Hello Everyone,
Very very long time reader, first time poster. You guys have helped me out tremendously with working on and maintaining my 2005 GS500f. The wealth of knowledge here is just amazing compared to some other help venues. Anyway enough brown nosing.
My bike was working 100% perfectly prior to it being kicked out of the garage (Thanks honey! >:( ). Pretty much immediately afterwards it would have trouble starting in the morning. It would eventually start for a while after much coaxing, but then it just began to not start at all. If the bike DOES start, it would not die, and would remain running normally. When I say "won't start" I mean that it cranks normally, as if it wants to start, it just never actually fires. So here's the kicker. This problem happens ONLY in the morning and ONLY when the bike is left outside. Here is how quirky this is:
1.) Regardless of outside temperature this would occur. For instance, if its 40 degrees and bike is left INSIDE, the bike would start in my unheated, 40 degree garage no problem. If bike is left OUTSIDE the bike would not start. I began to think this had something to do with the morning dew that would collect on the bike overnight.
2.) However this issue would NEVER happen in the evening. I ride to work everyday that I can and park in an uncovered parking lot. If it rains all day the bike will start no problem in the evening and I ride home without a hitch.
This is what I've done so far:
a. Replaced & properly gapped spark plugs
b. Replaced battery
c. Changed oil and filter (unrelated but did so since I was there)
After doing those things I started the bike (started on first turn without choke with 0 issues) last night, and then put it all back together again. This morning I got on to ride to work and it wouldn't start. Kept cranking and cranking until the battery didn't have enough juice left to push the starter. I cursed loudly and contemplated wheeling it out into the road and setting it on fire. Also I am nearly certain that when I try and start it this evening it will work no problem.
Any ideas? I'm completely lost and confused.
In the morning, verify it will not start. If so, take a leaf blower and blow air onto the heads around the spark plugs and the rear of the motor under the air box. If it now starts fix the electrical issue. If it doesn't, turn the petcock to prime and walk away for a few minutes. Now try again. If it starts fix the vacuum, venting, or fueling issue.
Also suspect a weak battery.
Along the same lines as Rally was saying - if you don't have a leaf blower or anything, just try a waterproof bike cover or tarp. We are thinking the condensation is settling somewhere causing your starting problem (but rain would just fall down past the problem area).
I will try this tomorrow morning and report back. I have a vented "waterproof" cover, but it does seem to get dewey still in the morning times. I'm starting to get twitchy from having to drive the car into work :/
Put bike inside, wife outside :thumb:
Whatever happens the tarp is still essential....over bike/wife. :)
Ooooh! I DARE ya to tarp wife! Lol
I told my wife long before she moved in.. "I buy booze, guns, guitars and motorcycles, you are either with me or against me...what is it?"
We have been happily married for almost 25 years now :whisper:
Just to give an update for everyone as I got to ride to work this morning :woohoo:
Tried to start her last night after she sat out all day. The battery was dead, as suspected because of cranking it a bunch in the morning and I neglected to connect the battery to my caddy for.... reasons...
Jumped it off my non running car, and it started up immediately. I wanted to ride it around for a good while to charge up the battery but it started raining so I cut it short, expecting the battery to still be uncrankable in the morning. Again caddy... reasons... You'd think that I would not be so absent minded but then again, if you knew me you'd understand LOL. Also I put the cover on her to keep her dry while sitting outside in the rain.
Woke up this morning and jumped her immediately to life again, let it run with choke for a little as it wasn't wanting to stay started. After a few minutes of choke on in the driveway, I rode to work with no issues.
With that said, I think it might have been a confluence of factors culminating in the battery just not being up to snuff after all of my troubleshooting. However, the moisture thing in the morning is still concerning (while not apparent today). Should this be something to worry about for the future? Should I start bringing my cover with me to work so I can wrap her up? What are the ramifications of dew moisture building up every morning?
Also PS told the wife about the tarp/cover idea and I think I have convinced her to choose outisde under the cover. Albeit while writing divorce papers... :cookoo:
PPS The verification picture to make posts is seriously impossible to read.
Couple more posts and the verification will disappear :thumb: