Dear Harley,

I don't know if you noticed the recent rant by a possibly misinformed Harley owner on this site. It seems that her current complaint is caused by a hard starting bike.

Now that COULD be the fault of her jet kit or tuning. It could be the fault of the owner using a bad method to start. Or, it could be the same as my experience with a couple of first stock and then modified rubbermount Sportys.

Here's the thing, it does seem that fuel has a tendency to evaporate from the float bowl. That makes sense, it's expected.

Our bikes have always started at the first touch of a button IF THEY'VE BEEN RIDDEN IN THE PAST FEW DAYS.

But let them sit longer than a week and it's hell to pay.

Why?

Well, because you have to crank the motor sufficiently to fill the float bowl.


I've seen people pull the choke and/or use the accelerator pump, and get no joy. Why? I THINK because the float bowl level is so low to begin with that they've not got enough gas to make it stumble or light. Then they add the choke draining more fuel through enrichener passage and the bowl is trying to fill up during engine cranking.

Our method works pretty well. If the bike has been sitting for more than a week or so we DON'T touch the choke, we DON'T touch the throttle, we crank for about 3-5 seconds. Let the starter cool, repeat, and THEN turn the choke on and pump the accelerator. and BAMN, she starts right up on the third try.

What I'm saying is that IF I'm RIGHT, you could probably save on some customer dis-satisfaction if you added a VACUUM BYPASS to the prime feature of the petcock.

This way if a bike has been sitting the owners manual can instruct the rider to turn the petcock to the prime position for a few seconds to fill the float bowl, return the petcock to the run position and THEN start the bike.

Might save people like Missy D and a whole bunch of less experienced Harley owners a lot of headaches.

Of course, this is all moot the day you change over fully to EFI, but still, I'd like to see it.


Side note - to Missy D - I'm very sorry that in 15 pages NO ONE addressed your complaint! I think I just did, but I want to point out something, unless you have an aftermarket petcock or you've disabled the vacuum feature I BELIEVE you're mistaken if you think:


- The carb is always full of fuel as the fuel tap is always on (same on GSXR).


Since a vacuum petcock keeps the bowl from refilling until the engine is running. And what is there will surely evaporate in the course of a week or so.


oh yeah one more question


- My Sporty is well used and abused ... like I never clean her ... just some chain lube, tire and oil check .... runs very well since 2 years (thats the time she did not visit my local stealer).


Have you converted to a chain drive?

Kev

Yes she has a chain drive on her sporty...





and are you bored Kev??????
tryin to find an argument where there isn't one????





Missy D is Missy D ..... somewhat in the same vein as you're Kev.......

Yes she has a chain drive on her sporty...


Ok, thanks...

I might ask WHY, but that's another discussion


and are you bored Kev??????


Just catching up thanks.



tryin to find an argument where there isn't one????


No, just pointing out something I feel is a bad design and a little disappointed that no-one addressed it in the 15 pages of her post.



Missy D is Missy D ..... somewhat in the same vein as you're Kev.......

Again, not picking a fight with her, I missed the thread, it's closed and I thought I'd point out something that could help address her issue.

What's so hard to understand about that :frownthre

The thread was closed for a reason.....


Move on...

The thread was closed for a reason.....


Move on...


If you haven't noticed.

1. I'm NOT addressing this thread to you.

2. I'm trying to address a technical issue to Harley AND, in case Missy stops back, throw her a related tip that MIGHT help.

:p :rolleyes:

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D






Oh how I've missed the amusement you provide..........

3/4 of a bottle of red and it seems positively jovial

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D






Oh how I've missed the amusement you provide..........

3/4 of a bottle of red and it seems positively jovial

Awwwww, you missed me, that's sooooo sweeeeeeeet

I'm here for you my friend... :doh :D

Now if others would treat your "tongue in cheek" jousts in the same manner as I, there would be a lot less aggravation in your threads..



But I guess you would say "where is the fun in that??"

Now if others would treat your "tongue in cheek" jousts in the same manner as I, there would be a lot less aggravation in your threads..



