'97 Tourer won't fire in low ambien temperature

[snakemeister]

 I sometimes start my Valkyrie and let it ran for a few minutes to keep the battery charged if it sits for a week or so. A few times it wouldn't start when the ambien temp was below about 40 even though it turns over just fine with the starter.
    Today it was in the twenties and it wouldn't start so I checked and it wasn't firing.Anybody had this problem? It starts just great when the temp is above about 40 or so.

[ryord]

The first thing that comes to mind is the battery condition. I have read here many times that if the battery is weak it will turn over just fine but wont fire. The cold might be making it hard on your battery too. Just a thought.

[Gryphon Rider]

I agree with Ryord. Also it's better for the bike and the battery to charge it with an intelligent charger than to start the bike simply to charge the battery.

[R J]

If you are worrying about starting your bike to charge the battery. FORGET IT, it would take too long to charge the battery with the alternator.

Now, if you really think you need to start it, pull your car/truck up beside it, put the jumper cables on it, WITH THE CAR/TRUCK ENGINE OFF.

Give it full choke, that means the little black knob it pointing straight across to the right handlebar.

Keep your hand off the throttle till it fires, then ease the throttle on it a little.  It will probably die a couple of times, but once you get so the throttle will work slowly take the choke off.    Once you have the choke lever at least 1/2 way back to off, it isn't doing any good anymore so take it clear off.   Hold it at about 1,500 rpm's for a little bit and then let it idle.

Come spring, you will need a new battery, OR a very good charge put in it.

The battrery will spin these engines, but if there isn't enough spark it will not fire.
The bike needs almost a FULLY charged battery to fire in cold weather.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The best thing to do for your bike is winterize it and put it away till spring.   In other words, don't muck with it, you aren't gaining anything.

Peace:   RJ.  

[snakemeister]

  I had major surgery five years ago and wasn't able to ride for about six weeks.I was able to start it about once a week and let it run for about fifteen minutes though and the battery stayed charged and it readily started when I was able to ride.It rarely goes a week without being ridden;year round.
  I do think that it's the battery.It's probably about time to replace it as it's about four years old.
 
 
   

[Tx Bohemian]

Good luck with your problem.

I agree to check the battery first which is normally the fault with this type of issue.

However it seems my problems are never normal.

I've had this exact problem as you describe with my '99 Standard. If the temp got below 50^o it would crank over fine but not start.
I fought this problem for a couple of years (as it doesn't get that cold that much down here in S. Texas) and went through all the suggestions here such as the "choke not engaging" and "weak battery" but to no avail!!

Turned out to be the aftermarket 6^o trigger wheel.

The tabs on the aftermarket were rounded and a bit shorter than the factory one I installed, which I'm happy to say solved my problem. (this thing would even start in 20^o temps then)

The only thing I can think of that happened was the AM TW would shrink just a bit in the colder weather (maybe it was made of cheaper metal) and therefore the pickups wouldn't get a signal. But that's just MHO.

[Hoser]

As RJ said, make sure the choke is completely engaged, The last quarter inch travel is extremely hard to engage.  From your location, it is possible that you have never had this common problem until the recent cold snap.  Push it down hard when you think it is closed.  At 40 degrees, it needs all the choke. Hoser

[old2soon]

My 99 I/S will/has started in 25 degree weather. And EXACTLY like R J and Hoser have posted-full choke WITHOUT throttle on start up is the key here. I personally pull in the clutch lever also. Had my I/S NOT started I would not have made the Mo. Fall Color Ride last year-2013. AND your battery may turn the engine over BUT NOT have enough oomph to fire I C Ms. I fully expect to ride this weekend and mine has been sitting in a below ZERO garage for 2 weeks and No battery tender or charger. I DID however put Stabil in my fuel. RIDE SAFE.

[R J]

Take your battery out of the bike and take it to a good battery store or a reputable auto parts store and have them check it.

If they say it is bad, replace it and follow the instructions on how to charge it before ya fire it up and go.

If you don't follow those directions, kiss about 4 or 5 years of life off of that battery.

Peace
RJ

[snakemeister]

  I put a 6 Degree aftermarket trigger wheel on it soon after  I bought it. I may put a factory one in when it's time to change the timing belts.The times that it wouldn't start I wasn't going riding anyway as it was too cold. I sure hadn't thought of that.

[sandy]

If the voltage is below 9.6 while cranking, the coils won't fire. Keep a smart charger on it all the time if you don't ride regularly. Amazon= CTEK 3300 charger.

[R J]

 I put a 6 Degree aftermarket trigger wheel on it soon after  I bought it. I may put a factory one in when it's time to change the timing belts.The times that it wouldn't start I wasn't going riding anyway as it was too cold. I sure hadn't thought of that.

