Triumphrat

kdrake

Well, today I tried after -13F. No start, tries to pop once in a while, now the battery if flat. Currently have the old light bulb on the carbs, and a trickle charger on it. Is this because of the outrageous leanness of the carbs? BTW really appreciate the battery access under the seat right now.

RedBird

"Well, today I tried after -13F...."

If this is referring to temperature, my question would be Why? Why are you trying to start the bike? At those temps the bike should be winterized, IMHO. I NEVER start my bike unless I am going to ride it for 50 miles, and in cooler Wx (50 degree cool), I try to never stop before I have ridden for 50 miles.

If I have misunderstood what you said, disregard my above tirade. :-D I do know it is cool--no COLD in the middle part of the states now. It got down to 10 degrees F last night at my house and they are predicting 8 degrees tonight. If it is not warm enough for me to ride in another week, I will drain the carbs, add stabil to the tank, fill the carbs, drain the carbs, repeat, and call it good for a few weeks till the 60's return. :-D IMHO, the worst thing you can do to your engine in cold Wx is start it and let it idle.

Larry

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Larry
2003 T-100 (790cc), NARK, NH Togas, 8100 rpm rev limiter, 158 main jets, 42 pilot jets (less than 1 turn out on pilot screws), stock needles--no shims. 13 A/F ratio from 1100 rpm to 4000 rpm; 12 A/F ratio from 4000 rpm to 6000 rpm; 13 A/F from 6000 rpm to 8100 rpm.:D
2007 Tiger 1050--White:D--SW-Motech crashbars, Skidmarx rear hugger/chain guard, Calsci +7 windscreen.

dazco

let me get this straight....it's minus 13 which is 45 degrees below freezing, and you're trying to start the bike. And i have to assume you were going to ride it..........in -13 degree weather. I'm stunned. i mean i'm really stunned. thats 65 degrees colder than it would take to kill me. :wow: :wow: :wow:

No wonder it wouldn't start...the poor thing was scared $hitless ! you got cauhunas my friend !

seriously......mine has a hard time at about 50, so at 63 degrees colder (gulp!) i can easily see how it might be impossible to start it.

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2005 Speedmaster, Neon Blue, Thunderbike pipes, snorkel removed, UNI filter, drilled airbox, 130 mains, TBS needles.(2 shims) And speaking of Speedmasters, HERE'S MINE

Sheepdog

With my old Norton, the starting sequence went like this: Turn on fuel, tickle the carbs, depress the kickstarter a few times with the clutch in to break the friction plates free, bring the pistons to TDC, romp down on the kickstarter like there is no tomorrow to charge the cylinders with mixture, turn on the ignition, find TDC once again, repeat the no-tomorrow romp without touching the throttle, and send up a little prayer that the motor would catch and hold an idle. Because if it didn't you might as well go inside and start a pot of coffee (though it worked almost all the time). Nobody taught me how to do this...I just figured it out with a combination of deduction and trial and error. The new Bonnies are no different in that they have their own peculiarities. Get inside the heart and mind of your bike and you'll figure out what it needs (after shimming each carb's needle with two washers, when cold, mine needs full choke and cranking with half throttle. After a couple of cranks I release the throttle and upon closing it usually starts and holds idle).

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2003 Bonneville T100 and 2007 Moto Guzzi California Vintage

Thunder_Forever

You guys have to understand that here in Colorado, the temperature shift so rapidly the one week you can ride, the next you can't. He's right....it is that cold here but the temp will be in the upper 40's by the weekend. In CO, that's riding weather.
kdrake,
My suggestion (this is what I do) is to buy a battery tender and keep it plugged in during the winter months when not in use. Plus, the Bettery Tender Jr. is only 30 bucks. I started mine last night and let it warm up out front to keep the fluids from getting stagnant.
We should be able to ride by Saturday!!!

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kdrake

It wasn't 13 below when I tried to start it. That was how cold it had been in the night, it was however around zero. My old Honda would start, as would my brother's Greeves in that kind of weather. Both had kick starters. As for riding, I only wanted to see how the thing handled on ice when I wasn't in a position to HAVE to. My younger brother has studded tires and a side car on a Honda, he also ice races. The Bonny is too high geared, and the tires are too smooth to be comfortable on ice. When the tires wear, they will be replaced with something more agressive suitable for riding some dirt Eventually I will get surprised at work and have to leave it there the way the weather is around here. The charging and light bulb did the trick. I have already gone to 10-40 oil. Maybe we do need ticklers on our carbs. Enough rambling, I feel for you who have long winters.

joe82325

fuel temperature effects everything ....its not just how cold IT is outside but how cold the fuel is .........chemistry 101 baby....where somthing is and when it does it ....cause and effect is everything

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joe82325

the fuel was still somewhere below freezing is all im trying to say try and start a camp fire with an ice cube

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MES

Use ether .
Can get it any auto parts store. Just spray it directly into the carbs.
With a good battery and full choke try to crank it over, at the same time give each carb a quick shot of the ether. It will fire up and run for a short time. Repeat and give a couple more shots before it dies out.
Here is the thing though.
suppose you do get it started(you will cause ether works), your oil is so cold it will not circulate. It is just too thick. Put a space heater under your bike (turn it on LOW) and wait until the case is warm.
You will jack your motor up if you don't pre-heat at thos temps.
Also, don't forget to put a piece of cardboard over your radiator.
I saw it somewhere(forgot where) an oil temp gauge that fits in the filler plug? Use that to help you figure out how much of the radiator you need to cover to get the temp right.

M ES

kdrake

The weather has gotten warmer. It has been official 20's in the early a.m., around 60 to 70 by p.m. At my house, since I don't live at the airport, it is in the teens. Still starting hard, turn the idle knob higher, tried to let the carb heaters stay on for a few minutes (it goes against my grain to turn on the key and let the light burn). Have the 10-40 oil, pice of cardboard over the radiator. Probably need to get retuned a little richer, the time for the balancing etc. is coming up. These things seem to still be breaking in at 5000 miles. However, I am the only bike on the road lots of days.