But I guess you would say "where is the fun in that??"


No sir, my tongue in cheek jousts are NOT meant to aggravate.

They are meant for fun, but I do NOT derive pleasure from aggravating others.

Amusing, educating, verbal sparring - yes, but not aggravation!

Good day to you sir,

Kev

Ya he likes stirring shyte.

kev offends me everytime i read his posts.

Ya he likes stirring shyte.


If, by stirring shyte, you mean challanging the collective wisdom if I do not agree, yes sir, guilty. But I don't do it, JUST to do it.

:tour

kev offends me everytime i read his posts.

:doh

Thanks man... :banana

But I don't do it, JUST to do it.

:tour


thats what i do:D

thats what i do:D


You're just bitter cause you don't have a REAL 1200 :gun :roflblack

Kev, I think you need to read the replys to this thread and get the hint

No sir, my tongue in cheek jousts are NOT meant to aggravate.

They are meant for fun, but I do NOT derive pleasure from aggravating others.

Amusing, educating, verbal sparring - yes, but not aggravation!

Good day to you sir,

Kev


it would seem that your perspective of "fun" differs from most others on this forum...


Personally I just find your perspective amusing.....


but that's just my perspective... and I am after all looking at it from underneath ...

You're just bitter cause you don't have a REAL 1200 :gun :roflblack

deadhorse alert...warning:roflblack :roflblack :roflblack

I wonder, if/when H-D puts EFI in the Sporty, would it be backward compatible with earlier models? i.e. would they keep the heads compatible with present bolt hole pattern and pushrod locations?

And how much more hp could NRHS get out of a EFI Sporty compared to the carb'd version?

Oh, Hi Stevo. Getting close to bedtime ain't it?

And Kev, y'all not a swing/grave shifter are ya?

Hey guys, inguiring minds ask stupid questions... sometimes. :roflblack :roflblack :roflblack

HD have EFI on the buells which have the almost identical internals to the current 1200 sporty..


so it's not an issue...


next question???





I think this is going to be the morning shit thread.... :D

Kev, I think you need to read the replys to this thread and get the hint


i retract my original statement for any that didnt sence the sarcasm(werd). i enjoy reading kevs posts very much. and his original post without mentioning missyd would be very valid and is. just because her name came up doesnt mean he doesnt make a good point.
ok, i gotta go to work. later y'all:banawala

Kev, I think you need to read the replys to this thread and get the hint


Uhhh, Stevo is amused by me (is that good or bad?, his tone warns that others don't take it well, so that must be bad)

Jbrews things I stir the shyte (good or bad? need more info).

Lager is a buddy of mine and he's teasing.


And you think????

So, what exactly is the hint.

FUNNY NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF HARD STARTING after the bike sits too long. WHICH IS WHAT THIS THREAD IS ABOUT???

Talk about hints?

I thin I might crack another bottle of red and watch the entertainment...

I wonder, if/when H-D puts EFI in the Sporty, would it be backward compatible with earlier models? i.e. would they keep the heads compatible with present bolt hole pattern and pushrod locations?

No idea, but in the end it would just come down to whether or not you could mount the sensors, I SUSPECT.


And how much more hp could NRHS get out of a EFI Sporty compared to the carb'd version?

mmm, good question.


And Kev, y'all not a swing/grave shifter are ya?

Hey guys, inguiring minds ask stupid questions... sometimes. :roflblack :roflblack :roflblack


Not officially, more of a flex-timer I guess...

I thin I might crack another bottle of red and watch the entertainment...


What's your pleasure?

We get some decent Australian Red Wines here (ok, I don't honestly know if they are considered DECENT or not, but I like em well enough, I can't remember the winery, but it's got a roo on the label. They've got a Cabernet Sauvingon and a Cabernet/Merlot that my wife and I both dig).

If all we had here were threads where 80 people chime in about parking their bikes in neutral or first it would get boring fast.

I like cab sav's and cab merl's ...


We have way too many small mineries to mention any names...


But any WolfBlas or Brown brothers stuff is usually very good...


