SV650 hard starting

[Pittenger5]

So the ex's bike has always been an cold starter, takes a while to warm up and idle well, but typically started up. She let it sit for a while, and now it just is a bitch and a half starting. She paid someone to clean the carbs, and we topped it off with fresh gas (so there was still a little old stuff in there). It was a pain to get started (constantly on the starter, but just never kicking over) but I finally got it going, then I rode it down to her place, about 1/2 hour and it ran MINT.
What should I check to make sure she can get it started easier in the future.

[Chippertheripper]

The battery.
Weak battery=weak spark=no fast turnover=PITA

[Pittenger5]

Batterys fine, itll crank for a LONG time. Still have the issue after sitting of the tender for a long time.

[dontpanic]

Choke-cable adjustment?

[Pittenger5]

Dont think so, cause once it starts it would choke like normal. It literally will just sit on the stater and keep cranking and cranking and just never kicking over. After a while, it will finally kick over and run like you would expect it to, it just never kicks over that first 5 minutes of cranking or so.

[OreoGaborio]

When was the last time the valves were adjusted? That can definitely do it. Think that was the other ginger's issue earlier this year at the track w/ his new-to-him 1st gen SV.

And a carb sync might help, too.

[Pittenger5]

Hmm, I think thats the one thing I havent done. Perhaps I will try that.

[nhbubba]

The other ginger had other problems too. Although I'm sure the valves contributed to it. As I recall, he wound up swapping the wiring harness too.

That was baffling. The valves were so fucked that it was actually blowing fuel back out the carb and soaking his air filter.

I also feel obligated to mention that Mark (TLRMan) called the valve thing after 3 or 4 text messages. Mister wizard!

Edit: Brian's SV also ran like poo once he got it started. It never ran anything like 'mint' during that track day. Not in front of me anyway.

[RandyO]

fresh plugs, clean AF & carb sync, fully charged battery


my experience, even though the SV seemed to run perfect, a tuneup helped with starting

[TheIglu]

Dollah, fly me down and back and I'll do a valve adjustment for you. I even have the shim kit. We can make a weekend of it and get all weird in Austin.

[GingahNinjah]

The hard starting issue that i was having was attributed to an intake valve on the front cyl that wasnt closing all the way and allowing blowby and poor compression. the issue with the wiring harness was causing the bike to run like total shite once it was out and being thrown around tho that was due mostly to a poor job by whomever initially wired the bike from street to track.

[GixerJockey]

the issue with the wiring harness was causing the bike to run like total shite once it was out and being thrown around tho that was due mostly to a poor job by whomever initially wired the bike from street to track.

Oops... partly my fault. I didn't wire it. But I also didn't check it durring the short time it was in my possession. It sat in my garage for a winter and I had every intension of going through the bike and then racing it. Never got that far before I sold it to Kyle.

[GingahNinjah]

no worries got it all straightened out now but it put me thru a weekend of hell in Sept lol

[Falko]

I was having some issues with my Falco. Turned over, but seemed slow. Hard to start, even harder when warm. I changed the starter relay (solenoid) and the bike turned over faster and started easier. I guess when the contacts get worn, there is a lot of resistance and will suck down the voltage on start up causing weak spark.

[CBR929RE]

she's an EX, let her figure it out.

[Pittenger5]

Well, I checked valves, and all 4 exhaust were out of spec, and tight, so I figured that was the major factor. But when I finally got it all pulled apart, and put in the proper shims (according to the service manual), the clearances didnt change at all? Still out of spec and tight. Did I miss a critical step somewhere? Any suggestions why this is happening?

[TheIglu]

What was your clearances, and what was your shims that were in there?

One valve at a time, we'll check your math.

[Pittenger5]

I used the chart from the service manual. Should be correct. But all my numbers are at home.

[stoinkythepig]

If you changed shim size and saw no difference in clearance, it's got to be measurement error, there's no magic to it. Were the cam lobes in the same position for both measurements?

[OreoGaborio]

there's no magic to it.

HE'S NOT A WITCH!!!!

[KB]

I like a loose valve!

KB

[Kurlon]

If the valve was WAY tight, your measurement might have been bubkis. If it's so tight it's hanging open, you can't go by the chart, you have to keep going down in shim size until you actually get the valve to seat and you can measure real clearance.

[stoinkythepig]

If the valve was WAY tight, your measurement might have been bubkis. If it's so tight it's hanging open, you can't go by the chart, you have to keep going down in shim size until you actually get the valve to seat and you can measure real clearance.

When they hang open, you have to use negative feeler gauges. They are hard to see.

[Stromper]

seafoam too late

Introduce her to a horny mechanic

[Pittenger5]

Introduce her to a horny mechanic

Why do you think Im working on her bike?

Ok, so numbers
On 2 of the cylinders I got a clearance of .178mm
On the other two I got .152

Tolerance is 0.20-0.30
Shims in there previously were 1.75
Service manual called to install 1.70