Please Assist Village idiot !

[buzz1]

New Here
Recently acquired a 97 Valk Standard
Been a thousand years sense I've ridden!
Have been enjoying this beautiful chrome beast most of the summer riding with a couple local clubs and occasionally with wild biker babes.....not bad at  66 huh?

Problem. I'm NO MECHANIC!
NOT that cold but after a few weeks of crappy weather and sat in carport (covered) she does not want to start. Runs about one to two seconds and quits

Tanks full, lights are on, full choke, hand off throttle, engine goes round...starts up and only runs two seconds and quits!
Crank several times til the battery is tired~ Put on charger and try again...no Joy!

Ran like a watch before.
Finally found manual. THE ONLY red flag was it eluded to not liking gas with 10% ethanol...
Hard to believe it would not run at all because I probably got some ethanol in one of my fill ups!!
Is THAT POSSIBLE-Almost impossible here to find a pump without ethanol !

Lots of discussion of "Petcocks".....I assume they are talking about the GAS valve. As in ON-OFF-RES !
Seems strange one week it ran like a top and couple weeks (cooler weather) suddenly has possible PETCOCK PROBLEMS!

WANTS to run really bad!   
If it had an obvious carburetor would try and check to see if something is restricting the gas flow
but this thing is wayy to nice for me to take a chance of $^%^$^$# it up...

Anything obvious to the enlightened folk on this forum??
It would be depressing if it was something quite simple even an idiot like myself could have solved AFTER dragging it off to have someone POKE it at $85.hr !!!!!

Thanks all.
George in Chilly Pensacola Fl.

[SANDMAN5]

Check the simple stuff first. Are you SURE the choke is on? It feels like
it's on, but if you push the lever a little harder it might go down farther.
Are you SURE the petcock is turned on? Move it back and forth a few times.
May not help....but it might. What was the last thing you did last time you
rode? Did you fill up right before going home? It could be bad gas. I'm not
much of a mechanic, but now the REAL mechanics don't have to go thru
all the simple things that we all miss occasionally! Welcome to the board
and Merry Christmas!!

[3W-lonerider]

if it starts for a few seconds and dies..i'd lay odds your not pushing the choke lever down all the way..if you just pushing it down till it gets tight your just getting the free travel out of it..push harder it will move probably another 1/2 inch.

[fudgie]

Choke it. The lever should be at the seam in the switch house, as a referance. As for the gas, I think you are fine. Mine likes the Eth, seems to run better.

Clubs and wild biker babes? I think I need some pix! 

[bigdog99]

also look to see if the vacuum hose is still on for the rear carb on the left. you should be able to tug it and see it goes to the bottome of the on/off. make sure they have clamps, loose this vacuum, loose gas on.

[MP]

As above, finish choking it.  It will push down easy at first, then stop.  You think it is on.  It is not.  You have only taken the slack out of the line.  Now, PUSH it down until it really stops.  Most are quite hard.  NOW, crank it!

MP

[R J]

CHOKE IT.

You say it starts & dies.

YA AIN'T Got the choke full on.

Enricher Lever should be almost flat and pointing at the right grip.

You still might have to start it a couple of times before she idles.

KEEP your hand off that throttle till she has come up in RPM's, if ya don't, it will die.

[1fastbob]

A mouse or squirel may have chewed a hole in the vacuum line that goes from the #6 (Left Rear sitting on the bike) carb manifold to the petcock.  You may not be getting any fuel. Just a thought.  The other posts may be correct also regarding the choke.

Happy Holidays.

Bob

[MP]

Well, he said it ran like a top in warmer weather, so I would let the hole in the vac line pass for now.

About 99.99% of the time, nonstarting in cold weather by a new owner is enricher not engaged.  I would do that first.

MP

[John U.]

Although Valks will run fine with ethanol, the bike has 6 carbs which means that the slow jets are very small bore and will clog from sitting unused for even a few weeks,
Get some Techron fuel system cleaner and use it anytime the bike seems to run rough.
If the bike will be used intermitently or not at all during winter or any time use some Marine Stabil to stabilize the fuel. My local Walmart has both products, most auto suppply stores will too.
Congatulations on your purchase. Best bike you'll ever ride IMHO.

[Hoser]

Hay Buzz, didja try the choke yet?  Inquiring minds need to know!  Hoser   ???

[Spirited-6]

Hey BUZZ1, Welcome to VRCC. Good luck with your Valk. 

[Baloo]

Welcome aboard and Mery Christmas, bro! Sounds like the choke thing to me too...

[Gryphon Rider]

Ever since new, my Tourer has always preferred full choke plus a wee bit of throttle (1/16-1/8" movement at the grip's flange) to start with a cold engine at ambient temperatures below 70°F.  Using this amount of throttle for a few seconds to keep it running shouldn't be a flooding risk.  Perhaps put some carb cleaner (Techron, etc.) in the tank to take care of gasoline deposits in the carbs.

[asfltdncr]

I would look at the vacuum hose to petcock.  It would seem that if your petcock is not opening, you shouldn't get much (if any) fuel out the float boal drain on the individual carbureteurs.

[Hoser]

C'mon, buzz, tell us if the choke worked!  I may not sleep till I know!  Buzz, buzz, are ya out there?
  Don't be this guy>    We won't make fun of ya, honest! hoser

[Kaiser]

"Village Idiot" here also !

Had the same problem.

I'm so confused.  ???

Weren't you the original poster of this thread almost a year ago?

Regardless - I'm glad you got the Valk cranked and running.  And give one more point to the guys of this forum for hitting the nail on the head - yet again.

[Hoser]

Thanks for the post, buzz, I'm about your age, I forgot that I posted in it last December  hoser  By the way, we like pictures!