SV won't start

Cliche topic? Not yet!

I recently bought a K6 SV650S, 115k miles. It's in good nick but I haven't been able to start it since I got it. I've changed the spark plugs, battery is good and keeps churning but it just doesn't fire-up. Only things I'm aware that are left to do to it service-wise are oil and filter changes, and possible a valve clearance check. I get a very faint smell of petrol (I THINK, but I have a poor sense of smell) after about 10 seconds of trying (If this actually means anything other than gas from the exhaust).

Any ideas? I've done a short search on the forum already for answers, but if I missed a helpful thread, please link-me-up!
I am very amateur so please speak simply. I don't care for your help if you're going to be a patronising, there are plenty enough helpful, kind people on here for me to cope without you.

Merci in advance brethren!

It's not the classic kill switch in the kill position is it?

This probably won't be the answer but I once spent the whole day hunting down a problem that didn't exist when I couldn't start my SV. The problem was the clutch lever/cable on my K9, which was too loose. So my little bit of advice is work through the most simple, obvious solutions first before doing anything else.

Good luck! (p.s. You'll have some more "proper" suggestions in no time).

Someone just suggested to me that it may be engine flooding? If so, how to I assess this and how do I rid of it?

Originally Posted by Runako

This probably won't be the answer but I once spent the whole day hunting down a problem that didn't exist when I couldn't start my SV. The problem was the clutch lever/cable on my K9, which was too loose. So my little bit of advice is work through the most simple, obvious solutions first before doing anything else.

Good luck! (p.s. You'll have some more "proper" suggestions in no time).

Last time I rode it, clutch was fine. Could it have deranged alone whilst sat, turned off?

No, its unlikely. I had adjusted my levers a few days before and not done it properly. There are posts on the forum about flooding the engine & other related posts such as this thread. Hope it helps.

[Sid Squid]

You need to be methodical when finding a fault like this, the engine needs three things to make it run:

1) Mechanical integrity, that is; the various parts of engine move relative to each other as they should and fit together well enough, as you say the engine turns over well we can at first consider that that part is OK.
2) Fuel supplied to the cylinder in something like the right amount, you say that you can smell some fuel, so for the moment we'll also consider that to be working.
Which leads us to:
3) A spark, at something like the right point in the cycle to set fire to the fuel mixture.

As you mention no pops or farts or any other combustion like onomatopoeia, which, even if it occurs at the wrong time, will cause some sort of bang noise, however poor, that's where you should start.

You've taken the old pugs out so clean one and pull an HT lead off whichever plug you find the most convenient, connect your plug to that and touch the body of the plug against a clean metal parts of the engine and hold it there with a pair of insulated pliers, (if you're not certain of the quality of contact wrap a length of wire around the body of the plug, and put the other end under a convenient bolt head somewhere on the engine so it's well connected), whatever you do don't hold it in your hand - that can hurt.
Turn the engine over with the starter, is there a nice fat blue spark, is there any spark at all?

I think we should be told.

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

You need to be methodical when finding a fault like this, the engine needs three things to make it run:

1) Mechanical integrity, that is; the various parts of engine move relative to each other as they should and fit together well enough, as you say the engine turns over well we can at first consider that that part is OK.
2) Fuel supplied to the cylinder in something like the right amount, you say that you can smell some fuel, so for the moment we'll also consider that to be working.
Which leads us to:
3) A spark, at something like the right point in the cycle to set fire to the fuel mixture.

As you mention no pops or farts or any other combustion like onomatopoeia, which, even if it occurs at the wrong time, will cause some sort of bang noise, however poor, that's where you should start.

You've taken the old pugs out so clean one and pull an HT lead off whichever plug you find the most convenient, connect your plug to that and touch the body of the plug against a clean metal parts of the engine and hold it there with a pair of insulated pliers, (if you're not certain of the quality of contact wrap a length of wire around the body of the plug, and put the other end under a convenient bolt head somewhere on the engine so it's well connected), whatever you do don't hold it in your hand - that can hurt.
Turn the engine over with the starter, is there a nice fat blue spark, is there any spark at all?

I think we should be told.

Sid- are you a mechanics robot sent from the future to help n00bs of the past from dire issues, under a guise of a compassionate human? Like Terminator but with more intelligent things to say?

I actually just read about that spark-checking trick elsewhere. I will do that now and report back alpha leader. Red-1 over and out.

Blue sparks ahoy on the rear plug. Some visible faintly-petrol-smelling fumes came out of the cylinder spark plug hole with each turn (I don't know if that's normal).