I like a lot of smaller boutique wines because you can get some great wines for a fraction of what you would pay if it was a known brand....


drinking a Cockatoo Ridge cab sav at the mo...... well it just finished it and I decided to have a beer rather than crack another bottle tonight..

so I know have a Carlton Mid Strength tinnie in front of me...

I don't know about the rest of it, but the addition of a 'prime' position on the petcock would save some cranking if the fuel has evaporated, which could well happen if the bike sits for a while.

I often travel for several weeks at a time and on returning I usually have to crank the sporty over a bit to get it started - I know that this is probably because the fuel has evaporated and, unlike every other bike I've owned which has a vacuum petcock, there is no way to prime the carb. It doesn't bother me because I understand what's happening, if others don't I can understand their frustration.

Cheers,

Brett

I like cab sav's and cab merl's ...


We have way too many small mineries to mention any names...


But any WolfBlas or Brown brothers stuff is usually very good...

I like a lot of smaller boutique wines because you can get some great wines for a fraction of what you would pay if it was a known brand....


drinking a Cockatoo Ridge cab sav at the mo...... well it just finished it and I decided to have a beer rather than crack another bottle tonight..

so I know have a Carlton Mid Strength tinnie in front of me...

Gracias,

I'll keep my eyes open, though I'm not sure we can get those in this communist state. Have I bitched about the PA state owned and run liquor stores yet today? Yeah, I think I have.

I don't know about the rest of it, but the addition of a 'prime' position on the petcock would save some cranking if the fuel has evaporated, which could well happen if the bike sits for a while.

I often travel for several weeks at a time and on returning I usually have to crank the sporty over a bit to get it started - I know that this is probably because the fuel has evaporated and, unlike every other bike I've owned which has a vacuum petcock, there is no way to prime the carb. It doesn't bother me because I understand what's happening, if others don't I can understand their frustration.

Cheers,

Brett


:clap :clap :clap

thank you sir!!!!

Kev

ohhh and to the supposed origional question...


Yes I think a "prime" position on the fuel tap would be a good idea but how many people would know how to use it??????


Reading the majority of posts/threads/replies on this board would suggest that anything more that people have to actually think about wouldn't be a good thing...



and to go a step further I think all bikes should have EFI that are NOT adjustable by owners...

ohhh and to the supposed origional question...


Yes I think a "prime" position on the fuel tap would be a good idea but how many people would know how to use it??????


Reading the majority of posts/threads/replies on this board would suggest that anything more that people have to actually think about wouldn't be a good thing...



and to go a step further I think all bikes should have EFI that are NOT adjustable by owners...

And you say I STIR THE SHYTE, lol.

It's not supposed, it's something I've stated before, I think if we did a search I betcha we could find a post where I've stated I thought a true prime would be a good feature.

You make a good point about dumbing the bike down to the lowest common denomonator of end user. But on the other hand, the very fact that we ride motorcycles and even have a "choke" knob suggests that is not always necessary.

I actually believe in the self-fullfilling prophecy. Tell someone and treat someone like they are stupid, they are going to meet your expectations. Treat em like an adult, give em respect and responsibility and more often than not they'll rise to the occassion. Would a true non-vacuum prime fall in this category? Can't say.

But the vacuum feature is a second safety net in the first place, so I really don't see the harm. Those that don't understand it, would likely not use it, then it's just status quo.

What are your thoughts about tamper-proof EFI, why? For government regulation/good of the environment or ???

Yup ... just have to go back to January


http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=19583&page=3&highlight=vacuum+petcock

Kev

Actually Kev, I also enjoy your stirring-of-the-pot humor. Too many people get way too huffy about that crap. Oh well, who would have thought that a bunch of bikers would be so sensitive?!??

To address the issue you brought up... I always wondered why the bike wouldn't start after a few days. I once missed a ride because I killed the battery trying to start the bike after it sat for a bit, and that sucked. If I had known this info then, I might have gotten it started.

I also had no idea I should let the starter cool after a few cranks, which was not the intention of your post but it was in there. Good to know.

