The off-pavement performance and the affordable price make the Suzuki Vinson 500 a popular choice among the off-riding community. The ATV has a powerful four-stroke Keihin engine, quadratic transmissions, different drive modes, and a super strong chassis.
Despite its extraordinary capabilities, it has some issues reported by the owners.
Some of the most prevalent Suzuki Vinson 500 Problems are:
- ATV won’t start
- Shifting problems
- Carburetor issues
- Weak brake problems
- Stalls when given gas
This article will discuss each of the problems and their potential solutions to help you gain some insights.
Suzuki Vinson 500 Problems
The following is an explanation of the five problems that are most frequent with a Suzuki Vinson 500 and the possible solutions to those problems:
1. ATV Won’t Start
Three of the significant areas that would cause your ATV not to start are:
- the starter motor,
- ignition system, and
- circuitry
Mostly, after a long period of no use, your Vinson 500 may be locked up for gas leaking through the petcock diaphragm. The gas gets sucked into the carburetor through the vacuum hose. It migrates from the carburetor into the cylinder and then to the crankcase.
Therefore, you will find gasoline-diluted oil when you pull the side cover off the left side.
Some users also reported that the solenoid clicked under the seat, the starter motor would spin, and the engine would crank over, but there was no start.
The Fix:
To fix the starting problems, you could do the followings:
- At first, check the ignition system for spark and ensure the correct heat range of the plugin used.
- If the carburetor is gummed up, soak it in the carb cleaner for more than 24 hours or send it to someone with an ultrasonic cleaner.
- If there is fuel inside the vacuum line to the petcock or fuel gummed up in the filter of the petcock, replace the petcock. Also, change the oil to get the gasoline out of the oil.
- Use a 12 V test lamp between Earth and the positive post on the starter. After you start your ATV, if the solenoid clicks but the lamp does not light, either a faulty solenoid or a bad electrical connection if you have earthed your lamp to the engine. To determine which is problematic, earth the lamp to the battery’s negative post. If the lamp lights when earthed to the engine, a faulty starter needs to be replaced.
- Finally, inspect connections and make sure that nothing is corroded or worn out.
2. Shifting Problems
The most common transmission issue reported by the Vinson 500 owners is going on neutral or into gear from a parked position. It is difficult to shift into gears, especially when the idle speed is high.
A broken linkage cable and worn or shift fork could cause the issue. Some indications of the problem include the followings:
- Grinding noises
- Failure to get in gear
- Jerky acceleration due to chain skipping the teeth.
A user of ATV Connection also noticed a clicking sound when he left the choke on and tried to shift gears.
The Fix:
To fix the shifting problems, you have to do the followings:
- Change the transmission fluid.
- Inspect the gearbox for internal damage. If needed, replace your gearbox or take it to a local welder.
- Make sure the oil level is correct, and the oil is free of contamination. Old or contaminated oil needs to be replaced.
- Remove the shifter box and lubricate all the friction points.
- Tighten the adjuster near the lever.
- Properly clean and service the Clutches.
- Adjust the shifter linkage.
- Adjust the screw to set the idle according to the owner’s manual.
3. Carburetor Issues
Some of the signs of carburetor issues are the followings:
- It won’t start due to dirt in the carburetor
- It runs lean due to carbs not getting enough fuel
- Smoke coming from the exhaust
- A flooded carburetor
An owner of the Vinson 500 also reported on the Suzuki ATV Forums about poor idling upon start, and the exhaust pipe began to glow red hot.
The Fix:
Do the following to fix the carb issues:
- Clean the carburetor by soaking it in the carb cleaner or use an ultrasonic cleaner if possible.
- Take off the pilot screw and clean the circuit by blowing compressed air through all of the passages.
- Set your start idle air screw.
- Set the pilot screw at about 1½ to 2 turns out, and the idle problem will be solved.
4. Weak Brake Problem
A problem with Vinson 500 is that the foot breaks down when the left-hand brake is applied. The foot brake stays in the down position even when you release the left-hand brake.
A user on ATV Connection reported the front brakes being completely mush and downright terrible.
The Fix:
Check if you can pull up on the foot lever. If it moves up, disconnect the rear brake lever cable and see if the foot lever returns freely.
Also, check if the lever on the back drum returns to its home position.
Install the return spring properly if the foot paddle does not reach the top.
5. Stalls When Given Gas
A user reported that his Vinson 500 started to run terribly as soon as he gave it gas.
Another user on ATV Connection also had the same issue of bogging down when on the gas.
The Fix:
To fix the stalling problem, follow the points below:
- Pull out the plug and check out the fuel color. It is golden brown if burning, black if running too rich and white if running too lean.
- Drain out the old fuel and start with the fresh new oil.
- Ensure that the air box is clean enough.
- Ensure that the spring retainer and needle are in position.
How Good is Suzuki Vinson 500?
The Suzuki Vinson 500 is a mid-sized all-purpose quad with hybrid functionality. It delivers high performance in both the work and recreation segments.
The 500cc engine is ultra-smooth and refined, with a handlebar-mounted choke for fast starting.
After a long term of use, an owner on the Off-Road.com forum had a lot of positive words about the Vinson 500.
It offers manual transmission and versatility, which makes it a well-built and reliable machine that can do challenging assignments handed over to them.
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