Plug confusion

Sorry long post but it is a process...

Ok this is strange to me. Yesterday was nice so I decided to take a ride. Bike would not start - turns over with a few pops like it will start then nothing, occasional backfire when letting off the button. It has been hard to cold start during cold weather but not impossible.

Charged the battery, cleaned the plugs - same. Battery is acting a bit strange on charge, holding at 80 to 90 % then jump to 100. Charged overnight, cleaned plugs again and the same. Even checked the spark on each plug and it looked good.

Took the battery to advance auto and the guy could not even get it to start the test, so I figured bad battery - bought a new one along with 4 new plugs. Fill and charge the new battery - same results. Put the 4 new plugs in and starts on first bump of the switch.

So being the curious kind I put the old plugs back in and no start again. Took them out cleaned them good (again) same result. A few weeks ago 2 of my plugs had to be changed (with some I had from chops).

I should add last week I ran the bike for 10 minutes or so at 2k, I try to run it weekly even if I can't get out. I know that soots up the plugs which is why I cleaned them.

So I am confused, am I doing something to kill these plugs? Could it be my coils are weak? (just thought of that I'll check the resistance).

I'm not sure if I just replaced a good battery or not but he charging weirdness and fact they couldn't get it to test, I feel better with the new one.

 

Sounds like that battery was on its last legs. You could have a loose plug cap or two, and the act of swapping plugs is pulling on the caps enough to make them work for a while then start having issues again.

Maybe unscrew your plug caps, lop about 3/8" off each wire and reattach?

 

Batteries dont like COLD WEATHER
Also a plug can break down, it might be just one plug, if you consider the effect of cold weather on the battery & the oil's viscosity, it can be acculmulative.

 

I'll give that a check - Thanks Fitz. I just find it odd I need to keep changing plugs that are not that bad.

I have some exhaust seals on the way so I have some work to do. I also picked up some spare coils for a decent price on ebay. I would like to get to the bottom of this.

 

Real easy to fuel foul the plugs. Cranking with a battery too weak to fire them and the insulators get soaked with fuel. Shorts them out so they don't fire.

 

OK that makes sense - do they dry out and get "fixed" or are they shot?

 

I think they're shot. I did manage to resurrect a set once by rinsing them with ether. I've never got that to work again.

 

They are not shot, warm them up, we used to put them in the oven, when mother wasn't looking.

 

Or wasn't smelling apparently. I do believe Bill is married, that might not go over so well. My Mom got really pissed at me back years ago when I baked a drive chain in axle grease in the oven and kinda... overcooked it.

 

I managed to shoot a set of plugs doing what Bill described. I crashed my CBR pretty hard one October. The engine, frame, and radiator were sound, but a lot of the rest of the bike (including the swingarm ) needed repair.

I thought that by starting the engine periodically over the winter, it would at least let fuel flow through the lines and keep them from getting all shellaced. It's a carbureted bike, so same idea there, too.

After doing this a few times, though, it wouldn't start again until I replaced the plugs. They were fouled beyond repair.

Since then, I don't fire up a bike unless I'm ready to ride it, as a guideline. (Test starts don't really count, though I keep a set of test plugs around if I'm going to be doing that.)

 

Yea baking plugs might be crossing the line. My wife has been very understanding of the funds I have expended but I dare not go too far.

So what is the common wisdom? There are only a few months with little rideable weather. Should I just let it sit with battery on a tender? The last 3 or 4 times I started it it was difficult and I had to crank it a while. I believe that probably helped foul the plugs (could have been the battery getting weak). I have seafoam in the tank. I always used to start my bikes every couple of weeks and any car I have sitting a while I do the same. This is the first time I have this kind of issue.

 

I just put the battery on a tender, make sure the tank is nice and full, and that's about it. Mine are in a garage, so that has been all I've had to do to them.

If they were outside - and subject to more temperature fluctuation - I'd probably spend the time to put some Stabil in the fuel and run them a bit before topping off and wrapping them in a tarp.

But I have found it pretty unnecessary to go to the lengths that some people do to "winterize" their machines. Only the battery seems to really suffer from sitting idle.

Oh, and I change the oil at the beginning of the season, rather than the end, and my pre-season checklist is pretty thorough.

 

Mine is garaged too and the weather here in NC is not that bad most of the time.

Do you ever have problems getting them started after sitting for weeks? I may be causing more problems than I am avoiding.

 

It's DAMN cold here; even though my garage is brought up to livable temp 2-5 times a week the two "riders" are winterized (the project bike isn't because it keeps getting messed with.) ALL 3 batteries are in the house, all safe and reasonably warm, and my battery tender gets switched from one to the next every weekend.

I have always pulled my battery in the fall and taken it inside, and periodically trickle-charged it.

 

All of my bikes are carbureted. Other than setting them to full choke and cranking a *little* longer than usual, they all start up just fine after sitting through the winter.

Notable notes:

1) For the XJs, the gas in the carbs has usually found a way to evaporate out, so I set the petcock to PRI for a couple of seconds before starting.

2) For ALL of them (including the CBR), they have to run with the choke on for a while and do run a little rough until they've warmed up and been ridden a bit.

3) I make a point of starting and RIDING them for a few miles - 5 miles or so seems to be plenty - as early as possible after winter. As soon as it hits 50 degrees, I take a couple of hours and give them all a good short ride with lots of speed variation and this seems to clear them out.

My suspicion is that once the old fuel is cleared from the lines that the detergents in moderns fuels clear out most of the rest of the junk in there and everything is fine, and that by NOT just running them at idle all winter, the plugs don't get fouled and the engine doesn't get heated and cooled repeatedly without ever coming under load.

 

I've always been told that running a bike (or other motor) in a cold garage is bad for it. Heating the bike by running it with the cold ambient temp creates condensation, which can lead to rusting.

Conventional wisdom (as I understand it) is put it away and don't touch it until your ready to ride again. And same as Rhys, my bike starts no problem in the spring - A few cranks with full choke, let it warm up good and thats about it. I usually hook up a booster pack or car battery when I'm doing the initial cranking - Saves the bike battery from getting drained

 

Rhys, +1 to your #1, but I leave it on PRI for a few minutes, not seconds.

 

OK I'm convinced - on the tender and leave it alone if I'm not riding it.

Here January and February can be rainy and cold (at least by our standards 8) ) December can be a bit cool too. (I know you all are crying for us now )

Anyway that leaves 12 weeks or so with iffy riding weather. I never had any issues with my other bikes running them every couple of weeks. But live and learn.

Thanks for the good advice as always.

 

That would be safe if I trusted my carbs not to leak. I haven't had them apart since I bought the bike and I'm paranoid about getting gas in the crankcase. I can see enough gas flowing through the in-line filter that I have an idea of how much has gone into the float bowls. They fill up fairly quickly, so I set it back to ON after just a few seconds.

But if your carbs are in good shape, by all means!