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Old 29-11-17, 12:07 AM   #1
machulnyy
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Default Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

Hello all!

You guys helped me out several times from just reading some threads...but now, after exhausting myself reading through a bunch of posts, the time has come to post my own!

I have a ‘03 curvy (I know, right?!) with around 10k miles on it. Got it in July and loving every minute. However now been really struggling to keep the love alive. It’s refusing to start!!

As soon as the temp dropped it became more difficult to start in the mornings. One day it wouldn’t start (wouldn’t attempt to turn over but would click and the starting procedure would stop) until I did a running/push start. This continued for a few weeks. Sometimes all it needed was to hold the starter button for a prolonged time to get it going, other times a simple roll-forward off the side stand and it would start. Other times a few laps running around car park with it.

Was sure it was battery. Put brand new one in (and gave my curvy a good wash while I was at it). Worked like a charm!...until the next morning. refused to start (this time attempted to turn over but wouldn’t). After a running start it did, but needed the choke to be almost fully on to stay running otherwise would stall. Got riding but it stalled at traffic light when I lowered choke and then at a junction and would not start after that. I turned it around and took a painfully long time to start up again. 10-15 seconds of attempted turnover with full choke and handful of throttle eventually got it slowly ticking over.

Got home, changed spark plugs. Rode to and from work just fine. Was sure this was it! Then today it went back to not even attempting to turn over, just clicking and stopping. A couple laps around car park later and it slowly got ticking over and I rode off to work. (All this choke use got me filling up 30 miles prematurely this evening!)

Anyway...now I’m lost with what to do next. First it seemed to be battery, but the weirdness the next day after installing new one suggests otherwise. Not spark plugs either...Doubt it’s a charging issue as is unlikely to drain a brand new battery while standing still overnight.

so what could cause it to refuse to even attempt to turn over again, at least until running/pushing it or holding down the starter button for a while?? Please help!

Thanks!






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Last edited by machulnyy; 10-05-18 at 11:27 PM. Reason: Hydrolocked?
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Old 29-11-17, 12:12 AM   #2
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

Forgot to mention, I read on another thread that with choke rpm should be around 2.5k...mine is nearly 4k! In case this is relevant...


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Old 29-11-17, 12:47 AM   #3
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

Quote:
Originally Posted by machulnyy View Post
Hello all!

...Doubt it’s a charging issue as is unlikely to drain a brand new battery while standing still overnight.
Dependng on how a reg/rec fails that's exactly what could happen.


You need to check the charging. It has all the symptoms of simply not charging the battery.


https://www.electrosport.com/media/pdf/fault-finding-diagram.pdf
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Old 29-11-17, 03:01 AM   #4
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

Again I agree with Ember, when my RR started to fail the bike was hard to start and ran like a pig. Not enough sparks at low revs
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Old 29-11-17, 08:05 AM   #5
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

All the above is good advice, if you have a multimeter you can check the voltage across the battery terminals when the bike is running, which will give you a good idea of what's happening. Voltage should be over 13V at fast idle and over 14V (but less than 15V) at a steady 4,000 rpm.

However, one thing to try before you do all the electrical checks. Are the main earth points for the loom, and the connection to the starter nice and clean? If those connections are dirty, corroded etc then they can also cause the symptoms you describe. Give the main earth connection (at the rear right of the engine, have a look with a torch and you'll see it, it connects to one of the rear clutch cover bolts) and the connection to the starter a good hosing down with WD40 and make sure they are tight.
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Old 29-11-17, 10:34 AM   #6
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

All of the above.Start with grounds and take the Starter off and clean and bare the mating surfaces between the Starter and the engine.This is a main current path when starting.

Check main grounds @ the battery and frame.No point doing in-bike tests on the R/R if there's high current corroded contacts.

Remove check and clean and de-corrode the main R/R connectors.These are commonly overlooked and quite often have never been serviced and a common area of fault and can put a massive strain on other electrical components and in extreme cases cause melt-downs and electrical fires,

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Last edited by R1ffR4ff; 30-11-17 at 09:52 AM.
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Old 29-11-17, 08:25 PM   #7
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

Thank you all for your replies! Will attempt your suggestions over the weekend and report back


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Old 30-11-17, 09:56 AM   #8
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

I forgot to add that my main Electrical connector near the head-stock had some corroded contacts,which was a breakdown just waiting to happen.I cleaned these with a jeweller's small screwdriver with some 500 grit paper wrapped around it and Switch cleaner and then treated with ACF50.

It's quite common on older machines that mechanical parts are kept well serviced but electrics are over-looked but corrosion never sleeps but can be slowed down to point where it cannot cause problems
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Old 03-12-17, 01:22 AM   #9
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Default Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

Guys, quick question.

Was planning on getting at your suggestions tomorrow but don’t know if will have time now as will need to go somewhere. However, did take out the battery and thought to leave it on charge overnight to make sure I can start it tomorrow...well the charge read 13.22 and connecting to the charger it said it’s fully charged but I left it on anyway just in case. (Been riding every day but Friday this week, and Saturday was the hardest to start, but been running nonetheless)

So does this mean that it can’t be the charging system after all? since after continuous use, it still has good charge left? Surely battery should be much worse off by now if it was...


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Old 03-12-17, 03:20 PM   #10
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Default Re: Curvy Cold Starting Needs Running Start

I think you have got two problems.The sluggish starting one is possibly poor connections or faulty starter motor/solonoid. Overhaul all wiring connectors as said above and you can run a wire direct from battery to the cap on the starter motor to see if that gets it spinning the engine(just briefly though!).Keep the battery charged properly at all times in winter. Never a bad idea to get a cheapie multimeter to check the charging system too. Loads of stuff on here if you do a search.
The other problem is the poor running on the choke/odd tickover you describe.I think that is likely to be a service issue or possibly an intake air leak.Check the carbs and airbox are properly seated on their rubbers and then service the choke plungers and cables.Again a search on here will give you the lowdown but its something that needs doing regularly anyway.You say you put new plugs in? What did the old ones look like and were they both the same?
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