Seeking wisdom: hard start developed

[Mendizale]

Hello again,

So, I've just finished the first half of a 1000+ mile round trip, and after the first couple hundred, the starting has become quite difficult. Even with a warm engine, I sometimes have to press the starter for 4-5 seconds on full choke before it will catch. Any thoughts? Here is some background...

• I ran a can of seafoam through it early on. Is it possible that the high speeds and cleaner have cleared things out, such that I need to adjust the mixture somehow?
• Ignition wires are fine.
• Never had starting issue before.
• Idle speed is hovering at just below 1000--down from just above 1100.
• All oils changed before trip.
• Cam, chokes, breaks adjusted before trip.

[petejw]

float levels and mixture screw settings play
a big role in starting a warm engine, if ur needing to use
the enricher on a warm engine then u could be running lean
if ur floats are set to stock try adjusting ur mixture screws.

[motoman]

Betting the cam-chain adjuster has slipped back causing a bit loose chain throwing cams a bit outa time making it hard to start, specially when hot. 30yrs. ago, I always knew when it was time to do the cam-chain adjustment as it would be a bit hard starting when hot and idle would drop down a bit........JAT, if you havn't changed it out for the auto cam adjuster.

[Shacknasty]

Do you normally need to use the choke when warm or did this start on yer trip? The need to use the choke would mean to me that yer idle jets are clogged and in need of a cleaning.

I'll be watching to see what happens.

[BA80]

Mendizale, These old carbureted bikes can be hard starting even if you normally don't have a problem in the heat.

Heat and humidity can have a lot of affect on that when your are tuned for another area especially. Last year at Banned Camp everyone had that same problem.

In the heat, when you shut your bike down and let it sit for say.....20 - 30 minutes the gas will start to evaporate from the bowls when the engine is hot and create a flooding type of situation as things cool down and the fuel re condenses on EVERYTHING.

As long as it's running good and there isn't any significant change in fuel mileage your probably OK.

I bet it starts good after it's sat for an hour or 2 huh?

[Mendizale]

Hello all,

Thanks for the thoughts and diagnoses. I'll be making the return leg Friday, but so far it has only affected the start-up routine. That is, the actual riding seems fine, though this is my first trip with the beast.

Some notes:

Re-adjusting the cam chain has had no effect.

The oil smells like oil, not gas.

I normally don't have to use the choke when the engine is warmed up.

I raised the idle speed slightly, which hasn't had much effect on cold starts, but seems to have made warm starts more prompt.

I think the problem may actually be the idle jets, since the idle is pretty touch and go until the engine is very warm. I can't get at these now--it will have to wait until my return, after I've learned how to clean the
--but I put some carb cleaner in the fuel and let the engine idle for about an hour. I'll see if there's an improvement in the morning...

[Lbrown311]

Hope you had a fan or something on it. that is a long time to let it idle without cooling. and I hope you didn't drain your battery or you have a charger on hand and are charging it over night. could pose as a problem. anyways, pretty new at this but it does certainly sound like an idle jet issue. Mine is choppy at idle and starts really rough because I haven't adjusted the idle screw properly yet, but it runs great when warm. I don't know how easy those are to clean out with seafoam. If it runs fine and just starts rough I would wait to do any adjustments till you get home. Hate to make it worse on yourself on the way back. Have a good trip and safe riding.