Cold Start Issue

[Pepe]

Hello,
I'm pretty clueless when it come to fixing bikes so I will try to explain...
I bought my bike since it came out at the end of 2012 and I love the bike. The bike has always ran great and never had any major issues.
Last year I had the bike serviced through an independent mechanic whom I know and who specializes on BMW bikes.
He did the 6K service plus the valve adjustment. He used shims based on a kit from KTM 250F & 450F from a base measurement of 8.9mm. He also took out the canister.
Right after that, the bike won't start unless I open the throttle.
I took the bike to Yosemite in November. Temperature was in the mid-40s in the morning and the bike wouldn't start at all. I had to push it to start it.
Once it's nice and warm, the bike will start fine and it runs great!

I have done all the resets that you guys have mentioned to do in this forum. (Disconnecting the battery, have tried to start it in neutral, with and without the clutch in, in gear...)
I'm in Los Angeles and at this time, there isn't a dealer around here nor San Diego area that has a working computer ( Motoforza, TriCountry Motosports and Long Beach BMW don't have the computer any more) though I have no faulty codes that have lit up on the bike.

The BMW mechanic is willing to open the bike up again and re-check it but much prefers to have the computer connected and see if it will show any faults.
Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Craig Hashey]

Pepe,

I am currently testing an EJK controller for the TR's. Dobeck is pretty close to having it figured out. Other than the one little issue we are having it works really well and the bike runs great. My bike has never had a starting issue but I'm sure this controller would help.

What part of LA are you in? I'm from Claremont and ride into Downtown LA every day for work.

 

[Pepe]

Hi Craig.
Yeah, let me know when it's all figured out and done. I live around the Hollywood area. We can plan to go on a ride...

 

[nev..]

I recall from another thread by someone who's bike broke down in Canada that eventually he had to send his ECU and so forth back to KTM technical head office in California where they had diagnostic equipment. .. I seem to recall reading that someone else had taken their bike into there too and that it was in LA somewhere.
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/sos.33683/page-4#post-376391

 

[Ogre_fl]

Are you still on the stock battery?
Is the bike turning over but not firing or is it not turning over?

 

[Pepe]

Yes, Im still on the stock battery. I usually keep it fully charged with a battery tender.
I does turn over but won't start unless I open the throttle. Once it's fully warm then the bike will start normal.

 

[isldtime]

From almost day one, mine would not start and idle unless I cracked the throttle 1 RCH then bang, rite into a smooth idle.
It is the nature of my beast.

 

[mag00]

Yes, Im still on the stock battery. I usually keep it fully charged with a battery tender.
I does turn over but won't start unless I open the throttle. Once it's fully warm then the bike will start normal.

When the canister was removed was the vacuum port on the throttle body plugged? Is it still plugged?

 

[Pepe]

When the canister was removed was the vacuum port on the throttle body plugged? Is it still plugged?

Yes, it is plugged.

 

[Pepe]

From almost day one, mine would not start and idle unless I cracked the throttle 1 RCH then bang, rite into a smooth idle.
It is the nature of my beast.

Is that something you always have to do or just once in a while?

 

[hasenpfeffer]

Curious what specification the mechanic used to set the valve gaps? We have found that the specs printed on the bike forks are different from the specs listed in the workshop manual. Everyone I've seen so far used the workshop manual specs with success.

 

[Pepe]

Curious what specification the mechanic used to set the valve gaps? We have found that the specs printed on the bike forks are different from the specs listed in the workshop manual. Everyone I've seen so far used the workshop manual specs with success.

Thanks for the post. I believe he used the specs listed on the bike...

 

[isldtime]

Is that something you always have to do or just once in a while?

Always when cold, OK when warm. Don't remember it needing a slight touch of throttle till after I did the eruption AIT spoofer and the GPR single exhaust system very soon after purchase.

 

[AUS_TR650]

He did the 6K service plus the valve adjustment.

How much out of specification were the clearances to require them to be reshimmed? From what I've read to date, valve clearances on these engines are quite stable. My dealer has said not to worry about checking them to at least 20,000km based on other bikes he has checked.

 

[Pepe]

How much out of specification were the clearances to require them to be reshimmed? From what I've read to date, valve clearances on these engines are quite stable. My dealer has said not to worry about checking them to at least 20,000km based on other bikes he has checked.

From what I understand, only one shim was out of spec. Yeah, I should have waited until 12K or 18K...

 

[gullywasher]

From what I understand, only one shim was out of spec. Yeah, I should have waited until 12K or 18K...

If you had one out of spec, then it sounds like you checked it at exactly the right time, no?

I don't know how different the specs on the bike are from the specs in the manual, but maladjusted valves could be the source of your cold-start issue. Normally, you might notice a subtle loss of power as well if your issue is coming from the valve lash adjustment, but that effect may have been mitigated by the plug and exhaust you installed.

 

[VFORCEJOHN]

With the power commander on and tuned properly. it can be 10* out and my husky fires up and idles correctly. (I program start up enrichment to the mapping as well)

OEM EFI tuning. You'd have to gas it and hold it there just to fire up after 10 seconds of cranking, then it does out again....

 

[Craig Hashey]

If you're still looking for a MOSS tool you might try Bert's Mega Mall in Covina. They used to have one.

 

[Pepe]

If you're still looking for a MOSS tool you might try Bert's Mega Mall in Covina. They used to have one.

Thanks. I will call them. im going to BMW Riverside this week. They can diagnose the bike.

 

[danketchpel]

From almost day one, mine would not start and idle unless I cracked the throttle 1 RCH then bang, rite into a smooth idle.
It is the nature of my beast.

I'm wondering if this is the same as my cold start issue.

I still have a hellva time once in a while on cold start, especially if the bike has been run, then sat for say 2-4 hrs, but not overnight. It will catch on the first or second revolution, then die, repeatedly. I've found if I crack the throttle just a tiny bit (that 1 RCH maybe) for one revolution or so then close it it will catch and run OK. It's really tricky.

Once it's hot, it starts perfectly all the time.

It's almost like the idle control valve doesn't open up enough to allow more air in for cold start. Quite often I've smelled gas at the exhaust so I believe it's too rich not the other way. It's really pissing me off because it's hard to trust the bike in that condition.

I remember seeing a post about cleaning the idle control valve and have been considering jumping through the hoops to get to the valve to clean it.

I'd like to know what dealer in SoCal can successfully update the Husky ECU via the fabled MOSS system. When I talked to the local BMW dealer his comment was that even though they had the tool they couldn't connect to any Husky database/datasite/??? any longer so it's not just about having the MOSS tool, it's also about being able to download the right ECU update files etc. My local Husky dealer doesn't have the tool.