So, I have no idea who Missy D is and don't want to know, but I am glad you posted this and I had the good sense to click on it. The more I know the better rider I will be. Thanks!

tamper proof EFI ...?????


To save the tinkerers that know enough to be dangerous from themselves...

I have had to repair a few jappa engines after they ran too lean from a customers tinkerin with their powercommanders (although some shops aren't much better)


BMW's have a "choke" on their EFI bikes...


Why?? when it is nothing more than a fast idle....

to make the rider think he has some input...


After dealing with customers in this industry for too long I feel that HD has it right on so many levels....

they are not a stupid as many of us would believe... they understand their market well

Keep it simple.....

Here's the thing, it does seem that fuel has a tendency to evaporate from the float bowl. That makes sense, it's expected.

[SNIP]

Why?

Well, because you have to crank the motor sufficiently to fill the float bowl.

Kev, I can tell you that the fuel itself does NOT evaporate in a week. Pull a float bowl off after 6 months of sitting in the off season, and there is still a lot of gas in the float bowl. I'm no chemist, so I can't say what it is that happens, but when gas gets old, it is less prone to firing off. I don't know if it's aromatics or some volatile component or oxygen or whatever that dissipates over time, but it's the problem that affects old gas at a station that does not get much business, or what happens to gas that sits over the winter in a lawn mower. It goes "bad" and is less likely to light.

So, while it's not like the float bowl is empty from evaporation, older gas is less likely to light. You might be onto something (the fact that something has changed over the time the bike sat) but I don't agree that it's evaporation and you aren't "filling the float bowl."

from http://lawnboy.com/service/fixitmyself/fim_whattypeoffuel.html

Stale or Fresh Fuel:
Fresh fuel (less than 30 days old). Gasoline gets "stale" over time and fresh fuel ignites more easily. Stale gas can leave harmful deposits in your products fuel system.

Today's gasoline does not have the same chemical makeup as years ago. Testing has shown that significant deterioration can begin in as little as 30 days. The first sign of old gas is it makes starting more difficult. This is because the most volatile components of the fuel are the first to deteriorate and are the ones that help an engine start easily.

I will also say that smaller quantities of fuel go bad faster than large quantities. So the fuel trapped inside the pilot jet will go bad before the main jet, the main jet before the fuel in the float bowl, and the fuel in the float bowl before the fuel in the tank. Quicker than all of those going bad is the fuel in the injectors...

--Chris

I just remembered my old T140 Tiger had a tickler on the Amal carb, since there was no choke and no enrichener. Maybe that would be a good thing for the CV?

--Chris

ahhh Ticklers..... havn't seen tham for ages...



As far as a solution to the "origional" question...


and to address subsequent issues such as starter and battery problems...


Whe the bike has been sitting for a while or the fuel bowl has been drained only run the starter for about 5 seconds and stop.....

this gives some vacuum in the tap and allows it to flow

repeat and repeat but only for a few seconds each time...

this gives the starter time to cool and it gets fuel into the carb..




the stale fuel mentioned by Chris may be a valid point but I can't comment much on it as our fuel is a bit different and I don't have any issues associated with that phenomenon

tamper proof EFI ...?????


To save the tinkerers that know enough to be dangerous from themselves...

I have had to repair a few jappa engines after they ran too lean from a customers tinkerin with their powercommanders (although some shops aren't much better)


BMW's have a "choke" on their EFI bikes...


Why?? when it is nothing more than a fast idle....

to make the rider think he has some input...


After dealing with customers in this industry for too long I feel that HD has it right on so many levels....

they are not a stupid as many of us would believe... they understand their market well

Keep it simple.....


I hear you.

I guess I still like the idea of being able to download a map. I'm NOT about to tweek it myself, not without paying for some dyno and gas analyzer time.

But from what I've seen, most of the PCIII download maps are pretty darn good to start with (when my friends have done it and THEN paid for dyno time to tweek, they're almost ALWAYS shown that it was pretty darn close to ideal before the tweek, guess we've got some honest dyno guys around here).

