So out here in Utah its starting to get freaking cold. In the mornings my bike will be all sorts of wet and when i try and start it just wont go, gas petcock on, run switch on, and should be fine. I try choke and no choke and it doesnt help. With no choke and snapping the throttle i can barely get the bike to faintly sound different but no where near running. While starting i can smell gas so im pretty dang sure its getting gas. Do you think it may be flooded? When i go ahead and start it later in the day when its warmer and the suns been on the bike for 4 hours the bike starts up like it never had trouble in the morning.

My question is, Does the water make it hard for the bike to start? I dont think it would. All the fairings are on and im sure water isnt getting into the air filter and intake. I know its harder for anything to start when it is cold though.
So is it the cold that may be freezing something crazy like a fuel line (probably not but you get what i mean) thats not letting her start?
Any ideas to check would be awesome. Thanks


Another question, Are you supposed to turn off the petcock valve whenever you park? If so whats the reason? I never have turned the valve off and have always kept it to on and never had trouble in the summer doing it. Does this flood the engine ever though? Could this be flooding my bike at night and thus my problem in the mornings?

Thanks in advance

 

What kind of bike, what grade fuel are you using, how long is it sitting from the last run, ever change the plugs, hows the air filter? These are a lot of things that come to mind to what could cause an issue like this

 

Its an 88 f1 Hurricane. I changed the plugs about 4 months ago and they have had less than 500 miles on them. Im using 88 octane fuel (will fill upwith 91 next time)and the air filter isfine.

I tried starting it this morning at 8:50 and no go. Then at 12:30 after itslike 15 or20 degrees warmer i started the bike up just fine,it started up perfect first try and then diedSo i turned on the choke and it idled just like the bike should. Ill ride it home tonight and probably around town at like 10 pm and when i wake up in the morning and try to ride it at like 8 or 9 in the morningit just doesnt want torun. It never sits forover a day or two without being ridden.Im pretty stumped but guessing its somehow fuel related.

 

sounds like a freezing condensation problem, is it getting that cold there yet?

 

It gets below freezing every single night guaranteed and there is usually dew all over everyones cars because the rain freezes on the cars and then starts to melt as it gets a little warmer. Alot of other riders are still making it to school that early though and even the gay little scooters too. So yeah, any other ideas.

 

My default answer: Clean the carbs.

 

Yeah, try some seafoam also.

 

sounds like the choke is not working... make sure your choke cable is still working. I had a hard start condition and it turned out to be a broken cable.

 

The carbs were cleaned 500 miles ago along with the replacement of plugs. I should definitely try seafoam though and Yes the Choke is working on my bike. I have the maintenace cover off all the time so i can push it in when it gets stuck out. So yeah, it was pretty warm today though and now i cant even get it to start then. Im gonnna have to get into it and see whats up... Oh and what about the petcock, will anyone answer that question? id like to know

 

My petcock stay on all the time, only off for maintenance, etc.