Cold weather... Hard start

[Jazzer]

Hi Guys,

I'm sorry to start a new thread if this is covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find it. If it is, please point me in that direction and nuke this. ::002::

I just got back from a trip to Colorado and camped along the way. When I got up this morning it was 19 degrees. The bike barely turned over and when it finally did catch it wouldn't stay running unless I held the throttle open. It scared the heck out of me because in was out in the middle of nowhere. Is there a fast idle adjustment or setting somewhere? Do you guys carry one of those battery backups with you?

On a fun note, a friendly skunk ran up to me like it wanted to play. It ran around me like a puppy in the leaves. It was probably no more than 10 feet away.. I kept saying "go away Mr. Skunk, I don't want to play" and it ran off into the woods.

 

[Checkswrecks]

When the engine cold soaks like that and the oil thickens, it really does slow the starting. This is a fuel injected engine and there is not a fast idle setting that you can get to with the tank in place.


A number of folks around here have the backup lithium batteries and they can be very helpful. Just be aware that those introduce the potential for thermal runaway if subjected to vibration in a pannier, dented, or the terminals short together.


It would be a good idea before winter to get batteries load checked for bikes older than a couple of years. Just take the battery to most car parts stores.

 

[markjenn]

Unless the battery is new or almost new, I'd just replace it. They are wear items and if you shop around a bit, you can get one to your door for around $35. I've never been a believer that any of the "battery checkers" at the car parts store work.

I have jumper cables in my electrical toolkit. You can get lighter-duty ones appropriate for motorcycle use (much lower current than a car) that compress down pretty well.

- Mark

 

[EricV]

Well, that does explain a few things Mark. $35 for a motorcycle battery? Not a good one. Buy a cheap battery and replace it often, or buy a good one and it will last many years if it's not abused. I typically get 7-9 years from a Yuasa using a maintenance charger when I'm not riding often. MY OEM Yuasa for my '04 FJR was still going strong at 9 years when I sold the bike with 162k on it.

@Jazzar - Be aware that if you decide to replace the battery, there is a higher CCA version that Yuasa makes that is the exact same dimensions and terminal configuration. A lot of Super Ten riders have moved from the YTZ12S to the YTZ14S. It gives noticeably faster cranking and most find it a bit more reassuring on those cold morning starts.

LINK Not the pic is not of the correct battery, but that the description is. I paid more for mine when I bought it for the S10 after a dark current issue killed the oem YTZ12S.

 

[Jazzer]

Thanks guys,

I'll probably just go ahead and replace the battery. Cables wouldn't have helped because there was no one around for miles. There was a hill, so maybe I could have bump started it.

Eric, Is the 14 the same size as the 12?

Thanks again for the advise.

Jazzer (Ken)

 

[EricV]

Eric, Is the 14 the same size as the 12?

Yes, exactly the same size. It drops right in w/o any modification or issues.

 

[markjenn]

Well, that does explain a few things Mark. $35 for a motorcycle battery? Not a good one. Buy a cheap battery and replace it often, or buy a good one and it will last many years if it's not abused. I typically get 7-9 years from a Yuasa using a maintenance charger when I'm not riding often.

My experience is that battery quality is mostly unrelated to price. I've had $20 batteries go 10-years and $200 batteries fail in a year. They're probably both made in the same factory. Just my opinion, but boutique batteries are like boutique oil.

- Mark