Bike Won't Start After Layoff

[sacramentomike]

I haven't ridden my '14 for almost a month--we took a 10-day cruise starting 9/23, and I got sick with Covid right at the end of that (after going through all the vaccination, testing, and "ArriveCan" protocols, too). Knocked me on my ass. We got home on about the 3rd but I was in rough shape. Today is the first day I've felt good enough to try to go outside and ride. The battery is almost new and it's been on a Battery Tender the whole time. I did go out a few days ago hoping for a simple fix for the non-working horn, and it was simple: one of the blade connectors had come off. Since the bike has to be running for the horn to work, I started it to test that and it fired right up. Ran if for just a few seconds and put it back, still on the charger.

So today, feeling better, I geared up and pulled it back in the driveway and pushed the button. Ugh. The problem wasn't lack of juice, because it did . . . something. Not a dead battery, but a weird, high-pitched, fast-sounding kind of spinning noise with no indication that there was any hope of it catching and starting. It sounded nothing like the normal starter sound; never heard anything like it before. About the only course I can think of is having a truck come over and haul it to the shop. There's damn little I could do myself, I'm afraid, even if I knew exactly what the problem was, but I'd love to hear some theories just to give me an idea what's in store for me now. I tried the starter a couple more times and just got that fast, high-pitched spinning. Wish I could describe it better, but that's all I can come up with. Love to hear some thoughts. Thanks.

[Road Runner]

Sounds like a bad starter drive.

[wheatonFJR]

If this was a different board we would say this is a WELL KNOWN problem and go search your brains out.

It is a well known phenomenon that you don’t want to start the bike for a short bit and shut it down before the engine is warmed up.

Fast Starter Syndrome?

[escapefjrtist]

Classic fast starter syndrome Mike.

~G

[raYzerman]

Yep..... shut down before warmed up. ECU is in enriched mode, you're basically "flooding" it. Wide Open Throttle and crank...... needs air.

[Hppants]

Yep. Fast starter syndrome.

Hold the throttle open while cranking. After it starts, ride it a good bit to flush out the fuel.

[HotRodZilla]

DO NOT CALL A SHOP!!

This is Fast Starter Syndrome where you basically flooded the bike with the quick on/off. Charge that battery up, hold it WFO, and hit the button. Don't over heat your starter, but give it good 30 second shots. It WILL start. It just takes a minute...Or two!

[dcarver]

Fookin' Newbie. Go Search, Doofus!

[Road Runner]

I still say needs starter drive, flywheel, crank shaft.
Better sell for parts.

[mcatrophy]

Some suggest six-second bursts of cranking with a ten or twenty second wait to reduce overheating the starter motor. Neither of the times I had to do it did I do the waiting, just held it until it started to fire first intermittently on one, then two, three cylinders. That's when I gave the starter motor a break, I could just sustain running with the throttle until the fourth caught and it smoothed out.

Such a relief when, after another few seconds, it's just purring, as if to say "What starting problem?"

Not recommending my "no break" way, but my intuition, for what it's worth, is the breaks mean overall it's longer on the starter motor. And how much does it actually cool in those ten to twenty seconds breaks? But my intuition is frequently wrong.

As a slight aside, when first holding it with the throttle, it is very sensitive. Too little it stops, too much seems to make the misfiring worse, it threatens to stop. (Years of dealing with a recalcitrant Tiger Cub with its leaking float chamber valve gave me lots of experience of trying to maintain a very rich motor running on the throttle, the penalty for not doing so meant another ten or so goes of almost jumping on the kick-starter.)

[raYzerman]

From what I understand, WOT cuts off the fuel supply, the injectors don't fire. So, depending on the degree of "flooding", you may hear a backfire or two... but yes, don't overheat the starter and do what macatrophy says.... when it does start, be prepared to back off the throttle real quick. Start off with a fully charged battery for best results.

[wheatonFJR]

I still say needs starter drive, flywheel, crank shaft.
Better sell for parts.

[Hppants]

Happened to me once on my Gen 1 (got flamed on the old forum - LOL) and once on my 1st Gen 3.

Now as a matter of practice - I never start the bike unless I can run it until it gets to normal operating temperature.

[Bugnatr]

Mikey, sorry to hear the "Vid" got you. Seems the vaccine isn't what the "experts" claim it is but that's another conversation.

Soooo did you do the WFO? Did it start?

Don't make me send Carver over there.

[fontanaman]

Hey Mike sorry to hear you got Covid. Recover quickly. Everybody here knows about letting the FJR warm up before shut down so to mercy from me!

[sacramentomike]

Hey Mike sorry to hear you got Covid. Recover quickly. Everybody here knows about letting the FJR warm up before shut down so to mercy from me!

Okay, sure. Everybody knows NOW! Hey, I've heard of "Fast Starter Syndrome," seen threads about it and everything. Just never was curious enough to read one of 'em. I was surprised to read how common it is, but never saw it myself in 3 FJRs and a quarter million miles. Anyway, with all your help I got the bike started up fine. Glad my battery was good, cuz I cranked it for 20 to 30 seconds about three times before it gave up anything, and then it died again. Last try paid off, and it was good all afternoon. So thanks to you all for your help. In fact, AJ called me last night, afraid I had a tow truck on the way already. But I love those happy endings. Even the Covid is finally edging toward a happy ending, but it was pretty miserable up till Tuesday. Try not to get it.

[HotRodZilla]

Hey Mike sorry to hear you got Covid. Recover quickly. Everybody here knows about letting the FJR warm up before shut down so to mercy from me!

Okay, sure. Everybody knows NOW! Hey, I've heard of "Fast Starter Syndrome," seen threads about it and everything. Just never was curious enough to read one of 'em. I was surprised to read how common it is, but never saw it myself in 3 FJRs and a quarter million miles. Anyway, with all your help I got the bike started up fine. Glad my battery was good, cuz I cranked it for 20 to 30 seconds about three times before it gave up anything, and then it died again. Last try paid off, and it was good all afternoon. So thanks to you all for your help. In fact, AJ called me last night, afraid I had a tow truck on the way already. But I love those happy endings. Even the Covid is finally edging toward a happy ending, but it was pretty miserable up till Tuesday. Try not to get it.

All I read was "Blah, blah, blah, AJ is awesome, my bike started" and something about liking happy endings. I like happy endings too Mike. I like them too!