trouble starting

[Rocky]

 :dash2:Mine is a 1992 that I have had since new.  It only has 70000 kms on it as I had a serious accident in 2003 and that has reduced my mileage until recently.  I was on a 7 day trip recently and the last two mornings the old girl did not want to start.  The first morning I was near a steep hill and was able to start by bumping it with the aid of the hill.  It ran good all day after that. The next morning I had the same problem but no hill.  The weather had been quite cool in northern Montana and I attributed this to part of the problem.  30 minutes with a hair dryer and the bike fired up and ran like a top.  I got home and thought that in a heated garage the old girl would fire right up.  'didn't happen.  Same problem.  I changed plugs and noticed that when trying to start it the plus were dry.  I checked the fuel pump and it seems OK - I assume that not much pressure is required.  When I try to blow through from the pump to the carberatuer there is a lot of restriction and I wonder if that is the problem.  The pump seems to run and then shut down on pressure.  I have done regular maintenance on the bike including adjusting valves but have not done anything to the carbs. I have started it once since I got back and it ran fine.  The start-up seems to be the problem.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks       

[movenon]

Welcome.  Plugs dry.  I would disconnect the output of the fuel pump and check for flow to the carbs.  On your question, the fuel pump will run for 4 or 5 seconds and if there is no start it will shut down.

If no fuel flow then I would pull the petcock and check that the screen filter is clear and replace the fuel filter under the tank.  Technically you can gravity feed fuel to the carbs bypassing the filter and it will get enough fuel to start and run.  I carry a length of fuel line hose with me coiled up under the tail just in case of an on the road pump failer.
George

[Capn Ron]

Hey Rocky!

If your plugs ARE dry...George is on the right track (as always).  Go through some standard tests for fuel flow before and after the pump.

I'm curious as to the symptoms when you've tried to start it...  You say that it wouldn't start, but you were able to roll-start it on a hill and it ran just fine all day.  This would hint at the fuel delivery working okay.  An intermittent starting...cranks but doesn't fire...then on one try (or a push start) it fires up and runs like there's nothing wrong sounds electrical.

Anyway...keep posting up as you can give more details to the symptoms or as you eliminate things.  A lot of the folks on the forum are getting snowed on and love a good puzzle!  

[jscgdunn]

Rocky,
Check the fuel pump but if it ran all day the bowls should be full and it should still start.  It will require the choke to be completely shut to start cold, right past the last click.  If choke functions OK the enrichener circuit may be plugged and carbs will require cleaning.  The enrichener channel starts at the bottom of the float bowls and it may be pigged with varnish from sitting so long.

Are you in Whitecourt Alberta?

Regards,

Jeff

[jscgdunn]

Make that plugged rather than pigged...

[FJscott]

If you were able to bump start it and it ran fine all day then it sounds like a battery issue to me.
when cranking the engine a marginal battery will have enough juice to crank but voltage to the coils drop to where there is no fire.
doing the ignition relay mod helps with this. 

Scott

[Rocky]

Thanks guys,

I'm heading out to work on it again between football games.  The fuel pump seems to be working.  I was wondering that I could not blow through to the carbs but maybe if there is already fuel in the carb you can't.  The dry plugs also had me wondering.  I will feel bad if its just a low battery but I will check this out too. It seemed to be turning over well enough but maybe that's all it is. Actually I live in Rocky Mountain House - I lived in Whitecourt in an earlier incarnation.  I would also like to get some input in to when I should be synching the carbs.  The bike has ran so well that I haven't done that yet.

Thanks again     

[wildfire]

As stated by others first ensure the battery is good. Also as mentioned  before if the bike runs all day by push starting it is unlikely a fuel issue and more likely electrical or even a minor vacuum leak making it harder to start and would be worse in cold conditions. I had this problem on a Goldwing.

I would check the solenoid to ensure it is spinning the starting motor fast enough.  My solenoid would spin the starting motor pefectly some times and quite slowly other times. I replaced it with OEM one and problem solved.

Tom

[Rocky]

I appreciate all your help.  Bragg Creek's suggestion did the trick.  Even though I was pulling the choke out it wasn't pushing the choke lever.  Once I pushed it by hand it started eagerly. I appreciate this site. 

[jscgdunn]

Good to hear Rocky.....Let me know if you get down near Calgary.

regards,

Jeff