'86 VF700C will not crank

[m***@gmail.com]

My '86 VF700C had a fuel pump failure almost 8 months ago. I tried some modding of a few other Honda pumps of the same era, but the pump on this thing is just too special and I couldn't get it right. It's been 5 months since I had it running at all, and that was only for a few minutes in the garage and I
finally found the right pump (the 4 wire type) and got everything back together.
Now it cranked a bit at first, 10 seconds at a time, fuel flowed to the carb. On the 4th attempt to crank in about a 3 minute time frame it stopped cranking.
It wasn't a sudden stop, but a rapid slow down to a halt.
Now when I try to start it, all I get is a click from the starter switch.
I tried push starting (unlikely to work, I know) and the tire and just dragged. I pulled the spark plugs in the hopes that it was just compression keeping the wheel from turning manually. Still drags the tire when I push it.
I'm at the end of my experience at this point, anyone have any suggestions for what to check next and how?

[Mark Olson]

Post by m***@gmail.com
My '86 VF700C had a fuel pump failure almost 8 months ago. I tried some modding of a few other Honda pumps of the same era, but the pump on this thing is just too special and I couldn't get it right. It's been 5 months since I had it running at all, and that was only for a few minutes in the garage and I
finally found the right pump (the 4 wire type) and got everything back together.
Now it cranked a bit at first, 10 seconds at a time, fuel flowed to the carb. On the 4th attempt to crank in about a 3 minute time frame it stopped cranking.
It wasn't a sudden stop, but a rapid slow down to a halt.
Now when I try to start it, all I get is a click from the starter switch.
I tried push starting (unlikely to work, I know) and the tire and just dragged. I pulled the spark plugs in the hopes that it was just compression keeping the wheel from turning manually. Still drags the tire when I push it.
I'm at the end of my experience at this point, anyone have any suggestions for what to check next and how?

"Now when I try to start it, all I get is a click from the starter switch."

That's pretty much what you can expect when the battery goes
dead from cranking the bike over for a while.

You haven't mentioned charging the battery. And if it's
been sitting for 8 months without a battery tender on it,
it's very likely the battery is no good.

Bump starting is not going to happen in 1st gear, as you've
found. Try pushing it in neutral then pull in the clutch,
nudge it into 2nd and drop the clutch as you hop on.