Frozen bike

[localhost]

My bike didn't start this morning.
It was covered in frost and looked quite misserable where it stood.
I put full choke on and tried to start it, but it was futile.
My battery ran out after a while and left me one our late for work and quite angry with the world.

Does anyone have any advice how to avoid this?
I don't have a garage, and i will do my best to jumpstart the bike when i get back home to charge up the battery.

How can i prevent this from happening again? :evil:

[JakeRS]

did you have it covered up? mine was and it starts fine every cold morning so far, albeit with ice on the seat occasionally ...

[localhost]

Hmm, thats an idea perhaps.
I should get one of thouse covers then.
Excelent!

[Kate]

Mine was frozen this morning too, my screen didn't even defrost by the time I got to work about an hour later either.

I didn't have any trouble starting the bike, though my seat was rather crunchy. I am going to start to use the bike cover I have I think.

I really need to remember to put the damn liner back in my trousers.

[Ping]

Defo cover it up, I hadn't covered mine last week and it wouldn't start. The morning after I HAD put the cover on, it started first time.

:thumbsup:

[mysteryjimbo]

The joys of having a garage...... :lol:

[hall13uk]

a cover is defo a must in this weather, i don't have a cover at this time & can't really afford one till the end of the month so i put an old bed sheet over her (double bed size) . works really well, no ice on the bike what so ever & it started striaght up :D might not even buy a cover now :wink:

[mysteryjimbo]

a cover is defo a must in this weather, i don't have a cover at this time & can't really afford one till the end of the month so i put an old bed sheet over her (double bed size) . works really well, no ice on the bike what so ever & it started striaght up :D might not even buy a cover now :wink:

Till it gets wet then freezes solid! :wink: You could take the cover off and stand it on its own and people will still think you're at home.

It doesnt hurt to have an old sheet or blanket over the bike under a cover either. It helps keep the wind chill off.

I had a problem of none starting with the SV in my old house. The drive used to funnel the wind down it like a wind tunnel so the windchill on the bike made it impossible to start the next morning until the air temperture and warmed a little.

[localhost]

I had a problem of none starting with the SV in my old house. The drive used to funnel the wind down it like a wind tunnel so the windchill on the bike made it impossible to start the next morning until the air temperture and warmed a little.

That seems to be the same problem i have. I will go to the closest bikeshop and pick up a cover and put a sheet over it as well.

thanks for all the advice!

How long do you guys reckon we will be able to ride the streets of london before it's to icy?
This is my first winter with a bike so i don't know any of this

[The Basket]

Yes a Bike cover is an excellent idea. Odd that you hadn't thought of it before. Careful with that hot exhaust. A good battery is worth every penny.

Choke? Carb icing? Oh how very 20th Century!

K5, see :wink:

[localhost]

Yes a Bike cover is an excellent idea. Odd that you hadn't thought of it before.

Well, im completly new to bikes, and i haven't lived in uk for even 2 years, so bikes and such is nothing i spent to much time thinking about until recently.

But you are right, it should be quite obvious (especially since im swedish :oops: )

[The Basket]

Sweden must be a tropical paradise then. :wink: Bikes can still rust due to the cover trapping condensation and stuff. Make sure the cover is burn proof as the exhaust could melt it. Especially if you go cheap and nasty.

If the battery is on the old side then it don't help. A new battery is a good idea also.

[Warren]

every year i say this - and every year saying it.

"my h*nda started first time :)"

[localhost]

I will make sure the cover is burn proof, thanks for the heads up.
Well, sweden isn't a tropical paradise, but up north where i come from (100 k north of the arctic circle) there isn't much of bike season as soon as the cold starts to come in.
You only get a few months of bike season there (horrible thing, but you got snowmobiles on the other hand)

[454697819]

every year i say this - and every year saying it.

"my h*nda started first time :)"

well starting a sewing machine dont take a lot of effort does it?? :P

[wyrdness]

Sometimes spraying WD-40 on the electrics (e.g spark plugs) and carbs can help persuade a reluctant bike to start in the cold.

Have you checked your HT leads? If they're old, they may need replacing. I had the same problem last winter and a set of new leads fixed it. It's probably worth checking your spark plugs too.

Basket's advice about cover and battery is worth heeding.

[TSM]

Oxford make a cheep cover that is heat proof/fire proof.

[pepe]

Make sure you tie the cover down and it might be worth getting a permanent marker pen and writing you plate number on the cover . I've had two covers nicked :x but since I've written my plate number on the side and front of the cover it's been ok .

[JakeRS]

Hall13UK... bike cover, £15 odd quid from argos, invest, well worth it!

[argatxa]

Make sure you tie the cover down and it might be worth getting a permanent marker pen and writing you plate number on the cover . I've had two covers nicked :x but since I've written my plate number on the side and front of the cover it's been ok .

mmm.. that's a good one!!! My flatmate and I had the bike parket outside with covers and he got the cover nicked twice in one month!!

