Cranks but doesn't start

[MBMyer]

The Forza just had it's longest period of stillness since I rode it home. Last Thursday, in anticipation of hurricane Florence, I came home, parked the beast, and pulled the cover over. It sat there for four days without moving. This morning, with the skies finally clear, I went out, uncovered it, threw a leg over, and thought I was heading off to work. Nope.

It has a full tank of gas and a fully charged batter. It cranks, but does not start.

I got in one of the cages and let four wheels take me to work. I'm now on my lunch break and thinking about what I will need to do to start diagnosing when I get home this evening. I thought I'd see if there is any lore or experience with this problem on this model vehicle.

I first plan to do the basic: pull the spark plug & check for spark & fuel. Move on from there. But if others have had a similar experience and there's something in particular that is prone to fail, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks,
Michael

[GeorgeSK]

There was a thread recently where the poster had pretty much the same problem. We discussed much, but his fix came from a good squirt of WD 40 at the kill switch (although that prevented even cranking). Given your recent storm, I would not be at all surprised if water got someplace it shouldn't. We hope you don't have too much problem tracking down the issue - good luck.

[easyrider]

Do you hear the fuel pump come on when you turn ignition on??

[MBMyer]

Do you hear the fuel pump come on when you turn ignition on??

I had that same thought this afternoon while I was at work. And my ever-less-reliable memory tells me that when I first cranked it this morning, it started to fire and then just went to cranking. So I have now done the following:

1) Turned on the bike while listening and *not* hearing the pump pressurize.
2) Confirmed that it still cranks without starting.
3) Prepared to roll the bike off of its Cycle Shell next to the house and onto the driveway. But first,
4) clean all of the vegetation detritus from Florence off of the driveway so that I would have a clear work area.
5) Accidentally discovered the ground hornet nest on the other side of the driveway, about ten feet from the bike. The hornets were not happy with me but not yet sure that I was the actual threat to their little underground domicile, so I have (thus far) escaped without being swarmed despite
6) having gone to collect my 20' spray range wasp-killer-in-a-can and sprayed as much of the ground around the base of that tree.
And finally,
7) retreated into the house and watched them zipping up, down, and all around looking for the threat. I can NOT see where the second door to their evil lair might be.

So, all-in-all, I'm hoping that it's just a blow fuse due to intrusive moisture somewhere in the circuit and that I'll be able to actually check it out tomorrow morning before work and after the unwanted neighbors have both quieted down a bit and (it is to be hoped) transferred some contact poison to their bunk mates.

Pax et bonum,
Michael
who will keep you apprised.

[E. Foster Salsbury]

All signs point to..... Seized fuel pump! Did you do the fuel pump recall?

October 27, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V672000
Fuel Pump may Seize and cause Engine Stall

If the fuel pump seizes the motorcycle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V672000

Manufacturer Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Components FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Potential Number of Units Affected 10,076

Summary

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 GROM125 motorcycles manufactured June 12, 2013, to September 24, 2014, and 2014 Forza-NSS300, and NSS300A motorcycles manufactured June 18, 2013, to May 21, 2014. The resin bracket inside the fuel pump of the affected motorcycles may swell and cause the pump impeller to seize.

Remedy

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump with an updated fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began on December 15, 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JL1 NSS300 (Forza) and JL2 Grom (Grom125).

[E. Foster Salsbury]

Is it fixed yet?

[MBMyer]

Well, it IS fixed, but I don’t think that what the shop thinks it was is what it was. The relevant fuses were all good. My guess it that hurricane water got into something that just needed to dry out. The shop says that they just cleaned the engine cutoff switch and that fixed the problem. But go out to your scooter, flip the cutoff switch, turn the key, and listen for the fuel pump. Then try to fire it up. If the cutoff switch is open, it’s a different set of symptoms that don’t quite match what I had.

And the fuel pump recall was done before I took delivery.

Anyway, today I put the lap blanket and handlebar muffs back on for the cool season. And I keep riding the poor, tired beast.

Michael

[E. Foster Salsbury]

I agree, it's working but THEY didn't fix it. The bike should NOT crank with the kill switch in the "not run" position. Yours was cranking and not starting and they fixed it by cleaning the kill switch? Don't make sense.
With the key in the "on" position flipping the kill swithch to "run" two things happen on my bike. The check engine light comes on and goes out at the same time as the fuel pump comes on and stops.