Having trouble starting - worse with time

[Anonymous]

Hey,

My bike has had trouble starting, especially when it hasn't been ridden recently. I started noticing it this past summer (carbs were totally cleaned and put back on at the beginning of the summer, and new exhaust was put on). It's a 1980 GS550L.

If I have ridden it the day before, the bike will start up the first time, no problem. But if it hasn't been ridden for a week or so, it's really hard to start. The starter sounds like it's trying hard, and the battery is definitely strong (new battery), but it just doesn't want to turn over and catch, even when trying to jump start it by rolling it down a hill. It usually will finally catch once you can hear the battery just starting to drain, after quite a while of hitting the starter.

The simple solution is to ride every day, which is fine for now. But if we have a rainy week or as we get into winter, I don't want to be fighting to get it started again. Any thoughts on why it might be having such trouble?? Thanks.

--Tyler

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I would first do some simple things. Clean or replace the plugs and set the gaps. Check the plug caps for solid/clean connections. Clean the battery posts and the engine/frame grounding leads. See if that helps.

[Anonymous]

The spark plugs are rather new. They were put in when I redid the carbs at the beginning of the summer.

Could it have anything to do with the coils going out? I have begun to suspect that the coil for #2 and #3 might be on the way out, although recently it seems to have been doing ok. The exhaust pipes are getting hot. But I noticed that the pipes for #1 and #4 have changed color (since they were new) much more and much faster than for #2 and #3.

I'll try cleaning some of the connections though.

--Tyler

[lhanscom]

Check how much voltage you have at the coils. Fairly often there is a significant voltage drop, and if that is the case, it's time to clean connections, and maybe replace some wire.

Another thing to try, put the bike on the center stand if you're going to store it for a bit. If your number 1 carb float needle or o-ring leak a bit, it will partially drain the float bowls of num 2-4. Making your engine crank until it fills the float bowls again. Another way to verify this is to turn the petcock to prime a minute before you try to start the bike.

[snowbeard]

one thing I notice in your response, the pipes aren't really supposed to change color at all, maybe sounds like your running lean on those two? all four? you might want to check your fuel mixture somehow? I wouldn't be the one to be able to tell you how, but I can at least point it out!


edit to add, I know it's not the best for your bike (so I've heard on here, but not why), but a can of starter fluid is the mainstay of my toolkit. couple o squirts in the airbox and it'll usually turn over for me. I actually have a very similar sounding problem...

[Anonymous]

For the exhaust pipes, it was my understanding that they were supposed to change color from the original bright chrome, at least right near where they attach to the head. All four of them are goldish, but the two outer ones also have a slight purplish color to them. Is this bad?

Also, if anything, I think my bike is running rich, as there's a slight gas smell coming out of the exhaust.

Starter fluid would work, but I'd just like to have my bike in a condition where I don't have to worry about having supplies like that, as it was originally built to not need it.

--Tyler

[KEITH KRAUSE]

It does sound like 1 and 4 are lean. I would make sure the ignition timing is correct and then do a vacuum synch. You should also adjust the mixture screws for the highest rpm and then re-set the idle to 1,100 rpm with the idle adjuster knob.

[Anonymous]

What should the voltages be around the coils, and what points should they be tested at? I assume the cables and spark plug caps should be tested as well.

--Tyler

[Anonymous]

The trouble starting has gotten worse in the past couple days, to the point that I could barely start it tonight shortly after a ride. I ended up having to push start it. However, this time, it sounded like the battery started dying out really quickly. It's a fairly new battery though (three months), so that seems weird.

Could this be a problem with the starter relay?

Also, are the condensers on these bikes known to go bad very often?

Thanks!

--Tyler

[Dink]

Check your stator and rectifier/ regulator. It is very common for all sorts of weird and wonderful problems to arise as these go.
I had my wifes bike at a local shop and they could not get it to ide well, eventually they gave up and got it as good as they could. I didnt give up, I replaced the rec/reg and fixed it.
Dink