And mine, that was twenty meters away, chained to another lamp post, survived without problems... :roll:

[** note to self: buy big fat marker **]

[Steve W]

every year i say this - and every year saying it.

"my h*nda started first time :)"

well starting a sewing machine dont take a lot of effort does it?? :P

Gosh... I can remember when I referred to all Japanese bikes as sounding like sewing machines... must have been when I was trying to bump start my Bantam... :wink:

[Biker Biggles]

And----get an Optimate battery charger.An hour or two a week on that will mean your battery always has enough ooomph in it to start the thing whatever the temperature.If you don't park near a power socket try an extension lead or arrange somewhere every so often.

[Ed]

And----get an Optimate battery charger.An hour or two a week on that will mean your battery always has enough ooomph in it to start the thing whatever the temperature.If you don't park near a power socket try an extension lead or arrange somewhere every so often.

I can vouch for an Optimate. I plug mine every evening and the bike starts 1st time.

But, like Warren, I ride a H*nda :lol:

[northwind]

The other thing is, whacking the choke on full isn't always the best way- you can end up flooding it if you're not careful. I used to get this quite a lot, now I start with a smaller amount of choke and work up if neccesary. I believe short bursts of the starter work better than constant too, seems to work for me.

But then, it seems like what works for one bike may not work for the next...

[The Basket]

My old GPz had the patented Kwak choke which would race the engine to 4000rpm at startup. This isn't a good idea.

A bit of starter here and there is better as it gives the battery time to recover.

The SV has no choke, FI and starts like a trooper. Even if it isn't a H*nda :D

[ujoni08]

Localhost, I've got a brand new bike cover, still wrapped, that I could sell you, if you like. I enthusiastically bought a whole lot of new stuff when I bought the bike a few months ago, but don't use the cover, because I have a garage. Cost me £29.99, yours for £20? It's an Oxford Products waterproof one (not burn proof).
Jon.

[northwind]

The SV has no choke, FI and starts like a trooper. Even if it isn't a H*nda :D

SV Fi has a fast idle though, basically does the same job as a choke (or more accurately, enricher)

[The Basket]

The SV has no choke, FI and starts like a trooper. Even if it isn't a H*nda :D

SV Fi has a fast idle though, basically does the same job as a choke (or more accurately, enricher)

To my knowledge, FI gives the right mixture of air/fuel to suit temp and revs. This is why it doesn't need a choke. So it will run rich on start up but usually only to 2300rpm on these cold mornings. And then settles down a bit lower. Finding a suitable idle speed when warm.

One thing I have noticed is that the rear D220 is cold even after a good run. Could explain some of the slides I have been having.

[northwind]

The SV's FI is fixed map, it doesn't correct the mix for temperature, air ressure or temperature, or for induction or exhaust changes- it does the same thing, all the time, exactly as the carbed SV does.

But if I have it right, it's got a fast idle which either happens on every start, or on every cold start (not sure which, think it's every start going by the smell of a pack of FI SVs starting at the same time from warm...) which enriches the mix to get the same effect as a carbed bike's enricher control- just that it's automatic not rider controlled.

[The Basket]

The SV's FI is fixed map, it doesn't correct the mix for temperature, air ressure or temperature, or for induction or exhaust changes- it does the same thing, all the time, exactly as the carbed SV does.

But if I have it right, it's got a fast idle which either happens on every start, or on every cold start (not sure which, think it's every start going by the smell of a pack of FI SVs starting at the same time from warm...) which enriches the mix to get the same effect as a carbed bike's enricher control- just that it's automatic not rider controlled.

If that is the case, it completley wastes having FI in the first place. I thought FI was more than a petrol squirter. I am now intrigued by your answer. I will try and find out more. My Google search engine will not know what hit it :D

[northwind]

Existing SV FI is just a petrol squirter. It's more controllable than carbs, which is why it's better emissions-wise... SV carbs have three cirtcuits so it's always a compromise, but FI has much finer control.

Basically, cheap FI like SVs- most bikes in fact- have is designed to cut emisisons, and to meet with current fashion. (because everyone knows FI is better, right? Well, look at KTM. They put FI on the Superduke because they had to to get it through Euro 3, but they put carbs on the SM through choice- and there's no argument which fuels better) It doesn't do half the stuff good FI can do.

This year's GSXR gets closed loop FI though, I think it's a first for a Suzuki sports bike. BMW have done it for ages. lso, Suzuki have been smart enough to put the sensor before hte end cans so that if you get a K6 GSXR, you can swap the end can and it ought to fuel right.

[The Basket]

Really? I must have read of a more complex system they fit in a car. Still, no carb icing :D

[northwind]

Yup, I'll give you that ;) No retuning with a screwdriver and £5 worth of parts either though...