Cold Starting

[Buster]

I've researched the archives on this topic and found some info but I believe my question is slightly different so: here goes.

 

Any of you guys regularly start your hexheads after leaving them out all night in really cold weather and, if so do you use any special technique or just touch the starter button?

 

My '05 RT has about 6,000 miles on it since new last November and has never failed to start on the first short touch of the starter button. It has, however, not been left outside overnight when really cold. I've heard of some problems along this line so I decided to give it a try.

 

Sunday morning it was forecast to be in the high 20's at home so I left the bike outside all night and it failed to start. Battery seemed fine but it just would not continue to run when I released the starter button. Finally, I twisted the throttle a bit while holding the starter button down and it revved right up.

 

Normal?

 

Will this procedure work just as well when it gets REALLY cold (teens)?

 

Thanks.

[Timmer]

I don't know if that is normal for an R1200 boxer engine, but I had the same problem one morning at the Death Valley outing. Very cold that morning, and my R1200ST would crank, but wouldn't run. However, it fired right up once I applied a little bit of throttle.

[RoadJunkie]

Yup, I usually pull in the clutch and start the engine with a little extra throttle, then wait a few seconds and slowly release the clutch.

[CMWingfield]

I went camping in the Ozarks this past weekend. Saturday was beautiful with the temps in the upper fifties as we rode to our camping destination just south of Eureka Springs. Sunday morning the thermometer said 16 so subsequently neither humans or Beemers wanted to start very well. Not only was the GS slow to start, it was so cold the transmission didn't want to shift into first either. The only bike that fired right up was a 2004 KLR!

Even though the BMW's were stubborn, they all started on their own.

 

Mike

[Ken H.]

Normal?

Well I would say no. The air temp sensor in the air box should be telling the engine management system to adjust the A/F ratio to compensate. The simple answer would be to have the dealer run a diag. on the bike.

[David]

The new Hexhead engine should be given some throttle to start in really cold temps or high elevations. When both are involved, it's a little dicey, even with a battery in good condition.

 

I know the manual urges you to not touch the throttle, but that's bad advice.

[HuskyMick]

Normal sort of warm day (5c+) no throtle anything colder than that you will have to rev it never failed down to a true -4c

[beammeup]

15 degrees F. ( -9 C) at the end of a night shift - 11:00 pm. Turned over a caught right away, but needed a little throttle to stay running. Only took a couple of seconds, then it was fine.

 

Had a similar experience with the 1150 at the top of Mt. Evans 14200 ft. The fuel injection should have handled it, in theory. Perhaps these conditions are outside of the envelope that is "mapped" in the computer's memory.

[Jim VonBaden]

The new Hexhead engine should be given some throttle to start in really cold temps or high elevations. When both are involved, it's a little dicey, even with a battery in good condition.

 

I know the manual urges you to not touch the throttle, but that's bad advice.

 

I'm with David on this one. I always park outside, and my bike never fails to start in temps as low as 10°. I ride nearly every day when I am home, but it can be parked for weeks when traveling for work.

 

I give it just s bit of gas when starting on really cold mornings, no clutch, and in neutral. No problems, it starts and runs fine. I let off the throttle after about 10 seconds.

 

Jim

 

PS I don't even own a battery tender.

[Whip]

It's happen to me...A little throttle....

 

Whip

[steveknapp]

Ken, it's not just A/F ratio, it's having enough of both. Hence opening the throttle. I don't think the idle stepper motors have quite enough range.

[David]

...no clutch...

 

I think that's a big part of it. These suckers have quite a bit of clutch drag, and even in neutral we're asking the starter to spin quite a bit more.

[Joel]

Normal? Dunno. Common? Yes. There was a long thread on this over at advrider as it pertains to the 12GS. Theories abound, but as everyone else noted above, a little throttle usually does the trick.

[Jim VonBaden]

...no clutch...

 

I think that's a big part of it. These suckers have quite a bit of clutch drag, and even in neutral we're asking the starter to spin quite a bit more.

 

Maybe, but it hasn't made a difference yet. No pulling the clutch and it started every time.

 

Jim

[David]

Oops. I totally misunderstood your post. Here I thought you were making a point about that. You were, just not the one I was thinking.

 

Try it some time, though. As it's cranking, pull in the clutch and hear it crank faster.

[lawnchairboy]

happened to me two days ago, got on in the morning after parking outside, took a couple of cranks to get going, throttle for a few seconds, no problema after that.

[Buster]

I really appreciate everyone chiming in on this question. I feel lots more comfortable about the cold-natured beast now that it seems to be so easy to work around.

 

Another thing I've learned is that the battery seems to tolerate this kind of use better than I expected it would.

 

Thanks again for your input.

[wilsons]

Mine handled it well. I never touched the throttle or clutch adn it was a warm 17 degree's and many high 20 and 30's on alot of the days. but my battery finally did run out of juice