What's your opinion?

it sounds like the fuel pump is wanting to kick in, just not starting.

first start is with the choke on, next is with choke off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExAIHkcZ-HA

 

Thats a tuff one cause it sounds like it could be both. Educated guess, I would start with the easy things like checking all the spark plugs, then check the fuel pump. worst case would be doing, or having your carbs worked on.

 

plugs were just changed less than 50 miles ago, i can smell gas out the exhaust when the choke is on, so i can only assume the fuel pump is working. right?

 

Thats true. Maybe one of the spark plug cables. Did you change them out? Last year I changed my plugs and it was acting up but I couldn't figure out why until I took everything apart and found the one of the spark plugs were bad. It's unlikely that yours went bad that quick but it can happen. If your smelling fuel out of the exhaust then thats a good indication that its getting fuel. If the sparks and cables are ok, then it's going to be in the carbs. Air fuel mix, dirty carbs, clogged jets, etc...have you added a jet kit lately or did anything to the motor?

 

little more info, pls? When was the last time you ran her? What's been done in between? Have you checked the voltage off the battery? What's the temp in NC right now?

 

last time i rode was about a month and a half ago.

plugs and battery since sitting.

temp in charlotte is roughly mid/high 30-40s each day and 20s/teens during the night

 

1.5 months sitting? She's prolly pissed at you for leaving her in the cold Was the battery out there the entire time? Start with the voltage on the battery. And if it has been out there the entire time, bring the battery in the house overnight then put it on a charger. A charger may / will refuse to charge a cold battery, sometimes thinking the battery has a dead cell.

Stabilizer in the gas? If not, dump it and put in new gas.

And it is going to be hard to get her started. Basically there is no oil in the engine. It's all at the bottom of the bike. And it's thicker than wet cement from the cold. Take it easy trying to get it started. Turn off the fuel at the petcock and press the starter a couple times. This will keep you from fouling the plugs while trying to get fluids to move around a little. Depending on how much you've tried to start it, you might need to pull the plugs and clean them.

If the battery is warm & fully charged, the gas has been replacedn (if there was no stabil in it), the plugs are clean and you've worked things around a bit with the starter then you might need to go into the carbs. IDoDirt posted a great explanation on what to clean in the carbs when you're having trouble starting it with choke.

 

Sounds like this is headed somewhere. The month and a half old gas I have. I should just drain and probably throw in the truck right? I've heard it goes bad in a gastank after about a month or two.

I appreciate the help, and wil get started on the battery with warmth and charging it and see where it goes from there. Thanks!

 

Just my opinion, but there's no way it's the gas. Fuel from the pump can easily last a year these days and a month and a half is really nothing... I'd start elsewhere before you just started siphoning your tank.

 

I had this same issue and I couldn't get her to start. I cleaned my carbs out with carb cleaner and it fouled out my plugs and for some reason the gas got messed up in the bowls. Drain the bowls and try it again. I did that and bam started right up no problem.