Guzzi uses a manual fast idle lever on their EFI system as well. I don't know if Guzzi and BMW do that to involve the rider or just to cut costs. Certainly having no idle air control valve must make the set-up a little cheaper no?

Just guessing.

Kev

Kev, I can tell you that the fuel itself does NOT evaporate in a week. Pull a float bowl off after 6 months of sitting in the off season, and there is still a lot of gas in the float bowl. I'm no chemist, so I can't say what it is that happens, but when gas gets old, it is less prone to firing off. I don't know if it's aromatics or some volatile component or oxygen or whatever that dissipates over time, but it's the problem that affects old gas at a station that does not get much business, or what happens to gas that sits over the winter in a lawn mower. It goes "bad" and is less likely to light.

So, while it's not like the float bowl is empty from evaporation, older gas is less likely to light. You might be onto something (the fact that something has changed over the time the bike sat) but I don't agree that it's evaporation and you aren't "filling the float bowl."

from http://lawnboy.com/service/fixitmyself/fim_whattypeoffuel.html



I will also say that smaller quantities of fuel go bad faster than large quantities. So the fuel trapped inside the pilot jet will go bad before the main jet, the main jet before the fuel in the float bowl, and the fuel in the float bowl before the fuel in the tank. Quicker than all of those going bad is the fuel in the injectors...

--Chris

Well in truth I haven't pulled a float bowl on the Sportys when this occurs. However whether it be caused by a higher percentage of stale fuel or levels that are not quite up to snuff, the solution for our bikes has been my starting procedure which involves using engine vacuum to fill the bowl as much as possible with fresh gas AND NOT touching the choke or accelerator which would further deplete the available gas supply until I've cranked her twice.

Variations from my test, like when my wife forgot the bike hadn't been started in a week or so and pulled the choke and pumped the accelerator before the first crank have resulted in additional cranking necessary before she'd light, so it SUGGESTS the logic of the procedure is sound.

Of course there are many variables. I suspect ambient temperatures, storage conditions, brand of gasoline etc will all have an affect on this.

Next time I have cause to pull a float bowl (perhaps to replace the idle jet when I FINALLY install the mufflers I modded LAST YEAR :o ), I'll try to time it so the bike has been sitting for a week and then see how much gas I have in there.

Thanks for your input!!!

Kev

it's just to make the rider feel involved....


got a silver cali here with it on too

I will also say that smaller quantities of fuel go bad faster than large quantities. So the fuel trapped inside the pilot jet will go bad before the main jet, the main jet before the fuel in the float bowl, and the fuel in the float bowl before the fuel in the tank. Quicker than all of those going bad is the fuel in the injectors...

--Chris

Ohh, I missed this.

Can't say for sure, but most of the manuals I work with claim that fuel DOESN'T go bad in the injectors, because it's sealed.

Fuel goes bad because the hydrocarbons (the stuff that burns) evaporates, leaving behind the non-volatile additives (the blueish/greenish gunky stuff).

But in a sealed, high-pressure fuel system if the hydrocarbons can't evaporate I DON'T think they just go bad.

I can't say for sure, but I certainly store my boat for long periods of time and the direct injected motor fires RIGHT up come spring. Suggesting the fuel in the vapor separator tank and high pressure lines is still good.

Kev

As far as a solution to the "origional" question...

and to address subsequent issues such as starter and battery problems...

Whe the bike has been sitting for a while or the fuel bowl has been drained only run the starter for about 5 seconds and stop.....

this gives some vacuum in the tap and allows it to flow

repeat and repeat but only for a few seconds each time...

this gives the starter time to cool and it gets fuel into the carb..


:clap :clap :clap

cmon Kev ...

you can't honestly say that you wanted a simple answer to this thread now can you???

cmon Kev ...

you can't honestly say that you wanted a simple answer to this thread now can you???


HONESTLY ---

ALL I REALLY WANTED was for


1. Harley to see this and go :doh vaccum-bypass on the prime (but I sorta know they won't, besides, EFI is VERY soon to come).

