Cold Start Issues, Bike Runs Cold

[koth442]

Yes I tried the search function, it just said loading for all eternity.


The issue:
Bike would not start this morning when it was cold (approx 45 Farenheit). The starter motor would just turn and turn and turn but the bike wouldn't kick. I may have burnt or finished burning up the starter motor in this process. As I was in a hurry I also tried jumping the bike, no benefit. A couple times the motor took a couple turns, the tach move to about 500rpm and promptly died. This has never happened to me before. I eventually gave up.

After my days activities I came back. Having mostly murdered the battery in the morning, it spend all day on a tender. Batter held its charge well. The starter motor still turned catch rumble rumble die. Tried again, and again. The motor was now firing with the starter motor. As in, I let off the starter button, it died, I held on, the motor sorta kept running. While running the engine off the starter I gave it a little gas and it stuttered to life and ran solid.

I drove her home, as its better dead at home than my girlfriends house 45min away. I let the bike warm up to a full 5 bars. While riding home in approx 45 degree weather I noticed my temp gauge was all the way down at 3 bars and then dropped all the way to 2. It stayed at 2 bars most of the way home (on freeway approx 75mph). Once I got in my neighborhood, a stop sign or two later, it climbed right up to 5 bars.

I rode all last winter in similar weather including cold rain and the temp gauge never dropped below 4 bars once warm.

Any thoughts? And yes, I know I'm a moron and such you don't need to remind me (although I think this forum is a little politer than others...)

[richtile1]

I have run into the same problems. I would take my batterie inside at nights to keep it warm and put it on the tender for a bit. In the morning I wouldnt have any problems.

[koth442]

Right on, thanks for the tip!

[MacBandit]

Did you try holding the throttle part way open while cranking?