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82 GS650GL - won't start with out "Starting fluid" when cold

  • Thread starter Thread starter IluvmyGS
  • Start date Start date
Although clean carbs are certainly necessary for good starting and running, don't let the use of 'easy start' confuse the issue.

Probably the most common cause of poor cold starting is tight valves. How long have you had the bike? How many miles have you put on the bike? Most manuals hint that an engine tune-up (which consists of valve adjustment, ignition checks and carb balancing) should be done every 3,000 miles. Your valve shime won't need to be changed every time, but they do need to be checked.

As the valves wear, they recess farther into the head, decreasing the clearance between the end of the stem and the cam. Of course, the bucket and shim are in there, too, and proper clearance is maintained by substituting a thinner shim. The effect this has on starting is that a valve with virtually NO clearance (and they are very small to start with) closes later. This gets later and later with decreasing clearance. The piston is alread on the upstroke when the valve closes, and at cranking speeds, the piston will start pushing some of the air/fuel mixture back into the intake tract. The next time the intake valve opens, it allows in a super-rich mixture, which is a bit hard to fire. By introducing your 'easy start', you are putting in a substance that will fire no matter what.

After you adjust your valves (and before you clean your carbs), you should be able to set the choke (probably about 1/2), pull the clutch lever (unless you have that disabled), turn the key on and hit the starter button. Chances are that you will find that you can not get your thumb off the starter button quick enough.

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I got this bike about 2 months ago. It currently have 21,500 miles on it. I did not check the valves clearance and will be doing this soon as per your recommendation. Mean while, I guess I will have to carry a bottle of "Starting Fluid" with me where ever I go. I am thinking about tie this bottle somewhere on the bike, make it look like a fire distinguisher (similar like in racing car):)
 
IluvmyGS said:
I got this bike about 2 months ago. It currently have 21,500 miles on it. I did not check the valves clearance and will be doing this soon as per your recommendation. Mean while, I guess I will have to carry a bottle of "Starting Fluid" with me where ever I go. I am thinking about tie this bottle somewhere on the bike, make it look like a fire distinguisher (similar like in racing car):)
Click to expand...
just make sure it's not on the outside of the frame.. to quote connery " there are things in here that don't react well to bullets " :eek::D
 
IluvmyGS said:
Mean while, I guess I will have to carry a bottle of "Starting Fluid" with me where ever I go. I am thinking about tie this bottle somewhere on the bike, make it look like a fire distinguisher (similar like in racing car):)
Click to expand...
In the time it will take you to find a way to safely carry that can in a manner that also allows you to remove it and use it, you can adjust your valves. The whole time that you are using your band-aid to start the bike and run it, you are risking ruining it by burning the valves. Tight valves do not spend enough time on the seats to properly transfer heat, and will burn as a result. When a valve burns, it leaks, and the resulting leak will allow combustion gasses to escape through the leak and it won't be long before the head is ruined, too.

Please save yourself a lot of grief and adjust your valves before strapping on the can of starter fluid. That way, you will only have one project, instead of two.

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