Let me pick out the items that could be considered based on the current condition.
Basically, the process of elimination is the most reliable approach.
That’s because the cause is likely not just one thing.
Sometimes I pinpoint the cause right in front of the customer and it seems almost divine.
But statistically speaking, it’s just luck.
Symptoms of poor running caused by electrical, carburettor, or fuel issues are subtly similar.
Since each motorcycle has its own characteristics, it’s hard to say “It’s definitely this!”
If it’s a breakdown out on the road, quick diagnosis is necessary, but here in the shop, working through the possible causes with elimination is the most reliable way.
What matters is eliminating blind spots.
Like Namihei’s glasses situation…
The cause might actually be right in front of your eyes.
And that spot gets eliminated because we judge it absolutely couldn’t be the problem.
Ground connection was the issue
Fuel wasn’t flowing
Battery was weak
Spark plug cap was loose
Vacuum hose was disconnected
Fuse was blown
“Oh, it was just that…”
sounds easy when you hear it, but haven’t you taken a long detour to get there?
Such bizarre causes basically never occur to you.
Usually it’s a blind spot right in front of you or overlapping problems.
Often it’s the result of poor DIY work that actually broke something.
Machines don’t have any mystique,
but strangely, when you work on them with care and feeling, they seem not to break.
