No throttle response, idle (Yamaha V-Star 650)

[Johnj]

First thing I would do is remove the spark plugs, place your finger over one of the plug holes on the engine (not in the engine), and try to start the bike. If your finger is blown off the hole your engine is turning over. If your finger stays on the spark plug hole than Wrider is correct.

[Wrider]

First thing I would do is remove the spark plugs, place your finger over one of the plug holes on the engine (not in the engine), and try to start the bike. If your finger is blown off the hole your engine is turning over. If your finger stays on the spark plug hole than Wrider is correct.

Probably the best way to check to see if it's just the engine or the starter motor going.

[Laki]

I removed the spark plugs and placed a finger over the hole (well, as best as able, it's pretty far in there). When attempting to start it I felt some fuel-smelling air blow gently over my finger in bursts, but not enough to physically blow it off of it.

Edit: I swapped out the spark plug (which is less than a month old, and was only replaced just because the old one had been in there for over two years) and tried starting it again. It sounded on the verge of turning over once before going back to the same electrical whine of the starter.

Edit edit: Also, the spark plug on the left side of the bike was covered in a black sticky substance, but the other one was clean.

[Wrider]

Black sticky spark plug and gentle bursts bode worse than just a starter being bad. You need to get that into a shop unless you have the capability of doing a compression or leakdown test.

[Laki]

Well. Looks like I'll be going to craigslist to look for a new bike while I tinker with this one then. Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

[Wrider]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news man... FWIW you may be able to get a good deal if you look at the ads at MMI. A lot of students there get in over their heads and need to unload their impulse buy bikes quick.

[Laki]

I'm in Tucson, and now lack any form of transport other than what I can convince friends to provide; and I doubt any are willing to take me up to Phoenix to take a look at bikes. Locally there isn't much available on CL, but there are a couple of V-Star 650s. If I got the same type of bike, I could harvest my old one for parts as they wear out

[MmeMagpie]

Have you tried looking here? I set the top price to $5000, but you can adjust that.

http://www.cycletrader.com/New-Or-Used- ... ice=*:5000