Cold Weather Starting?

[reston1200gt]

Was fairly nice yesterday (upper 40's for a few minutes) and decided to fire up the 04 RT and take it for a spin. (It had been fairly chilly for the last few days.)

Anyway, I unplugged the tender, set the choke, turned it on, and ...... (churning). Did this three times before it finally fired. Did this three more times as it did not sustain. Finally, after giving it some gas via the throttle, it fired for good.

Is this normal? I thought I was going to lose my battery charge.

[Paul Mihalka]

Try holding the "choke" up all the way against the spring while starting. Once the engine runs, with the choke on first notch it should be running at about 1,500 rpm. If it is lower, you may have too much free play in the choke cable. Easy to adjust at the cable where it comes out of the handlebar housing.

[Ken H.]

Also be sure you are holding the clutch lever in, not just have the transmission in neutral, so you are not trying to spin (and keep spinning) a stiff tranny.

[Softtail]

Ken, the clutch thing is an excellent bit of advice. Why didn't I think of that? That probably explains the stumbling kind of clunky action that I get when I start the bike cold with the clutch engaged. Dam, I am going to run right out and try this, after I get home from work that is!! <<<<<<Softtail>>>>>>>

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Ken, the clutch thing is an excellent bit of advice. Why didn't I think of that? That probably explains the stumbling kind of clunky action that I get when I start the bike cold with the clutch engaged. Dam, I am going to run right out and try this, after I get home from work that is!! <<<<<<Softtail>>>>>>>

 

When it's really cold out, it's amazing how much the engine RPM dips when you let the clutch out after starting. Same is true for my car. There's a lot of drag with ice-cold 90W gear oil; try pouring some out of a bottle at that temp, and then realize that the engine is trying to spin a big, gear-covered shaft submerged in that gunk at 1500 RPM!