Poor starting

[kendo]

Hi guys,
My 02 Baghira is a nightmare to start after no more than a 2 week break (if the bike is started every other day there is not a problem). It will always start if i change the plug-- why is this??

The bike has covered 13k and is kept in a garage and connected to an Oxford trickle charger, this problem is becoming a right pain in the a**s as it takes an age to move the cars get my gear on only to find the bike doesn`t want to play.

Kenny.

[hb7]

Try using some gas stabilizer....and cracking the throttle
a little. Gas goes stale....faster today.

[jimc]

Mine starts hard after sitting awhile too.
If I anticipate not using the bike regularly - even for a week or so,
I've found that if i shut off the fuel about 1/2 block before I get home ( using most of the gas in the float bowl) or letting it run out before shutting down, it starts more easily , since this allows fresh gas when you open up the petcock . I have an older 550XT - same carb etc. that acts the same way.
You could alternatively use the drain screw to drain the float bowl before an extended down time - or over winter to get the same benefit.
Good Luck.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

my rt125 does the same... seem like the carb looses its prime

on mine i have to crank it a long time to get it to go...
warning opening the throttle any on mine
and it will never start that =no vacuum to prime the empty parts of the carb.

but do not have to do it very often as i ride it almost every day


several times i have had to take a hose and place it past the carb slide
and inject fresh gas into the intake in front of carb once engine ran on that gas
the carb seemed to get its prime back....
ar dave

[kendo]

Hi ,
When i arrived home from work yesterday the bike fired up no problem at all so i am thinking that if the bike does not fire up straight away the plug gets fouled with fuel and will not start until the fuel evaporates, with this in mind i am going to fit an aftermarket performance coil to give the engine the best possible chance of firing first time and stopping the plug getting fouled and me having to take the car to work. If anyone has done this can you post the make and specification.

Many thanks -- Kendo.

[Bill Jurgenson]

it i not sp mucu that as that the volatile parts of the gasoline evaporate in the float chamber and what is left is very hard to ignite.

b

[omrra91]

I'm glad to see that Bill has responded to the thread because he probably knows the answer to my first question.

(1) Is there any difference from the Skorp and the Baggy in terms of the all the related parts?

(2) Does the bike still have a fuel pump?
Took mine off the other day. Had the bike since new and it's never started easier. I've run all the race bikes without fue pump for years.

(3) Have you drained the float bowl. A bit of water in the tank is going to head to the bottom of the tank and then........to the bottom of the carb. That can mess up starting and running. And, it can really fool you if it is only a little bit of water. Can't hurt to check.

Regards, Jeffrey

[kman.45]

I would agree with most everybody that you should be turning your petcock off. Perhaps your float valve is leaking a tiny bit, hence the fouled plug. Sitting a day or two maybe not so much fuel leakage, sitting a couple weeks might mean too much liquid fuel down the carb, and we all know liquid fuel doesn't burn.. I'd run a couple bottles of Techron through my fuel system or go for the carb pull and clean.

[Bill Jurgenson]

If the float needle valve is not right, fix it. Turning off the petcock is not a fix for that. I don't even have a Petcock, long since replaced by a quick release fitting as on most of the machines I have modified. If and when I really do think "shutting off" the fuel is necessary, I just release the quick release. No connection at all the best possible shut off. The right side petcock for instance of my BSA leaks a little bit when closed, but the new AMAL carb needle valve works great.

When the Needle valve does stick open, the float chamber overflow tube dumps the fuel on the ground, not down the intake. That is what the overflow is for. This is not a Dellorto or AMAL from 1960.

b

[phlat65]

there have been a few Baggys that have filled the crankcase with fuel with leaking petcocks. I know the overflow dumps overboard, but it seems with the bike on the sidesand, the chance of the fuel making it into the engine is greatly increased.

Try putting a block under the stand so the bike stands more upright.

[hb7]

I would replace the leaking needle valve in the carb....and cure the problem. I have had 2 of the carbs and no leaking problems on either my Mastiff or Skorp. It's not complicated,
and can be replaced on the bike if you remove the starter.