2. MissyD to see this and go :doh it's easier to start if I do this

3. Others to see this and go :doh why didn't we tell Missy D this.


HONESTLY - THAT'S IT.

But I'm enjoying the dialogue, learning about some new red wines, hearing other's perspectives, all of which is a good thing!!!

Kev

HD ain't gonna listen

MissyD ain't gonna listen 'cos she just needs sumtin to bitch about and if it ain't that, then it'll be sumthin else..

and you're assuming others can can think clearly rather than react ????


now I KNOW ya joshin

HD ain't gonna listen

MissyD ain't gonna listen 'cos she just needs sumtin to bitch about and if it ain't that, then it'll be sumthin else..

and you're assuming others can can think clearly rather than react ????


now I KNOW ya joshin


You are likely correct on all accounts.

But ME, I'm an eternal optimist, I tilt at windmills!

We all have our faults, that one's mine!


:tour

Kev, I have no doubt your procedure works for you and might work equally well for others with a vacuum petcock. I have a non-vacuum petcock and really don't have a problem to speak of. I crank for a few seconds, if it doesn't start, I stop cranking and then try again in a few seconds. No big deal.

--Chris

Can't say for sure, but most of the manuals I work with claim that fuel DOESN'T go bad in the injectors, because it's sealed.
When the Buell DDFI came out, you would not believe how many plugged injectors we saw in the spring after 5 months of non-riding.

I don't know the theory or sealed vs. unsealed vs. high pressure, but I know we have seen lots of plugged injectors. The Magneti-Marelli baggers when they first came out were like this too, although less often. Maybe because the baggers get ridden and the Buell is parked for longer periods of time?

--Chris

Ya he likes stirring shyte.

i had to stir it when i burnt in in iraq :smoke

When the Buell DDFI came out, you would not believe how many plugged injectors we saw in the spring after 5 months of non-riding.

I don't know the theory or sealed vs. unsealed vs. high pressure, but I know we have seen lots of plugged injectors. The Magneti-Marelli baggers when they first came out were like this too, although less often. Maybe because the baggers get ridden and the Buell is parked for longer periods of time?

--Chris


i think clogged injectors can also be caused by the design of the injector itself. bosch injectors dont really seem to have problems as other style injectors. been working at dealer for 6 years and privateer shops previous for 9 years. seen only a handful of european cars with clogged injectors all fitted with bosch injectors.

I love Bosch stuff. Been on a tour of their R&D department over here (Broadview, IL). They used to bring bikes to the shop I worked at when dyno testing new spark plugs. Cool stuff. Nice dishwashers too.

--Chris

Out in front of my house is a rusty old 1976 Ford F150, 300ci approaching 200k miles on her. She's developed a battery draw that I thought I'd pinned down but turned out I didn't. Best I've got right now is it is in the "main" power feed wire from the solenoid to the bulk of the internal components. Could be anything. If I let her sit for a couple days, the battery will be too dead to turn her over. Let her sit for a week and it will toast the battery. Damn near impossible, and certainly not worth the effort, to pinpoint the problem. So I just disconnect the battery cable.

But even before this, and of course still now, I have to pump the shit out of her before she'll catch. After a day or two she's cold as hell and needs to be well primed before she lights. Gee, maybe that's why we refer to them in the female sense. :p

At any rate, she fires and runs like a happy kitten once she does.

Had a ton of carb fueld rigs over the years. My '64 F100 had about 75K on it when I bought her. Had to pump the shit out of it after a couple days. '72 Ranchero, same thing. '63 Bel Air, yep. '70 F150, ding, ding. '87 Escort, pump that too. And so on and so on.

I remember the very first time I was exposed to EFI was when I bought my first new car, a '91 Escort. Me and the salesman got in and it was a bitter cold winter day. Doing what I'd always done I started pumping the accelerator before I hit the key. He freaked and told me to stop and I was totally confused, and a bit pissed actually. Don't think I know how to start a fricking motor?! It was then I learned, at least on the surface, the difference between EFI and carbs.

