So, we got this atv off marketplace. It's a 1986 suzuki 160. Not sure what the make is, so wondering if the vin would give a clue and if so, what would I have to check?
2nd of all, when we got it there wasn't any real obvious issues. It ran fine. Started it several times the first day and ran around our land with it. Day 2 it wouldn't start with the key. Even the light wouldn't light up like the day prior. But we hooked up to another machine and pulled it, popped the clutch and it fired up. So that's how we've been running it. We'd really like to be able to just use the key, or something where we don't need two people to do it (no hill steep enough to use either). There is another ignition under the current one.
so, any ideas what I need to start looking at? This will be a learning experience for me as I havent worked on anything like this before.
Thanks in advance
E

 

Put the vin number into an on-line vin decoder, cyclepedia's is quite a good one. This should give you the model. Remove the battery and charge it up. Leave off the bike for a few days and see if it stays charged. If it doesn't, buy a new battery. If it does, put it back on and see if it stays charged on the bike, if it doesn't, check for a "drain" by removing one battery lead and connecting an ammeter between battery terminal and lead. Any reading over 0.01 amp, with everything switched off, indicates a drain, usually a faulty voltage regulator is the cause, disconnect the regulator and see if the drain has gone. Don't tow start bikes if you can avoid it, as it puts a big strain on the transmission.

 

What is the site to do the search? Each one I find either doesn't find it or is really vague. If there is a better site for Vin look ups would be great!
If it turns out to be an ignition issue, can I bypass the igniting and put it like a toggle switch? We use it on private property so a key isnt really a rhing.

 

It is not often the switch that is the problem with battery "drains" it is usually the voltage regulator. This is "live" all the time, so you could disconnect the ignition switch altogether and it would still drain through the regulator if it is this at fault. Ignition switches on quads are usually at least 4 wires, get them wrong and you will blow the CDI, so don't start fitting non standard switches unless you know exactly what each wire does. Do the tests, and find out what the problem is.

VIN decoders should give you make and year of manufacture, they can be vague about capacity and model, but if it is a 1986, Suzuki didn't make many models then, so identification should be fairly easy.

 

So a friend looked at this machine and took a screwdriver in the ignition selinoid and it fired up. So hopefully all we need to do is replace that.
but the headlight diets work now either, kinda hking it fixes both issues. But at lest we will have it running. Thx for the input and suggestions!

 

"Even the light wouldn't light up like the day prior."

This has nothing to do with the starting part of the solenoid. It means power isn't getting from battery to electrics on the bike. It may well be the ignition switch in this case. From your first post, I assumed battery had gone flat, obviously if it had enough power to run the starter, the fault must be elsewhere. You need to start at one end and check each stage of the wiring, i.e. check if power is getting past the main fuse, if it is, check the same main pos wire at the ignition swich, then, with switch on, is power getting to the other side of the switch? Note if it is four wire, one wire in is pos all the time, one wire out is pos when switched on, other two wires will not be pos. Bad earths can also give trouble, so check them too.

 

Ok, good to know this. We will have to check everything. Thank you for thr details on this. I very much appreciate it!