Bad startup

Cobbster · Post by **Cobbster** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:35 pm

Hi All,
The Bavarian beast had not been started in a week or so, when I came to fire her up to go and get some petrol it would not have it. I had full choke on and had to crank it a few times to get any life out of it, then it would just die out. Finally on the last few dregs of battery life I shut the choke, gave it a bit of throttle and of she went, all be it with a plume of white smoke out the back.
I summise that I flooded it with the choke and the plume was unburnt fuel, this dissapeared very quickly after start up. Has anyone else had this happen???

Cheers, cobbster.

madman · Post by **madman** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:49 pm

Would be difficult to flood it with the choke as the bike has not got a choke! It does have a fast idle lever that opens the throttle a bit without making the mixture any richer.

Boxadog 2000 · Post by **Boxadog 2000** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:51 pm

How long has the fuel been in the tank ?

Modern unleaded can loose it's bang in a very short time.

Cobbster · Post by **Cobbster** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:34 pm

Hi Boxerdog,

Fuel had only been in for about a week. I tried starting it again from cold this evening in my garage and no probs. Sparked into life and ran as sweet as a nut. Probably one of those so called BMW quirkes!!!

Just now the Honda Blackbird's looking good

Cheers, cobbster.

nab 301 · Post by **nab 301** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 8:34 pm

madman wrote:Would be difficult to flood it with the choke as the bike has not got a choke! It does have a fast idle lever that opens the throttle a bit without making the mixture any richer.

Correct , (presumably the motronics richen when cold?) although occasionally my bike if stalled when cold or switched off soon after a cold start can give similar problems on attempted restarts. Come to think of it , it has been behaving itself since I replaced the conventional battery with the much superior gel type..............

Nigel B

davegooch · Post by **davegooch** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:28 pm

Maybe someone can help with my starting problem.
Twice last year my bike (2004 BCR, no mods except cat removed) had what appeared to be a flat battery, when it shouldn't have. The first time was the morning after quite a lot of riding, the second time was a good few months later when it failed to restart after I stalled it (oops). Both times it was just clicking, and both times a jump started fin, with no further issues.
I mention the above just in case it is relevant - it is what has happened since that has left me bemused & confused.
While on the IoM for the TT, it began to get difficult to start, turning over sluggishly before eventually firing. Then the day before coming back it wouldn't start at all - just clicking again, but it did bump start (against all my expectations!)
The next morning it started sluggishly, but after parking in the queue for the ferry home, it wouldn't restart (or jump start) but did bump start down the ramp onto the boat fortunately. Again it was sluggish starting at the fuel stops on the way home, once only just firing up just before the battery was about to die.
Once back home a friend (I'm no mechanic!) checked the charging system, which seemed OK, so I bought & fitted a new Odyssey battery. Had to jump start it, but then it started perfectly the next 6 times. The first time I went to ride it a few days later I again had to jump start it, which I put down to having started it 6 times without riding it to recharge it properly!! I rode about 7 miles to meet the rest of the club - again it wouldn't restart and had to be bump started. After a 50 mile ride we stopped for coffee, and it again nearly didn't start - turned over a little sluggishly, before eventually firing on the third or fourth go on the starter button. Later on that day it started first time, twice, then had problems starting when I got home after a further 35 mile ride.
This morning it started first time, and the same again this afternoon.

Any ideas at all what might be causing this? I can obviously hope that the problem has now resolved itself, but that may be a little rash.
The bike has done about 15500 miles, regularly serviced, had a coil replaced about 5 months ago, other than that no other mechanical or electrical problems at all (not counting the gearbox which is a whole other matter

!!)
Sorry if this is a bit long-winded, but I suspect the whole story may be necessary!
Thanks in advance for any useful suggestions at all.

gus · Post by **gus** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:58 pm

Have you got a alarm fitted?
You hav,nt been turning the ignition all the way on to parking lights when left?
gus

davegooch · Post by **davegooch** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:43 pm

No, there's no alarm fitted. I haven't left the parking lights on.
There is nothing fitted to the bike that didn't come as standard (apart from a hugger), so no heated grips etc. Unless there's a bad connection or short somewhere the only possible drain is the clock!! Like I said it now has a brand new battery, and the problems often occur after I have been using it, not when it has been standing for a period of days or weeks. The bike started fine this morning & this afternoon - whether it will be alright tomorrow who can tell??

r550s · Post by **r550s** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:31 pm

maybe check the connections onto the starter motor? Also, the starter motor can get stiff to turn and responds to a strip and lube.

winger · Post by **winger** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:00 pm

If you've put a new battery(which model was it) then there's a bad connection somewhere,as 550 said certainley look at the starter motor connections and off battery and trace them through.

Cobbster · Post by **Cobbster** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:03 pm

Hi all,
After having a think about what I did leading upto the bad startup, I realised that I had disconnected the battery to do a job the previous day. Iv'e reset the motronics using the 'switch on throttle open and shut' a couple of times and its been fine. According to the hand book if you disconnect the battery its memory forgets the throttle positions so you have to do the reset.

All seems to be fine so far.

Cheers cobbster.

davegooch · Post by **davegooch** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:32 am

The replacement battery is one of those nice expensive Odyssey PC680 jobbies.
Although I have ridden the bike about 100 miles since I fitted the battery I hadn't specifically opened the throttle twice prior to starting it. I did that this morning (well yesterday now) and then tried to start it, and it fired up first time, twice. The thing is it's done that before, so I'm still not convinced it's sorted, but as I didn't have time to ride it then I'll give it another go tomorrow and give it a proper (short) blast - I need to get some go-juice anyway so that'll be an excuse to try it out again. If it's still playing up then I guess the starter motor's coming apart, unless anyone has any other ideas!!
Thanks for all the help so far... I appreciate it.

winger · Post by **winger** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:24 am

If you've fitted a 680,then it sure as hell ain't short of power,how much did you pay for it?.

davegooch · Post by **davegooch** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:56 am

I got it from Motorworks, so just under £90 inc postage. I realise I could probably have got it cheaper elsewhere but please don't tell me how much cheaper - I don't want to know!!

winger · Post by **winger** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:11 pm

You really should check some of the old threads!!!! 90 quid ouch!!