But that is another story....

Back to carbs...

Parked the Sporty in late October and barely even looked at her, let alone touched her until mid-March. My only concern was the battery, didn't give the fuel issue a second thought. I knew she'd need to be primed. Backed her out, found she had juice, pulled the enrichener, gave her five or six good twists on the throttle and she almost went. Gave her a second to sit, then a couple more twists, and boom, fired right up.

With my current schedule she might sit for two or three days before I get on her and never does she require more than two or three twists to get going.

It's a carb. That's how they work. Even with the vacuum petcock it isn't really a big deal. The motor turns over enough in those first couple cranks to draw the fuel down. And the fact that I can give a couple twists to the throttle tells me I'm not losing all that much to evaporation.

To me, this whole thing isn't an issue. Shit, watch a guy start an old Knuck or Pan or some time.

What you're asking for is EFI. Turn the key, touch the button, it works. And again, that's another topic....

Ya know, next time the wife's sporty sits for a week, I'll try a totally different method to see... I'll pump it 5-6 times like Gotwa and see what happens.

Nothing to loose.

I guess I could just pull the air cleaner off and pump it once to watch the spray from the accelerator pump, if I see spray, there was fuel.

Oh, my SIL's 04, some of you have heard me bitch about her before. Well, back in October or so she brought it to me in sad shape. I worked on it, freshened the fluids, adjusted bla bla bla... it was running fine. Then I found out she'd let the insurance lapse. Well, she STILL hasn't got insurance and it had been sitting in my garage since October. Hadn't TOUCHED it once.

Anyway, I get wind that a repo man might be looking for it soon and I decided to get it out of my garage (my bikes were blocking it in and I don't want some repo man f@#$@#$ng with my bikes to get to hers).

Used my starting method I talked about at the beginning of this thread. She fired right up.

That said, I took it for a 20-30 mile or so shakedown to see how it was and get some fresh fuel in her. And, @%@#$%^@^$^@$^ and I'm almost certain there is something wrong with the carb. Really struggling above 1/2 throttle or so, at WOT it's just not coming on the needle, then suddently WAAAAAAAAAA it comes on, then goes away. I'm guessing gunk, but won't know until I pull the float bowl (which will be never if the repo man is coming).

Still, IT DID sit for 9 months and basically fired right up.

Kev

Hey, start another thread on SIL/repo drama, this is riveting Kev...refreshing for me to see someone else has a D.C. for a SIL.

I am TOTALLY SERIOUS on this one...

Harley did fix this so called problem. They added a fuel pump. lol Turn the key wait till the check engine light goes out and it will fire right up.

I`ve never had a problem starting mine if its sat for a week or more.
Just use the method described earlier,crank a few secs,let it sit a few secs. pull the enricher out full,a quick twist on the gas and try again,fires up in two or three attempts at the most.
I personaly have no problem with Kev,except that sometimes he can get a bit picky-uny about the exact wording of peoples posts and replies,reading things into them that mabey just arnt there,I think this is what rubs people the wrong way about him.
Otherwise, he starts some very good threads.

fuggem all Kev,

I enjoy your rapier wit, and more often than not, I find myself in agreement. As for the sensitive crowd, lighten up, it's all in fun

jeez!

Harley did fix this so called problem. They added a fuel pump. lol Turn the key wait till the check engine light goes out and it will fire right up.

:doh :roflblack :roflblack

good point...

Tpr, I'm trying to just stay out of my in-law's business for a while. We'll see how that works out. :rolleyes: lol

Dooley, damn straight and thanks for the support. I KNOW I read stuff into things that aren't meant to be there sometimes. And I suspect a lot of other people do the same to me. It's human nature. I'm not gonna loose sleep over it though, but maybe I'll try to work on my reading comprehension a bit more. Hey, keeps life interesting. As for my anal-retentiveness, I don't know what they heck to do about that, go back and in time and tell my mom not to freak so much about potty training or something. :banana

Avn, thnx mang,

Kev


OK, this thread is officially DEAD - no carbs and no petcocks = no problems.