09 RSTD project bike engine trouble.

Ive bought an 09 RSTD sight unseen 200 miles away and will pick it up in a couple days.

The story goes.....

The fellow that owned it was on a long trip. When they got up in the morning to continue, they tried to start the bike (which had been performing flawlessly the day before).

There was a loud pop like a backfire and that was it, (they also tried to push start it down a hill).

They took the bike to the dealer for inspection and he seems to think the connecting rods are bent!!!

Dealer speculation is that perhaps the bike was hydrolocked from a carb fuel leak or maybe the timing chain skipped.

Anyway..... The bike was being sold as needing a new motor or a rebuild and I bought it pretty cheap.

My questions are,

What year engine can I replace it with?

Can I use any year crankshaft? con rods? Pistons? Block? if I choose to fix it.

Anybody else have any thought on what could have caused this?

You can use any engine or parts from a 1999 - 2005 Royal Star Venture or Royal Star Tour Deluxe. They were all the same. You might try Pinwall Cycle Salvage for a good used engine. They usually have a couple.

As for what caused it, if the rods are indeed bent, then hyrdrolocking is the most probably cause.

What Freebird said.

1999 to 2013 Venture motor or 2005 to 2010 Tour Deluxe will bolt right in.

If you use your carb rack on the new motor make sure you find the problem that caused the hydrolock. Hate to see a new engine fall victim to the same problem.

You can use any engine or parts from a 1999 - 2005 Royal Star Venture or Royal Star Tour Deluxe. They were all the same. You might try Pinwall Cycle Salvage for a good used engine. They usually have a couple.

 

As for what caused it, if the rods are indeed bent, then hyrdrolocking is the most probably cause.

Good information, Thank you!

Didn't the bikes gets a power increase in 2007? Was that just airbox and carbs?

I’ve heard guys here talk about hydrolock a few times. I’ve rebuilt literally 1000’s of motorcycle engines over the years.

Not counting cars, lawnmowers, diesel trucks, etc. I’ve seen bent rods for whatever reason due to failure while running, but I’ve never saw a starter with enough power bend a rod. I’ve seen jet skis get water in the engine and hydrolock them. But never bent a rod. I’ve seen engines lock up from stuck float or carb flooding, but never a bent rod. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but with the frequency talked about here, just a little hard to swallow.

You can get the bike, do a compression test on it. If it has a bent rod or broken timing chain, that will tell you. Check the crankcase for gas in the oil, overfull. I’m not trying to start a fight or argument, I just don’t see it.

I don't think the starter is doing it so much as one cylinder firing and driving the next piston up in a wet cylinder.

I don't think the starter is doing it so much as one cylinder firing and driving the next piston up in a wet cylinder.

My thoughts exactly.

I’ve heard guys here talk about hydrolock a few times. I’ve rebuilt literally 1000’s of motorcycle engines over the years.

Not counting cars, lawnmowers, diesel trucks, etc. I’ve seen bent rods for whatever reason due to failure while running, but I’ve never saw a starter with enough power bend a rod. I’ve seen jet skis get water in the engine and hydrolock them. But never bent a rod. I’ve seen engines lock up from stuck float or carb flooding, but never a bent rod. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but with the frequency talked about here, just a little hard to swallow.

You can get the bike, do a compression test on it. If it has a bent rod or broken timing chain, that will tell you. Check the crankcase for gas in the oil, overfull. I’m not trying to start a fight or argument, I just don’t see it.

I totally agree with what your'e saying.

I find it a little hard to swallow that connecting rods can be bent that way.

The guy seems completely upfront and honest, he's not trying to hide anything.

I know he took it to the dealer for evaluation, I'm not sure how they could have concluded the rods were bent.

As far as I know the engine doesn't turn over at all.

It's all speculation until I can put the wrenches to it!!

Good information, Thank you!

Didn't the bikes gets a power increase in 2007? Was that just airbox and carbs?

No, it did not. The 1999 - 2013 and the 2005 and later RSTD had the exact same engine. Only difference was they went to black fins on the later ones. The early Royal Stars had less power but they stopped making them in 2001 I think. There was no change at all with the RSV between 1999 and 2013 and they were the same as the 2005 -2009 RSTD.

NOTE: The early Royal Stars DID have less power.

You might check with Mike Eykamp (Diamond Cut Guy) he has had experience in rebuilding them and may have an engine. He keeps carb sets rebuilt for sale and can tell you about the hydro lock.

I would do a compression test on the existing engine before I threw it away. That's assuming it will turn over. A compression test will tell you if the rods are bent and the pistons are not coming to the top.