97 FE 501 questions

Husaberg

Help Support Husaberg:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
T

The_Jarhead

Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Messages
16
My wife recently purchased a 97 FE 501 for our anniversary
I have taken it out a few times and had a lot of fun with it although I would have trouble starting it when it warm.
I let it rest for a few min and she started right up.

Lately I cannot get her to stay fired up. It will occasionally run for a sec or 2 but that is about it.

I have changed the spark plug although there was a cr8e in there and that is what I replaced it with I read in the manual that it should be a c8e and will change to that later tonight.

I have cleaned/oiled the airfilters every ride I have also opened up the stator and sprayed it down with wd40 and the previous owner said after every ride.

It seams to have good compression and spark

Just looking for any advise or pointers here.
 
well that good spark could be a good ORANGE spark. try and take a reading from the red to the black wire coming out of your stator. I'm not sure whether you have an early or late stator: others here will know perhaps but if the stator is in the sidecover I think that means you should have 2,750 ohms while if the stator is under the flywheel (mounted to the cases) then it should be 1750. numbers under this mean it is almost certainmly on its way out.

have a look at the doc on the left of your screen and all the numbers and stuff may be aimed at 2001-2003 but they are totally valid for you.

I like to fit a timing light on the HT lead with the pos and neg on a little workshp battery. at the moment of stalling the spark may have gone AWOL and you'll spot no flash coming from the light.

I do reconditioned stators. I'm in the UK. PM me if you like?

regards

Taffy
 
The stator is under the right side case behind the flywheel.
To test the Spark I just removed the plug from the bike and put it back in the boot and kicked it over. I see spark with every kick

I will hook up a multimeter and see what it ready tonight.

Testing with a kick start only is huge PITA an e-start would be awesome right now......lol

Actually that is something else I was wondering. I know the 97 FC 501 has a e-start. Is it possible to put an e-start on the FE model
 
No I'm afraid not. the leccy boot sits on the front of the engine meaning different cases and a different frame as well!

see what you have as well between the green and black. that should be 23 or abouts.

regards

Taffy
 
FYI, the CR8E works just fine in place of the C8E - the only difference id the CR is a resistor plug and the C is not. I owned a '96 FE501 and used both type of plugs in it. It sounds to me like the pilot circuit in the carurator may be plugged up and you should check that out before spending any more time on the ignition. I had the ignition go out on my '02 FE650 and once it started it would stay running but getting it to start was another thing. BTW, only the FX and FE-E models came with elecric start back then and the FC (motcross) model came only with kickstart.
 
yeah I kind of thought about the carb as being a problem. I did run empty last time out as well.

I know a cre8 will work but there is no benefit to my knowledge for running other then they are easier to find. So might as well run the c8e since I can a box of them for next to nothing
 
the difference in the plug is the R...it stands for resistor, its purpose is only to cancel radio frequency interference in devices like a radio, thats why your garage radio gets fuzzy wen your engine is running....either plug is fine, i also would try cleaning the carb next... before you do you could check the plug and see if its soaked with fuel after kicking it a few times, if its wet then you might still think its spark related
 
I agree with RDP501 in that it's likely a carb/fuel issue. Along with a plugged pilot circuit, a sticking float valve is quite common on the Delorto carbs which will make it starve for fuel. A thorough carb cleaning may be in order. If you do this, take notes of jet sizes for future reference. BTW, the float valve is the valve actuated by the floats. One end has a conical rubber tip and this is what gets stuck and doesn't allow fuel in to start/run the bike. This may need to be replaced.

log
 
Something that I forgot to mention regarding the fuel issue is that I've found in the past that I've had the best luck just replacing the pilot jet rather than trying to clean it. The gasoline of the past couple of decades tends to do a real good job of clogging the jets with a very hard brown residue if the bike sits for a long time with gas in the carb and not run. I've resurected a couple of '70s vintage Bultacos in the past decade that had sat for years without being started and could not get them to run right until I replaced the pilot jets. I've found the pilot let orfice to be too small to effectively clean with a wire. http://www.offroadboss.com/ is a good source for Husaberg parts here in the US.
 
RDP501 said:
......... is a good source for Husaberg parts here in the US.
Click to expand...

and all along I thought you came from Walla Walla in Western Australia? :lol: :lol:

with a name like Walla Walla you've got to think an Aborigini came over and named the place! :cheers: :cheers:

regards

Taffy
 
with a name like Walla Walla you've got to think an Aborigini came over and named the place!
Click to expand...

The name Walla Walla was given to the area by the indigenous Indian tribe that resided here when the white settlers arrived and means "place of many waters" or something like that. The valley has numrous steams draining the mountains to the east and many spring-fed steams that emerge out in the valley floor - hence the name. So, in a way, your supposition is correct!
 
Yeah I think I am going to have to spend this weekend pulling and cleaning the carb.

I spent a couple hours each of the last few nights trying to adjust the mixture and idle but still can't get it to start
The most I have had was it will catch for a sec or 2
 
The_Jarhead said:
Yeah I think I am going to have to spend this weekend pulling and cleaning the carb.

I spent a couple hours each of the last few nights trying to adjust the mixture and idle but still can't get it to start
The most I have had was it will catch for a sec or 2
Click to expand...


