention that my bike was in an awful rusty condition when I bought her, and that might not necessarily apply to yours.
Anyhow, good luck with your bike, and I hope to see a post with a happy ending!
Liga