cold starts

[imkindafkedup]

any tricks on cold starts? I tried starting it last night when it was 17 degress out and again this morning when it was 11 degrees out with out any luck. I got it started in this evening when it was 30 degrees, first try. is there like a set temperature i can expect it to start and not start?

[khuygie88]

If your vehicle has a high enough exhaust, wheel the bike near it while your car is running and place the engine block of the bike near the exhaust- acts like a giant hair dryer.

[Kurlon]

What kind of bike are we talking about?

[klp]

If you have a garage or somewhere you can do this relatively safely, I have heard a 100 watt light under the bike will heat up the block enough to help it start.

[e30addict]

Good battery, fresh fuel and engine in tune?

I got a Ninja 250 to light off at 13 degrees. It was always a cold blooded bitch but it still ran first try.

Maybe there's something more going on with yours.

[Danz19899]

could try heating the intake air charge. that's what diesels and old muscle cars use to fire when cold. never tried it tho . . . never started a bike when its that cold lol

[Cerberus]

any tricks on cold starts? I tried starting it last night when it was 17 degress out and again this morning when it was 11 degrees out with out any luck. I got it started in this evening when it was 30 degrees, first try. is there like a set temperature i can expect it to start and not start?

Properly set up, it should start at most any temp, but heavy oil works against any engine starting when cold.. and if the fuel is summer fuel, it is much less volatile.. winter fuel is more volatile to compensate for the cold temperature because volatility is hugely influenced by temperatures.
try cycling the key and engine run switch 2 times before thumbing the start button.. that will give the fuel system a bit more priming and might help it fire when stone cold (assuming we are talking about an FI bike). a slight SLIGHT twist of the throttle while cranking can help too, but can possibly flood the engine.

If your vehicle has a high enough exhaust, wheel the bike near it while your car is running and place the engine block of the bike near the exhaust- acts like a giant hair dryer.

Bad idea. Water Vapor is a normal by product of combustion, and blowing water vapor at a cold metal object causes condensation and corrosion..

[RandyO]

the first order of business it to make sure your bike is in tip top tune,

that means fresh plugs, clean air filter, carbs or throttle bodies in sync, throttle position sensor in adjustment, etc.

my next recomendation is to leave the battery connected to a tender when not riding, that keeps the battery in tip top charge

fwiw, the fuel injection on my V-strom sucks, its primitive, it starts easily when cold, but will not run on its own without throttle, my old little nekid 99SV650, carbed, started pefectly and ran on its own, never had a problem down to -15°F, I did have a problem at -25° though, 10w-40 oil isn't made quite for that extreme, 5w-40 or 0w-40 is prolly more appropriate

[Slyder]

Depends. Carbed or fuel injected?

Carbed, it didn't matter WHAT I did in the off season. That bike was not starting after sitting any length of time (IE, over winter) without the jumper cables. Freshly charged battery didn't matter. I would keep the battery tended over winter and when it came time to fire the bike up, I didn't even bother cranking it. I got the jumper cables, because I knew the slut was gonna flood and eat the battery before it started. Cables on, she'd crank a bit and then fire. Make sure the car/truck is not running if you go this route.

Fuel injected bike...uhm, turn the key pull the clutch and hit the starter. Fires right up. My 01 was and my 07 is EFI. Never a problem. The 94 gixxer 750 I had...cables were the only way after winter.

[imkindafkedup]

2003 Z1000 (fuel injected), less the 3000 miles. I got it started tonight and went out no problem. The temp was 26 degrees. The fuel may be old, i'll fill up next time I take it out and see if it helps for future cold starts. To get it started last night and this morning I had to walk it up a hill and rolled down and that got it going.

[butcher bergs]

My money's on the battery.

It might show 12vdc on a multi-meter but watch what happens when you hit the starter.

[markbvt]

Depends very much on the bike and how it's tuned.

My XR650L (carbed) will fire up in 10 degree weather even when it's been sitting for a month. Just takes full choke and 3-4 seconds of pushing the starter button.

My Wee-Strom (fuel-injected) will stumble, catch, stop, then start on the second press of the starter button in 15-30 degree weather, and will usually start right up in >30 degree weather.