Sure sounds like it's not getting adequate fuel. Just some fumes to briefly start it once in awhile. As someone mentioned earlier, if the plug is completely dry after you've been kicking away, it's most likely a lack of fuel issue. Sorry if I sound like a broken record. 8)
Let us know what you find.

log
 
you need to get back to basics. you said it ran ok but wouldn't start hot. that usually means its too rich on the pilot. now it won't start cold? make sure of the proper screw settings. the fuel screw (front one) should be roughly 1 1\2 turns out. richer on pilot will be ccw and leaner cw. if the mixture screw is wrong and your idle level (back one) is too high to compensate, it'll be hard to start. most dellortos are too rich on the choke circuit and require a partial rather than a full lift (or pull)of the plunger. also a problem but prolly not yours is that the needle and needle jet wear quickly. it's seen at the top of the needle. it causes problems off idle but can contribute to an unbalanced carb.
if you find the pilt jet clogged or even if you don't, take a 2" piece of stranded #16 or so copper wire, strip it and pull out one strand. use it to clean out the jet and then blow it out with brake cleaner or the like.
write down the numbers on all jets including the needle and nj.
 
In my SEM stator experience, my 501 and some KTMs, cranky hot starting is the first sign of a stator meltdown. It gets worse from there.

Like Ned says, basics, spark, fuel, compression. Compression among other things means valves. Tight inlets will cause backpressure in the carb mucking up the mixture and starting, hot or cold.

Spark also implies at the right time. Woodruff key on the stator OK?

Steve
 
Well I pulled the carb and did a good cleaning. put in fresh fuel (93 oct was the best I could get so added a an octane booster). She started right up (no choke)

However I am still having the warm start issue. Left me sitting in the woods a couple times on Sunday.
When cold she starts up on the first kick. Tried with the choke open and couldn't get her started. I was finally able to get it started when warm if I hold the throttle open a bit. Kind a PITA because if I opened it too much it would flood.

I didn't think to write the jet numbers down.

The mixture screw is 1 turn out (where it was when I got it.)
Idle screw is 2 turns out.

I've been on FI bikes for so long I'm just learning to screw around with the carbs.

Is there a walkthough for the valve check anywhere I could use
 
steve said:
In my SEM stator experience, my 501 and some KTMs, cranky hot starting is the first sign of a stator meltdown. It gets worse from there.

Like Ned says, basics, spark, fuel, compression. Compression among other things means valves. Tight inlets will cause backpressure in the carb mucking up the mixture and starting, hot or cold.

Spark also implies at the right time. Woodruff key on the stator OK?

Steve
Click to expand...
I have to get a flywheel puller so I can check the stator itself. I did notice for the first time the headlight flickers once started so I was thinking stator issue.
 
a flickering headlight is NOT a sign of the stator going!

you have two issues to address, firstly you need to check the true ignition timing with a timing light and with a fresh line marked on the flywheel. you'll find details of this in 'the doc' on the left of your screen. look up electrical/ignition timing and 'tipp-exing' the flywheel with a new mark.

secondly, your carb needs fresh parts in it. the needle and atomiser wear, o rings perish.

I do a kit in my ebay (ebay uk)

regards

Taffy
 
Taffy said:
a flickering headlight is NOT a sign of the stator going!

you have two issues to address, firstly you need to check the true ignition timing with a timing light and with a fresh line marked on the flywheel. you'll find details of this in 'the doc' on the left of your screen. look up electrical/ignition timing and 'tipp-exing' the flywheel with a new mark.

secondly, your carb needs fresh parts in it. the needle and atomiser wear, o rings perish.

I do a kit in my ebay (ebay uk)

regards

Taffy
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. I didn't see that doc till now. Lots of good info there

This is the first dirt bike I have had since I was a kid, and back then I didn't do any of my own work. Hard to believe I sold that old Honda 20 years ago.

I've been racing sportbikes for the past few years and I'm good with most maintenance/work till I get in to the motor other then replacing clutch plates if I had to open the motor I took it someplace. Even then all my bike for the past 11 years have been FI so I didn't have to worry about carbs.
It's like being a complete Newbie all over again Not a lot of places around me that work on Husabergs either so I prfer to as much as I can myself.

My thought with the light was since there is no battery it is only getting power from the stator up till yesterday it was solid once the bike started. It could just be a bad connection but I have been told these bike are known for the stators going bad. The guy I got it from said this one has been replaced a few years ago and to open the case and spray the housing down with WD-40 after every ride (which I have been doing)

I know a new clutch is going to be in order soon as well. When I pull the clutch lever in it doesn't fully disengage and wants to pull (can not put the bike in N while running). I have tried to adjust the cable but any more tension on it causes the clutch to slip.
 
the stators don't shag-out on the charging side: they go on the running/spark side OK?

check that there is a 'pill' in the end of the tube that rotates/sits still in the middle of the clutch pressure plate. without it your clutch won't disengage.

regards

Taffy
 

Similar threads

S
97 600 to 501 conversion
Replies
11
Views
1K
Taffy
Taffy
F
FE570 low idle issue, outside of the usual suspects! (I think)
Replies
2
Views
445
AussieBlue
A
G
2003 fe501 cylinder head repair/replacement questions
Replies
8
Views
593
Taffy
Taffy
M
Husaberg FE 501, 1992
Replies
4
Views
2K
Max 1971
M
N
Help on oil pump FE 390
Replies
3
Views
965
Nomadahowfar
N

Register CTA

Register on Husaberg Forum! This sidebar will go away, and you will see fewer ads.

Recent Discussions

Recent Discussions

Back
Top