My K6 doesn't like mornings...

Or that's the conclusion I'm coming to anyway.

Yesterday, I hit the starter button & it fired, ran for a second or so, then died. This was repeated a couple of times until I gave it some stick as the starter motor was spinning. Result. She fired properly.

I thought about posting this yesterday, but it was an isolated incident, and me & Harry had been playing with the bike the night before. My 2 year old can remember the whole starting sequence for the SV, and is strong enough to lay on the tank, pull the clutch & hit the starter!! I need to hide the keys from him as he also knows how to climb on the bike (keys in hand) using the rider/pillion pegs!! Anyway, I digress. I was putting yesterday's events down to less power in the battery (Harry starting the bike then hitting the kill switch a few times).

This morning, same thing, but without Harry messing with the bike.

Basically, she doesn't like running on cold start revs under the ECU control initially, but after a couple of seconds running, it'll happily run at around 2000-2500 RPM under cold start. A few seconds of this & she drops to 1400-1500 RPM no worries.

Prime suspects in my eyes are the battery, or the ECU (ouch!!).

It could be a fuelling issue or even a spark issue. As many know, I'm running slightly lean (I think) and this could of fouled the spark plugs I suppose. It's definately not as if it's flooding it doesn't struggle, it just dies.

It could be too little fuel getting to the spark plugs I suppose, so I'm going to borrow a Colortune over the weekend to check out that aspect.

I'll be servicing the bike (again) this sunday, when she'll be getting new oil (the current stuff is around 4000miles old and is 5w40), oil filter, air filter and plugs.

Does anyone have any ideas of anything else to be on the lookout that could cause this issue??

Many thanks in advance

Have a look at the connectors on the coils. They are just standard spades and may be furred up giving a weak spark.

How about a split fuel pipe letting air in? have a look around the throttle bodies to make sure the linkages all move freely.

[jambo]

I wouldn't worry about the ECU just yet...

A lean mixture shouldn't foul the plugs (though a rich one can). I would do a propper service, check the plugs are gapped properly, check the air filter's clean, sync the throttle bodies and generally show the bike some love. You'll probably find it's fine again after that, do a good long run or put the battery on an optimate too to make sure it's bang up to full charge

Cheers for the tips so far folks.

Originally Posted by jambo

I wouldn't worry about the ECU just yet...

A lean mixture shouldn't foul the plugs (though a rich one can). I would do a propper service, check the plugs are gapped properly, check the air filter's clean, sync the throttle bodies and generally show the bike some love. You'll probably find it's fine again after that, do a good long run or put the battery on an optimate too to make sure it's bang up to full charge

Didn't you read the bit where I said I'm servicing it on Sunday? She'll be getting new oil (and filter), air filter & plugs. It'll be the first plug change she's had in the last 22000miles actually.

As for taking it on a long run, if my 50mile each way commute through Snowdonia doesn't do the trick, I might treat her to a 250mile jolly after the service.

Originally Posted by Baph

It'll be the first plug change she's had in the last 22000miles actually.

Blimmin' eck!

Two seperate mechanics (neither of whom I got my bike serviced with, so it's not like they had any vested interest) advised me that because spark plugs were comparativeley so cheap and that whilst visual indications (deposits, odd discolouring, etc) can show problems and even help troubleshoot them, they can appear fine, but be on their way out, they just replace them as a matter of course every few services.

Mine get replaced every 3 services (each 12K), if not every other (8K). Personally, for how cheap they are, especially when you consider the SV only has 2, I'd not risk leaving it longer.

NB: I'm no mechanical expert and I'm sure a few people will pop up to say running them for longer is fine. The way I do mine was just based on the advice of 2 seperate sources (one of whom was v. exeperienced) .

[jambo]

I read the bit about the service but thought it was worth highlighting the things that I thought might make a difference. Not everyone does all these things every service you see...

As for your 50 mile each way commute, I wasn't sure if you'd been commuting since your son had taken a lump of charge out.

Originally Posted by jambo

I read the bit about the service but thought it was worth highlighting the things that I thought might make a difference. Not everyone does all these things every service you see...

As for your 50 mile each way commute, I wasn't sure if you'd been commuting since your son had taken a lump of charge out.

I didn't do the plugs at the last 2 services, and to my knowledge, they've never been changed when anyone else did the servicing. I also didn't do the air filter on either of the last 2 services, opting to clean it instead (compressed air).

So those will be changed because they haven't been done in a while.

As for not commuting on my bike, you remember I live on the edge of Snowdonia, right? Driving a car through there & leaving the bike in the garage would be madness...

[jambo]

Originally Posted by Baph

As for not commuting on my bike, you remember I live on the edge of Snowdonia, right? Driving a car through there & leaving the bike in the garage would be madness...

And, quite probably criminal if I ever get into power

Originally Posted by jambo

And, quite probably criminal if I ever get into power

Jambo for President!!

Shouldnt need it due the the usage your bike gets, and its just a thought. Trickle feed to the battery? My old sv was tempremental shall we say, and this just helped her along the way a bit