Winter Starting

CaseySmithersxs

CaseySmithersxs

XS650 Junkie
Messages
598
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Central Louisiana
Hey guys, I was wondering if yall have any tricks for starting these things when its really cold outside. I live in Louisiana so really cold for me is 30-40 degrees. Any ideas? My bike takes FOREVER to kick over... Then once I get it trying to start, there's building up in my manifold.
 
It sounds like your chokes are not functioning correctly or maybe completely. I had a '77 carb set on the bike for a while with this problem. The choke lever locked open but it wasn't lifting the choke plungers all the way up. The bike was harder to start cold than with my other (original) carb set. If I pushed down on the lever so the plungers did lift all the way, it started right up.
 
I agree make sure the carb choke are really functioning, and surely you will never have problem with cold start. Also another thing to check is the fuel, make sure it has not expired.
 
One other thing unique to southern (especially Louisiana) winters is the very high humidity. Ran into this occasionally in Houston, back in the day, during wet/rainy winters. Ice will actually form on sparkplugs when sufficiently cold and wet, fuel vaporizing from the carbs adds to the cooling. We would pull plugs, pre-heat them with propane flame, reinstall, and fire up immediately.

Even worse is carb ice. The notorious Continental O-200 updraft carb has a history, and video on record...
 
CaseySmithersxs said:
Fuel is new, how do i check to make sure choke is working?
Click to expand...

Remove the float bowls and have a look at the very small orifice that supplies fuel for the choke circuit. Shine a light into one side and you should be able to see the light on the other side.
 

Attachments

  • Float Bowl R1.JPG
    Float Bowl R1.JPG
    231.6 KB · Views: 124
Actually did that yesterday. Carb cleaner and air compressor. Blow out everything from the last few months of riding. Even the air mixture screws. Its like when I try to crank it it seems like only the left cyl tries to start, but I have a spark on both sides. Wierd.
 
So how do I know for sure if its the choke plunger, the other day I reset valves intake at 2 and exhaust at 6, then cleaned out carbs again. But it was already hard to start before that.
 
CaseySmithersxs said:
Actually did that yesterday. Carb cleaner and air compressor. Blow out everything from the last few months of riding. Even the air mixture screws. Its like when I try to crank it it seems like only the left cyl tries to start, but I have a spark on both sides. Wierd.
Click to expand...

It could also be a faulty spark plug that is why the only left cylinder would only tries to start. Also TwoManyXS1Bs is correct try to diagnosis if moist with fuel, enrichener is working. Choke valve must be equal in gap for each carb to perfectly work right.
 

Similar threads

rem61
Kick Start Assembly
Replies
5
Views
419
rem61
rem61
olewahrhorse
Eight pump chump
Replies
4
Views
201
toglhot
T
R
Frame Search
Replies
1
Views
269
Kevin Werner
Kevin Werner
peterg
Random stalling, trouble starting when warm
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
jpdevol
jpdevol
miketweedie
Kickstand question for kick-start guys
Replies
5
Views
683
2BallCane
2BallCane
Back
Top