I'm having a hard time believing the 6* trigger wheel is causing the problem.

LaMonte and I put a 6* trigger wheel in mine in Custer, SD one year.   Don't remember how many miles I had on him then but he currently has 243K+ and my trigger wheel hasn't shrunk, gained length or anything.

I have started him in temps as high as 110* in  Phoenix, AZ, and cold temps in my home state.    I had to move him to a different storage unit once due to a fire in the old garage.   To the best of my knowledge it was 5 to 10* BELOW zero.    Turned him over about 5 times and he tried to fire.   Let off the starter, and hit him again, he started on the 2nd turn over but died about 6 seconds later.  Tried it again, this time he fired and kept running on the 1st roll over.   Let him warm up and rode him to the new storage facility.

It was Minny Storage or some God forsaken name.   Had to ride him down an aisle and then work our ass off to get him in the unit.     Didn't have enough room to pull him in, or ride past and back in.     So, we pulled my floor jack out and lifted the front by the engine and rolled him around to get him in.

Shut the gas off, pulled the key and went home, 3 days later the Storage Unit Manager said we had to drain the gas out of it and tape the tank shut.  So we drained what we could without spilling gas all over hell.

Insurance Company settled on the garage fire and my 39 Chevy and my sons 70 Mach 1 - Mustang, my tools, a garden tractor and a lawn mower.

The next Saturday a few of us dug around in the charred remains and salvaged what we could.

Monday a contractor came in, took out the slab, all the debris, and poured a new bigger slab and stuck up some walls,   Tuesday the lumber yard dropped off all the lumber needed & the work began.    That afternoon the electrician roughed in his wiring, and from there in 4 1/2 days it was all done on the outside.  Stuck insulation in the walls and put up 1/2" plywood walls.   Mounted the door and opener, laid a floor using 3/4" plywood and covered 1/2 of the attic, put in an ventilator on each end.   Had a painter brush 3 coats of paint on it and the trim.      Be living in it ever since.

Brought MGM home from storage and he felt like a lone peanut in a big jar.

 Ya should see it now,  that MF is packed full.    Still haven't found a 39 Chevy Coupe to spend my Insurance $$$ on.

[BF]

Get a Battery Tender.  Letting your bike sit at idle and running for 15 or 20 minutes at a time might not be a great idea. 

[Tx Bohemian]

  I put a 6 Degree aftermarket trigger wheel on it soon after  I bought it. I may put a factory one in when it's time to change the timing belts. The times that it wouldn't start I wasn't going riding anyway as it was too cold. I sure hadn't thought of that.

I'm having a hard time believing the 6* trigger wheel is causing the problem…

Ok, to my understanding it’s not just because it's a "6^o TW" but certain brands of TWs.

I realize this is “out of the box” thinking for this site but here’s why I mentioned this:

I'm actually "Proof in the Pudding" on this!!

After fighting this “no start” problem for a couple of years and having people on this site telling me "Battery-battery-battery" although I've explained in my posts it’s a 1-2yr old “new” battery, it's constantly on a "battery tender", it has like 11 volts remaining when cranking, and using a car battery to jump didn’t help, I still heard “battery”.
I eventually gave into the pressure and bought a new battery, only to STILL have the same problem.

And the second most “non-start” condition on these bikes, as most of us know, is the “Choke engagement” issue.
Again in my posts I’ve explained numerous times when I engage my choke, the linkage for the “enrichers” are properly adjusted to where the plungers are fully depressed but still heard “push it hard another ¼ inch”!

WHY??  There is no more plunger travel. All that’s gonna do is break the plastic handle! or cable, or something…


Eventually one member here (Grumpy I think) mentioned he has fixed a few bikes that had this similar issue by changing the aftermarket TW.

So I did and that fixed my problem!  After that this thing even started in 32^o weather without using the choke. (And would probably start in even colder weather but it doesn’t get that cold down here that often and when it does I stay indoors as much as possible!!)

As far as why this fixed it, I explained that it’s “my opinion” on the metal shrinking.  I could be way out in left field on this. It’s just my opinion.
Maybe the pick-ups aren’t as strong as they used to be! At that time the bike only had 20K miles but was 12ish years old.

I do know that going back to a “Stock TW” did solve my problem.

Now it could be that snakemeisters cause of his problem is a normal battery/choke problem that most of these bikes have but I wanted to be sure he had all the information available.

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And snakemeister, if you do go back to a Stock Trigger Wheel but still want some more advance there is good information here on this site as to how much and where to file the tang on a stock TW.

Good luck!!