washed my bike, now it wont start

So I took my GRiSO to the wash today. I use the pressure washer thing, but I'm careful not to aim it at the engine and all. Done this lots of times over the ownership of many bikes. Long story short once I'm done I go to start the engine and it just cranks. Crank crank crank. Nothing. So I hit the button again - cranks , tries to idle, tach bounces kind of between 1,000 RPM and 500 RPM and then stalls out after 5 or 10 seconds. Sometimes it'll backfire as it stalls out.


Anyone else done this before? I must've gotten something wet that I shouldn't have, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what.

Try drying the plugs first.
If you have a standard exhaust with a cat don’t let the engine run for long if it is misfiring.

Can do.

Just a note - Moto Guzzi recommend NO pressure spaying at all. Just hose pressure only in a downward direction. It's all in the manual. Try spraying WD40 or similar in suspected areas. Does sound like wet plugs (or at least one) though.

I use a pressure washer on mine, as previously documented. Even when ghezzi claimed some unsupported disaster would occur. A frenzy of spraying produced no aforementioned doom. I even take it to the car wash and get right amongst it. GRiSO has never failed to start, the wheel or swing arm bearings haven't fallen out, and the shock linkages haven't dissolved.

Just sayin'.

The swingarm bearings are the most vulnerable simply because the seals are shit but yours are stuffed fuller then full of super-tacky marine grease so they have a better chance than most!

I too have used pressure washer on mine many times - no issues, but I am careful where I aim.

Yeah, I'm careful where I aim, like I said, done it before, no issue - I guess this time.. there was an issue. I have it at the guzzi place drying out - I'll go see if it'll start tomorrow.

And I went by this morning, yup - it just needed to dry out. Lesson learned... when washing the GRiSO, be very careful about where you aim the thing because holy crap that bike hates getting wet. It's all dried out, running perfect, no more CEL, no more no starts or backfires or anything - back to perfect. Thanks guys!

I pressure wash mine all the time. The only thing I do different, is to cover the speedo with a plastic bag. Otherwise I get humidity behind the screen, and it takes days for it to dry out.

I'm glad you have better luck with it than I did. A clean bike is a happy bike!

PunkScout wrote:

And I went by this morning, yup - it just needed to dry out. Lesson learned... when washing the GRiSO, be very careful about where you aim the thing because holy crap that bike hates getting wet.  It's all dried out, running perfect, no more CEL, no more no starts or backfires or anything - back to perfect.  Thanks guys!

Yep mine is allergic to water too. As a result I've been using Meguiar's Waterless Wash & Wax and couldn't be happier. Smells pretty too.

I rarely bathe.  

My Guzzis, that is.  

A corroded ignition switch on the EV years ago led to a long conversation at the side of the road with an oddly interested cow on the other side of the fence.  That was followed by an expensive tow and more complication$, all almost leading to missing a daughter's wedding.  Bad shix there.

Anyway, I do wash the Stornello after an off-road outing (and, most recently, even the GRiSO after a day of rain on a multi-day trip), but with low-pressure nozzle, and then use a leaf blower (again, on low pressure) to get rid of excess and especially hidden moisture.

Mostly -- tho I hate to admit being like George W.    -- I use "products" instead of water.

Nobleswood is inbound "as we speak," so I better get back to getting the herald trumpeters, etc., in place.  

Bill

They spray wash the insulators of high Voltage switchgear with water - LIVE
I have a theory that says clean water is non conductive, it's dirty water that shorts the engine out.

I use the carwash high pressure hose on all my engines, so far it hasn't caused a failure, not electrical anyway.

Kiwi_Roy wrote:

I have a theory that says clean water is non conductive, it's dirty water that shorts the engine out.

It's not theoretical, it's true. Water is non conductive, it's the impurities in it that conduct. Water spray will not conduct, only big drops or puddles, or a slow moving unbroken stream.

Spraying isn't the problem, it's what's stays behind after...