Honda Vtx 1300 C Owners Manual

							142Tips
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							143
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Taking Care of the Unexpected
This section discusses the more common
problems that can occur with your
motorcycle while you’re riding. It tells
you how to evaluate each problem and
what actions you can take to try to resume
riding. If the problem cannot be saf ely
solved, this section also gives instructions
on the proper way to have your
motorcycle transported.
For inf ormation about transporting your
motorcycle, see page ............................... General Guidelines . 144
If Your Engine Quits or
.......................................... Won’t Start . 145
....................... If You Have a Flat Tire . 150
................... If Your Engine Overheats . 160
If the Low Oil Pressure Indicator
................................................... Lights . 162
.................................... If a Fuse Blows . 163
........................................ If You Crash . 167
........................ If You Lose Your Key . 168
....... If Your Battery is Low (or Dead) . 169
140
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							144General Guidelines
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Remember to take along your owner’s
manual, the tool kit that came with your
motorcycle, and any other items (such as
tire repair supplies and additional tools)
that might help you solve a problem on
your own.Should you ever have a problem while
riding, please f ollow these guidelines:
Always put personal saf ety f irst.
Take time to assess the situation and
your options bef ore deciding what to do.
If the problem is relatively minor and
you have the tools, supplies, and skills
to make a temporary repair, be sure to
have permanent repairs made as soon as
possible.
Do not continue riding if you are hurt or
your motorcycle is not in saf e riding
condition.
Additional recommendations f or specif ic
problems f ollow. Keeping your motorcycle well-maintained
is the best way to reduce the possibility of
having a problem on the road. However,
since problems can arise even with well-
maintained machines, you may consider
subscribing to an emergency roadside
service plan. (USA only: For inf ormation
about the Honda Rider’s Club of America,
see page .)201
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							µ
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145
If Your Engine Quits or Won’t Start
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Starter motor doesn’t operate
Starter motor works,
but the engine won’t start Proper operation and maintenance can
prevent starting and engine perf ormance
problems. In many cases, the cause of the
problem may be a simple operational
oversight.
If you have a problem starting the
engine or experience poor engine
perf ormance the f ollowing inf ormation
may help you. If you can’t correct the
problem, see your Honda dealer.If your motorcycle won’t start, listen as
you press the start button. If you don’t
hear the starter motor turning, ref er to the
symptom. If
you can hear the starter motor working
normally, refer to the
symptom.
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							SYMPTOM:
WHAT TO DO POSSIBLE CAUSE
ignition switch OFF
engine stop switch OFF
transmission not in neutral
blown fuse
battery lead loose side stand down (when
transmission not in neutral)
dead battery
faulty starter motorTurn the ignition switch ON.
Turn the engine stop switch toRUN.
Shift into neutral.
Raise the side stand. Put the transmission in
neutral, pull the clutch lever in, or raise the side
stand.
Replace with a new fuse of the same rating (page
).
Tighten the battery lead.
Charge the battery (page ). If charging doesn’t
help, see your Honda dealer.
If all possible causes are negative, the starter
motor may be faulty. See your Honda dealer.163
127 Starter motor doesn’t operate.
146
If Your Engine Quits or Won’t Start
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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							SYMPTOM:
out of fuel
flooded engine
loose or unconnected spark
plug caps
loose battery cablesFill the fuel tank.
See (page ).
Install the spark plug caps securely. If the engine
still won’t start, see your Honda dealer.
Tighten the battery terminal bolts.
Charge the battery (page ). If charging doesn’t
help, see your Honda dealer. weak battery POSSIBLE CAUSE WHAT TO DO
40
127 Starter motor works, but the engine won’t start.
F l ood ed E ngi ne
147
If Your Engine Quits or Won’t Start
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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							SYMPTOM:
Raise the side stand. Start again.
SYMPTOM:
idles roughly, too fast, stalls
low oil pressure overheatingCheck engine idle adjustment (page ). If the
problem persists, see your Honda dealer. side stand down
See your Honda dealer. blubbers (rich fuel mixture) runs erratically, misfires See your Honda dealer.Check the low oil pressure indicator. Refer to
page
. POSSIBLE CAUSE WHAT TO DO
POSSIBLE CAUSE WHAT TO DO
Check the coolant temperature indicator. Refer to
page .160
162103 Engine starts, but stalls as you shift into gear.
Engine starts, but runs poorly.
If
t he Low Oi l Pr essur e I nd i cat or Li ght s, I f Y our E ngi ne Ov er heat s,
148
If Your Engine Quits or Won’t Start
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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							SYMPTOM:
sooty exhaust (rich fuel
mixture)
pre-ignition (runs on after
ignition switched OFF) detonates or pings under
load
afterfires (backfires)See your Honda dealer.
If applicable, switch to the recommended octane
gasoline (page ) or change your brand of
gasoline. If the problem persists, see your Honda
dealer.
See your Honda dealer.
See your Honda dealer. POSSIBLE CAUSE WHAT TO DO
76
Engine starts, but runs poorly. (cont’d)
149
If Your Engine Quits or Won’t Start
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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							150
If You Have a Flat Tire
Taking Care of the Unexpected
A f lat tire is always unwelcome,
especially if you are f ar f rom help. If you
think you are losing air, or you hit a
pothole or hard object, pull saf ely to the
side of the road so you can inspect the
tires and assess the situation. (Be sure to
park on a f irm, level surf ace and use the
side stand f or support.) You should
examine the tire treads and sidewalls f or
f oreign objects or damage. If you f ind a
tire that has been punctured or damaged,
you have two options.
Option 1:
Have Your Motorcycle Transported
If a tire has a major puncture or a cut in
the tread or sidewall, or the bead has come
loose f rom the rim, there is probably not
much you can do except have your
motorcycle transported to a Honda dealeror other qualif ied service f acility. (USA
only: For inf ormation about 24-hour
emergency roadside assistance, see page
.) Even with a simple puncture, this
may be the saf est and least troublesome
solution. For transporting instructions, see
page .
Option 2:
Make a Temporary Roadside Repair
If a tire has only a minor nail puncture and
is not completely f lat, you may be able to
make an emergency repair that could
allow you to continue riding to where you
can get the tire replaced or permanently
repaired.140 201
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							Riding your motorcycle with a
temporary tire repair can be risky.
If the temporary repair fails, you
can crash and be seriously injured
or killed.
If you must ride with a temporary
tire repair, ride slowly and
carefully and do not exceed 30
mph(50km/h)untilthetireis
permanently repaired or replaced.
151 Types of Temporary Repairs
If You Have a Flat Tire
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Due to the uncertainty of any temporary
repair, you should ride slowly (not over 30
mph, 50 km/h) and caref ully (pref erably
without a passenger or cargo) until the tire
is replaced or permanently repaired. Stopfrequently and check the air pressure. If
the tire is losing pressure, it may be unsaf e
to continue riding. As the tire gets low, it
will af f ect the handling of your
motorcycle (especially with a passenger
and cargo) and it may overheat and blow
out.
The f ollowing types of temporary repairs
generally require a source of air to inf late
the tire. Possible sources include CO
cartridges or cans of compressed air
designed to inf late a tire.
2
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