| Author |
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Macavite
| | Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 09:45 pm: | 
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It got cold, and i needed to run christmas presents about. So i didn't ride my bike for a month. I go out to try to start it, and i got nothing. Well yeah, dead battery, duh. I put it on the tender and try again the next day. It turns over, tries to catch and then i just get a . . . rattling sound? Like someone tapping the inside of the engine with a hammer rapidly. taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap.
We go out and try to push start it, nothing going as soon as it's in gear (clutch fully in) it moves only very grudgingly, and we cannot get it up to speed to even try to start it.
Perhaps the oil has just gotten too sludgy thinks I, it's been cold (lows overnight dropping below freezing). So I changed the oil. However I'm greeted with the same exact symptoms. It thinks about turning over, then it's the tap-mobile.
help? |
Sparky
| | Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 12:06 am: |
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For one thing, the tap tap tapping sound is probably a lifter or two that has bled down and hasn't filled with oil completely. It's nothing serious. It can take a little while for a lifter to refill, about as long as it takes for the engine to warm up while idling. Maybe longer. But it will quiet down eventually and sound normal, just be patient.
For another thing, if you are going to push start a cold engine, try 3rd or 4th gear. And it wouldn't hurt to squirt some Instant Start spray into the carb inlet to help light the fire. |
Mikej
| | Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 08:17 am: |
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0°F here this morning, was -5°F a few days ago, cold is a relative term. 
But, yeah, when the lubes get cold your wet clutch will not want to let the bike easily be pushed while in gear with the clutch lever pulled in, and sometimes the tranny even gets a little sluggish and 1950 Chevyish. Try putting a space heater or propane heater in the area of your bike to warm things up a bit. Not so close that you start to catch things on fire though, just enough to warm the air up above the 30's. Then if/when you do get it started just let it idle until the cylinders start to get warm to the touch and let it idle for another minute or two. Then shut it off, put it in gear, pull in the clutch lever, hold the breaks hard, and try to restart the bike. Then let it idle in gear for a little while with the clutch still pulled in. Once you get that done then ride down the block leaving it in first gear to let the tranny lubes start to flow a little. Then go have a blast.
Just think of your bike like a big old bear hibernating in the winter and you wanting to wake it up to go play in the cold sunshine. Sometimes it just takes a little nudging to get it moving, and sometimes it will act a little ornery in the process. Just give it time and have some patience, it will run. If not then put in a new set of spark plugs and try it again. Sometimes even good looking used plugs don't work so well and a fresh set is all that's needed.
One question, does your bike still have the original primary chain tensioner? If so then now might be a good time to change it out to the updated one with the thicker support plate. Leave your new gear lube inside the house until you're ready to use it to keep it above ambient outside temps.
Got no idea if any of this makes any sense at all. If not then just ignore everything I just said. |
Blake
| | Posted on Friday, January 25, 2008 - 10:11 am: |
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Pretty sure from his description (engine ceases turning) that the tapping is the starter solenoid rapidly cycling. Sounds like your battery is shot or has a bad ground. |
Billc
| | Posted on Monday, March 03, 2008 - 10:32 pm: |
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My five year old battery started doing that last year when it was run down (starter Solinoid sound). Charge the battery and it would start OK. Some times it would do it while starting, but would engage again and start. I'm sure I'm ready for a battery, but may need a solinoid soon also. Extreme cold and heat are the worst on batteries (record heat here in Phoenix again last year). Hope you got it solved by now. |
Bad_karma
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 02:34 am: |
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I'm with Blake. Have the battery load tested. I usually just replace the battery if I'm confident everything else was working before hand. Also a good time to check your charging system for proper operation.
Joe |
Djkaplan
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 02:30 pm: |
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My original battery died with those exact symptoms... after exactly 5 years. |
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