h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Does anybody know anything about Yamaha R1 motor bikes.

I've a problem with mine and would appreciate some serious help

Yes, they're small and very fast.

What's the problem?

I've got a Yamaha 2001 R1, which I've had off the road for the past 12 months. It's been stored by a reliable friend and was fine when I left it.

I've just tried to start it but it will only start and run on full throttle.
The bike won't run under 2000 rpm but revs and responds fine over 5000 rpm.
I've changed the fuel and plugs with no change

The bike is standard. Any advice and help would be really appreciated

Thanks a lot

Sorry not technical like that but I love motorbikes.

Thanks anyway

Was it left with fuel in it?
As I remember the 2001 was a carburettor model, did you drain the carbs before storing it?


p.s. you might also want to look at A739406 which is the H2G2 bike club, there may even be other R1 owners there!

Sounds like a fuelling problem - could be:
an air leak somewhere, but there's no reason for that to happen in storage, or
a carb jet blocked by crud settling during the year, or
in my experience these things are usually caused by one of these new-fangled sensors failing. Try to find the air flap valve thing in the pipe just after the air filter and make sure it hasn't seized.

Cheers Dave, will try

No, I didn't drain the carb.

Thanks for the advice and I've left a message over there

Fuel system sounds most likely, have you had it serviced, these bikes are so high powered that if you miss your regular service interval it can really muck things up. MM

If it were an old bike I'd suggest tapping the carburettor a couple of times with a hammer and attacking it with WD40... Sound's like its partially stuck open.

However, I've never actually worked on a bike manufactured after 1970 so I'm not really the best person to ask

Hey, you guys are the absolute best

Muck and gunge in the carb.

(Thanks also to Whiskey, I'd tried that)

Really appreciate the help. Thought being on here was just for laughs, but you've shown me otherwise.

I am so H A P P Y

"No, I didn't drain the carb."

tut tut!

Know what happens to fuel in a relatively warm dry climate?
(ie a garage)
It evaporates.
And when it does so, it leaves behind a deposit, a sort of greeny-grey-y film over the suraces. This can partially, or fully, block the carb jets and coat all the surfaces, gumming them up.

And the best way to clean it off is very careful cleaning of the insides of the carbs with a wd40 and a bit of very fine abrasive (I used steel wool, but then my bioke was an old rat and not a piece of modern precision engineering).

You will probably find that the jets have closed up, partially or fully. Do *not* be tempted to do what I did and shove a bit of garden wire through them to clean them. The tolerances are very limited and merely scratching it could knock your carburation out.

Redex in the carbs might help as well.

Thanks Ictoan, I have taken your wise words on board. Can't thank you enough

Just realised I didn't drain the carb on the Honda that's been sat in my garage for 6 months

another thing that happens to the fuel left in bikes for a long period of time..... it turns into varnish, and gums up the works. sounds like you need to get your carbs cleaned (which is a pain in the neck, and quite expensive). but since the bike's starting, and running at high rpm, its not too bad, yea?

I like reading the backlog. Sometimes it stops you posting something that someone else already has.

all right.... all right.... but do you really think that fuel can start evaporating when its in the carbs? thats the point i disagree with. didn't want to point it out until now. in my experience, it becomes this really viscous paste.