My Triumph Bonneville (carbed) will take many stabs at the starter button, even on full choke at 40 degrees. The first few, it'll just cough a bit. Then it'll catch and run for a second or two, then stall. Eventually it'll keep running. Bonnevilles are notorious for this -- choke jet is too small. I can usually help it along by giving it a tiny amount of throttle as soon as the engine catches; it'll run rough for a moment, then smooth out, and I'll give it a couple of blips of the throttle, blow a bunch of black smoke out of the exhaust, and it'll settle into a normal idle.

You just need to figure out what starting procedure your bike likes at different temperatures.

--mark

[kb1]

I had the same year Z as yours - it would start right up first go never a second thought. Actually, all the bikes I have owned have never had an issue starting. Even when I was selling the race R6 - rolled it out, pulled the choke, hit the button, she's alive!

[drop]

i'd start with the battery, especially since you said bump starting worked. FI engines are more dependent on stable power during cranking than carb systems. the EFI electronics, fuel pump and starter load (and headlight on bikes that don't interrupt power while cranking) combined with the thicker oil & weakened battery due to the colder temps can be enough to interfere with normal starting. this problem is exacerbated by the already limited CCA rating of motorcycle batteries.

if you have a multimeter, check the voltage of the battery and make sure it's no lower than mid 11's before you try starting. another easy test would be to try jumping the bike from a car battery with the car off. if it starts up no problem then replace the battery.

[butcher bergs]

EDIT: I wouldn't involve an automotive battery at all.

[Mike Qube]

I think I might just be lucky, but my Monster 750 (carbed) starts within a couple of tries. I was just away for two weeks and didn't start it for a while and it started right up on Tuesday on the first try. I haven't put it on the tender at all this year.

[khuygie88]

EDIT: I wouldn't involve an automotive battery at all.

[gregp]

I try to start my bikes regularly, throughout the winter months - usually anytime the temps get over 45 or so...just to keep the internals lubed up and fuel flowing through the carbs. I like to warm them up thoroughly, and maybe even ride them around the driveway to work the clutch plates and all of the controls a little bit, then put them away for another couple of weeks.

[RandyO]

I try to start my bikes regularly, throughout the winter months - usually anytime the temps get over 45 or so...just to keep the internals lubed up and fuel flowing through the carbs. I like to warm them up thoroughly, and maybe even ride them around the driveway to work the clutch plates and all of the controls a little bit, then put them away for another couple of weeks.

unless you ride at road speeds for 20 minutes to ½ hour, yer prolly doing more harm than good


takes a while to evaporate all the contaminates out of the oil

[gregp]

Yea, so I have heard, but it seems to work for me. Not everything on the internet is true....

[Kurlon]

Yea, so I have heard, but it seems to work for me. Not everything on the internet is true....

Randy's right on this one. I've seen the insides of engines that sit all winter, or are started periodically by the owner thinking they're helping. You end up loading the oil up with moisture which then starts eating away at any ferrous metal in the engine. Double screw yourself by putting it away with old oil and the acid action will start working on non ferrous metals too.

Unless you're going to really load that bike up enough to get all the oil up above 200 degrees and hold it there for a bit, leave it alone and let it sit all winter. It'll be FAR happier for it.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

I've ridden the bike in question. Last fall. It's cherry, for whatever that's worth. It started in a split second for me on a warm day. Battery? I dunno. It sure as hell isn't old or ill maintained though.

[imkindafkedup]

I've ridden the bike in question. Last fall. It's cherry, for whatever that's worth. It started in a split second for me on a warm day. Battery? I dunno. It sure as hell isn't old or ill maintained though.

could be the battery, it only has like 3000 miles so its probably the original. 8 years will do it.

[toocrazy2yoo]

I got curious when I saw this thread, waded through the snow up to the C-14 shed. Had a Yuasa tender on it and the battery was brand new anyway. Fired right up at the touch of the starter plus two puffs from the exhaust, I figure two complete turns of the engine when it fired and it's been sitting since November's end. Warmed it up, checked the tires (down 4PSI) the rest is ready once I clear out the mothballs and mousetraps.

[butcher bergs]

Definitely battery.

I had the exact issue described with my FZ1. Battery was about 5yrs old at the time.