Starting question

Hey all. So my carbs were synched last year. Great. Once warm, my bike will idle around 1000-1100. Fine. But to get that bike started, even with choke on, I can't let go of the throttle for a few mins otherwise, just dies. I have no experience with bikes. Is this normal? Drives me crazy!

 

Did you clean the tiny jets in the float bowls for the enrichment circuit? One in each carburettor bowl. If the jets are blocked a common problem extra fuel cannot reach the engine for cold starting.

 

sounds like your enrichment circuit may be at fault (clogged or broken plunger)... rolling on the throttle is allowing it to pull fuel from main circuit.

 

Yes, he did. I remember him showing me that lol is it just the nature of these beasts?

 

Is your battery in good condition. With a multimeter on the battery terminals the voltage must not drop below 10 volts when you are pressing the starter button. Test the battery under load. If that is satisfactory it is most likely a carburettor issue.

 

make sure the cable is getting a full lift/slide on the plungers also. on all 4,

 

Brand new battery. When my friend kept it in his garage over winter he didn't start it until like February and the battery was no good. So yeah, new battery

 

whats the year, make, and model?

 

Ok that's interesting! I found the xj document on it. Makes perfect sense! Thanks!

 

On a side note. Got brand new sparkplugs end of May, and I just changed them again (my first time doing this) and this is what they looked like (4,3,2,1). I'm going on a 1000 km ride tomorrow into Sunday. After seeing these I now have spare new plugs in my bag too!

 

running rich, but with it needing the throttle open to start, makes since... once you get it to start only on the enrichment circuit , only then would I clean them and re test the color of them. redundent to clean with current condition.

 

So I am causing the fouling of the plugs by how I have to start my bike

 

the datailed answer is... if once started and warm, it runs great and responds to sharp throttle rolls, then yes most likely.

 

Well...there's another issue that may or may not be linked. My bike will stall, while in third gear! While riding in the first 19 mins of the bike running. After that, I am golden, but I've friggin had the bike cut out completely when going on the off ramp of the highway near my house when I first started in the ride. But I'm really wondering if that's not my spark plug issue that's why I changed the spark plugs actually! The 2nd sparkplugs gap was too wide, 0.04 and the rest were on par at 0.032

 

1983 xj750. 99000 kms

 

ok, 28 to 32. new plugs I usually set to the high side, and older worn plugs I tend to set at a few above the low size.

new plugs spark can jump the spark easier than an older plug...

 

when it stalls in first 19 min, is is a consistent stall, or does it sometimes not stall at all?

 

Yeah I gapped my new ones at 0.03 exactly. So in between. So long ass ride tomorrow. Getting up in 6.5 hrs. Wish me luck! Lmao! But, I have new ones in packaging just in case

 

Sometimes it stalls 3 times, sometimes just once. Within the first 10 mins. Usually in the first 2 and takes a minute before i can restart or least 30 seconds

 

new ones at 0.03 exactly. So ..... thats not open enough, its .028 to .032


you measuring in mm?

 

On that note. That recently started happening and this the spark plug change. I'm sure that could be part of it. When I first got the bike from storage with new battery and new plugs, it didn't. And I can't exactly recall when it started. Maybe the last 4 or 5 rides

 

ok, that can be the carbs flooding it out, to an electrical issue.

lets get it to start with the enrichment circuit only for now, then move on to that.....
who knows, it may help with that.

 

Before I adjusted to 0.03 they were at 0.032

 

ok, its correct, your just typing it wrong... your good on gap..

 

I may have been quoting in the wrong measurements lol!

 

when it stalls out does ot just flat out die with no other reactions, or does it pop, backfire, jerk etc...?

 

Flat out die

 

ok, and what does it act like when trying to restart it right away.... and your in neutral while starting during right?

 

Part that bugs me. It ONLY happened in the first little bit. After that no problem. Even stopping for food or whatever and restarting later in the day. It's driving me nuts. I can tell you yes, I do have an exhaust leak at the extension part. But was told that isn't really an issue. There is a tiny amount of blue in there

 

Always neutral, starts right up but "could" stall so I give it a Rev and it's good

 

could be a fuel quality issue, such as stale, dried up fuel deposits in the carb circuits. meaning when cold the circuits have a smaller diameter passage and hard time flowing fuel, but when hot softens up and partially sucks thorough, and potentially (randomly) causing cpartial clogging. exhaust leak is important for the fine tuning and fuel economy, but yes, it's not a factor in the issues for starting.

I would pull the carb rack and have a visual of the fuel in the bowls condition, color of the fuel, and the smell. I dont expect you to know what to look/smell for, but pictures say a million words to me. take the bowls off in thier uprigh position as not to spill all the fuel out. then dump it in a glass container and send some pics of carbs internals and of fuel in the glass.

your starting issue to "me" sounds like carb issues, the stalling is another can of worms yet to be diagnosed. later.

and in no way would "I" take this bike on that trip you speak of.

 

Thank you so much. That gives me something to give to my boyfriend. He's coming back from BC in a month. But it's definitely something expanding when warm/hot. I agree. As for the trip, I have to be there its a huge event for Bikers Down Support which I am a board member for. And it's a memorial ride. Should be hundreds of bikers there and important. But, I will be careful. Bringing oil, bringing fuses, and now new sparkplugs and tools. Also, there will be others with me as I am also in a riding club. So appreciate your knowledge and input!! I will let you know when we take of the carbs and will get pictures

 

just seen your a Female... makes me smile every time to see a women in the front seat of a bike...

 

Me too! Lol

 

Just now reading this thread and am stuck on why 0.03 does not equal .030"...