Are these GSs really that Cold Blooded?

[WingMan71]

So, just exactly how cold blooded are these old girls?

My recently restored '83 GS650GL has been sitting in the garage unstarted for over a month in fairly cold weather (in the 30s most nights). So the engine is stone cold to the touch. (Yes, I've got Stabil in the tank.)

She really doesn't want to start in that condition. In warmer weather a couple months back she would start up and run at fast idle with the choke all the way on, no problem. Not now. When I started her last time with a stone cold engine I ran the battery nearly all the way down before she would finally stay running with the choke on. She would fire and stutter for a bit, fire and stutter for a bit, etc., until she finally kept running at fast idle with the choke on. I took a looooong time for her to warm up enough to slide the choke off and stay running at about 1,000 RPM.

Just tried her again this week and I ran a fully charged battery down to nothing and still no start. Can figure this one out. She was starting fairly easily and runs strong once warmed up in warm weather.

So, are they just that cold blooded, or is something else up?

Should I try some starter fluid sprayed into the intake (filter removed), or is that a bad idea?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Scout]

Valves properly adjusted? Tight valves & cold combo are probably the culprit since your using a full charge battery

 

[WingMan71]

Valves properly adjusted? Tight valves & cold combo are probably the culprit since your using a full charge battery

Yup, valves checked and adjusted. All within spec.

I actually logged a total of 116 hours to this restoration over a period of 11 months. 20 hours alone in the carb tear down and rebuild. They were nasty. Bike was sitting in a garage since 1993. I'm pretty sure that everything mechanical is as it should be.

Makes you want to say Hmmmmmm???

 

[tom203]

You have too many bikes and this 650 wants more time with you!
Seriously, if you know valves are OK and your battery doesn't fall flat during cranking, it comes down to "choke" circuits not delivering. Maybe they didn't get fully clean or ain't being actuated enough.
first two years with mine, even in 70 degree weather, it wanted full choke . Off for two hours after riding, a restart also required choke - not any more. I figure that idle circuits were not totally clean, but eventually they cleaned up with running.
Try running more stabil at all times, it just might help eventually.Lately, I use stabil at all times and bike seems happy! Use the marine formula Stabil- it's a better product and 8 ounce treats 80 gallons of gas.

 

[WingMan71]

... Seriously, if you know valves are OK and your battery doesn't fall flat during cranking, it comes down to "choke" circuits not delivering. Maybe they didn't get fully clean or ain't being actuated enough...

Thanks Tom,

I know for sure that the choke circuits were cleared and clean during the carb rebuild. But I did not think about the possibility that the choke linkage is not fully actuating the choke mechanism!

I'm pretty sure that I reconnected the choke linkage correctly, and I can see the rod move sideways when the choke lever is pulled back. But, I have not tried grabbing a hold of that rod when the choke is on and seeing if I can pull it open even more.

I'll check that tonight when I get home.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Chris G]

Just a thought, but have you tried running it with the pet cock on prime when you initially try and start it, just to rule out any fuel starvation problem, I know the fuel in my bowls tends to evaporate a little over a period of time when not being used.

 

[jsandidge]

Just a thought, but have you tried running it with the pet cock on prime when you initially try and start it, just to rule out any fuel starvation problem, I know the fuel in my bowls tends to evaporate a little over a period of time when not being used.

My thoughts exactly. In the warmer months were you starting it up more frequently, before much evaporation ocurred?

 

[chuck hahn]

I third the prime setting. Even in warm weather they start hard if having sat a few weeks in the storage unit. I just turn them to prime as I am backing one out and by the time I am ready to fire it up the carbs are refilled. Works every time.

 

[WingMan71]

PRIME SETTING ! ! !

Great idea! I'll give that a try.

Thanks everyone for the ideas.

 

[Brendan W]

Just don't leave it on prime on the stand and walk away. Not that you have leaky float needles but just in case your crankcase does start taking on fuel. 30 seconds tops should do it.

 

[Wingsconsin]

Another one for the Prime process - it affects my 850 too ... If I don't ride it for several days....

 

[LarryJ]

I'll add to the "prime" consensus. I have to do it on my 1100GK after a couple of days too. However, my GK hates to start in the cold too.
Let us know if that did the trick!

 

[850 Combat]

If that doesn't do it, I would check the voltage to the coils. Voltage drop to the coils can be exacerbated by cold weather, and the high cranking amps to the starter and lowered battery power.

Yes, they are cold blooded. They need to warm up some before they run well without the enrichener circuit. Not sterting is another matter entirely. They are not supposed to be hard to start.

 

[Brendan W]

Even if that does do it, check the voltage to the coils. Cleaning kill switch, ign switch and all related plugs transformed mine to first push of the button even in 40F ambients and eliminated what I thought was a fuelling problem.

 

[Chris G]

Even if that does do it, check the voltage to the coils. Cleaning kill switch, ign switch and all related plugs transformed mine to first push of the button even in 40F ambients and eliminated what I thought was a fuelling problem.

yep kill switch is always worth a clean up regardless of any issues, mine started no probs but fior what ever reason I stripped it, glad I did sooner or later it was going to play up, it was almost green in there.

 

[WingMan71]

yep kill switch is always worth a clean up regardless of any issues, mine started no probs but fior what ever reason I stripped it, glad I did sooner or later it was going to play up, it was almost green in there.

Guys,

Wouldn't a dirty kill switch make the engine crank really slowly even with a fully charged battery?

My bike cranks fast and long... she just won't start.

Even so, I'll open up the handlebar cluster and clean the kill switch.

Thanks for another possible cause. I appreciate it!

 

[Nessism]

If the prime doesn't get it try fattening up the idle mixture by 1/2 turn or so. Adjust the pilot screws using George's procedure. Can't hurt anyway.

 

[Brendan W]

Guys,

Wouldn't a dirty kill switch make the engine crank really slowly even with a fully charged battery?

No. The starter motor current doesn't go through the kill switch. It's relayed and in my experience a relay can live with dirty switches to a far greater extent than coils can.

 

[Spiff]

I'm in for the Prime setting too. Mine wouldn't start if sat for several days. But after I cleaned my carbs and adjusted the float height it was much better but still if sat for say a week or two or more it would need to be primed first.

 

[WingMan71]

OK, I found something interesting.

The choke cable is NOT adjusted correctly. When the choke lever is pushed all the way on there is still between 1/4" and 3/8" of travel left in the horizontal choke activation rod ! ! ! Duh ! ! !

I'm sure I had it right when I put the carbs back on. BUT, since then I swapped out the awful "GL" pull-back handlebars for bars from a standard "G" model. So, I had to remount both handlebar control housings on the new handlebars, which required a little bit of re-routing.

I'm guessing that's when the choke cable adjustment got hosed. At least that's my excuse.

It's my last day of work today before taking Christmas week off. So, this weekend I'm gonna readjust the choke cable and try again.

I'm hoping this might be the fix!

Thanks for all the brainstorming. I'll report back when I get the choke readjusted and give her a crank!