Triumphrat

jonkull

Does anyone know if cold weather will affect the kickstarter on a bike?

My Tiger has almost always started up real easy in one kick but since the cold weather has come I find myself kicking like a fiend...over and over and over and over... It's not so much as the engine not wanting to turn over as much as the lever being so stiff I can barely move it. I have to basically jump on it with the entire weight of my body to get it to move the first couple times. Once I get it started and it runs for a few minutes if I kill the engine it will start again in one real easy kick. Could this be the cold or should I look at other things? The last 'repair' I did was replacing the clutch cable if that means anything.

Thanks!

GrandPaulZ

I didn't think cold weather could affect a kickstarter that much, but maybe it's a combination of close tolerances in your kickstart mechanicals combined with too heavy oil in the primary?

Wierd...

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jonkull

As far as the oil I'm using whatever was recommended in the Owners Manual...can't remember the weight off the top of my head. Could the clutch be an issue? The cold weather and my cable replacement started around the same time. Or does the clutch not factor into it?

mike07

Yes, cold weather will make it harder to kick over. Either Primary oil or engine oil of too heavy a grade will affect starting. Once heated up a bit it will be normal. I've had to use hot air gun on my ATV with 20w50 oil to warm things up first . You could try this on your primary first to see if it helps. Mike

GrandPaulZ

As there is a fairly direct path for the force applied to the kickstarter to pass through the mainshaft, through the clutch, along the primary chain to the crankshaft, I can't really see how or where oil viscosity would have a measureable effect of increased pressure required to get the crank rotating.

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OzBloke

Jonkull,

IMHO, this could be caused by too much tension on the primary drive chain. Colder weather will "shrink" it even further, causing it to bind against the tensioner and "distort" the clutch basket. When you get it going, it heats up, expands, and the issue goes away. Check the tension and if too tight, back it off 1 revolution of the adjusting bolt/screw.

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KADUTZ

[ This message was edited by: KADUTZ on 2007-01-28 00:08 ]

CommandoRdster

Pull in the clutch, and cycle the kickstarter through a few times, to free up the clutch plates. See if that helps a bit. I can't imagine it being cold enough in Burbank to cause a problem.

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jonkull

This bike has been a real big PITA since I got it. Anyway...

Well I haven't actually checked a thermometer but it's been in the lower 30s overnight and probably in the 40s when I leave for work. Mid day maybe in the mid-upper 50s. This issue almost always occurs in the early morning. If I leave work at lunch time it will start OK and at the end of the day (after 6pm) it will take 2-3 kicks but early in the morning it's another story. Today I counted 16 kicks before I could get the engine going. The first 10 or so the lever barely moved. A couple more kicks got it half way down then after a couple more kicks it went all the way down. Once the lever makes it through a full motion it will start in a kick or two. It's just getting it to make that first revolution that's a real chore. I've had This bike since May and it's just started doing this in the last 2-3 weeks...up until then it was pretty quick and easy to start. The only 2 things that have changed within that time frame are the weather and the clutch cable.

KADUTZ

[ This message was edited by: KADUTZ on 2007-01-28 00:09 ]