Any recommendations from Northern (Canada and Alaska) owners for cold weather start?
I have issues getting the thing started in the morning and late evenings.
Any tips and/or tricks? Block heaters? Throttle bodies heater?
I have been contemplating setting up a couple extra stick on grip heaters to the cases to induce some heat to the battery and throttle bodies. I read about this somewhere. Can't remember where tho.
thoughts? experience?
Q
Which year and model of monster?
How old is your battery?
FWIW, my 06 S2R1k doesnt start to well below 30. It takes about 4-5 cranks to fire up.
06 s2r 8
battery is roughly a 10months old... maintained properly (on the charger when in the garage). no way to plug it in @ work.
Q
how hard is it to start?
I mean, no start at all...
Spins, spins, spins, cough cough ..spins spins spins cough cough...etc...
battery weakens enough before it'll start. Gauges sweep slower than normal.
Q
How cold are you talkin'?
<16*
Q
Push it to some place warmer! [cheeky]
No good info. here...other than to say my MTS1000 was always a pregnant dog to start below 35* or so...especially after sitting outside all day at work. It always did...but it was close sometimes, and I never really rode below 25*.
My Guzzi roars to life no matter how cold it is though. [beer]
Try an O2 manipulator? Are you still running the stock ECU?
S2Rs dont have O2 sensors.
Do you have a fast idle?
Ive tried to start my S2R1k in 10 degrees a few times. or even below that. its a pregnant dog. 10-15 cranks before it will even sound like it wants to start.
Dont know how to help you out. If you had a way to increase the fuel during start up that would be great.
Check out CA-Cycleworks sponsor page, there is something called AG Hammer Pulse Box. I was wondering what it was, and it may or may not help you in this situation.
Quote from: Qfactor on December 17, 2009, 11:33:51 AM
Any recommendations from Northern (Canada and Alaska) owners for cold weather start?
I have issues getting the thing started in the morning and late evenings.
Any tips and/or tricks? Block heaters? Throttle bodies heater?
I have been contemplating setting up a couple extra stick on grip heaters to the cases to induce some heat to the battery and throttle bodies. I read about this somewhere. Can't remember where tho.
thoughts? experience?
Q
Doood...
you're in MA.
Whatchou gonna do when it gets cold? [laugh]
Quote from: Qfactor on December 17, 2009, 11:33:51 AM
Any recommendations from Northern (Canada and Alaska) owners for cold weather start?
I have issues getting the thing started in the morning and late evenings.
Any tips and/or tricks? Block heaters? Throttle bodies heater?
I have been contemplating setting up a couple extra stick on grip heaters to the cases to induce some heat to the battery and throttle bodies. I read about this somewhere. Can't remember where tho.
thoughts? experience?
This may seem strange, but what about a heating pad on or under the tank. If the fuel is warm, it might start better.
Q
I'm up here in the frozen north (Canada), and my 06 S2R1000 actually starts pretty good in the cold. It seemed slightly better before I put the DP ECU on it, but even now it always catches if I crack the throttle just a hair while it's cranking.
And HeMan, I think a stock S2R1000 does have an O2 sensor. You only lose it when you splash out for the termi kit with the replacement ecu. Not that it makes much of a difference here.
S2r 800 here, no O2 sensor, just the fast idle.
Wouldn't start lastnight, as discussed above, not even a sputter or cough.
Started this am after 5-6 crank cycles. No tender or jumpers. Not sure if it'll start after a day of sitting in the breezy parking lot.
Motor temp finally showed a reading after 10mins warm up and 12miles of highway, went up to 132*, and didn't budge from there.
Q
As far as getting the running temp up, you can make a cover for your oil cooler, that'll help.
My S4 has been uncooperative on starting in the low 30* range, but it doesn't really get colder than that here, so no FHE below that.
Some kind of 'block heater' would certainly help, but I've got no idea where you might get one.
Perhaps the hardy souls over at ADVrider may have some info.
This may seem like a strange idea, but what about a heating pad on the tank or heated blanket to cover the bike.
I'm from Wisconsin and I have a 99 900 with FCRs and get my bike started with a block heater. Of course you have to bungee it up to the block since the magnet doesn't work. If your using it to commute to work however I don't know how you'll get home.
This is all i can think of...
If you are using 93, (which is the wrong fuel) switch to 87. A lower octane requires lower compression and heat to combust.
Try running hotter plugs, each spark will be hotter, maybe that will help the fuel ignite.
Try playing around with the fast idle. Since it isnt a choke and it wont act like a choke, and your better off not using it until the bike is actually on.
Try a battery that has a higher CCA. Cold temps usually drop a batterys CCA, and it may be sufficently cold that the battery cant produce enough juice (though this is unlikely)
If your battery is good, you can try making a switch between your headlight and battery. Shut the headlight off when you start the bike.
Last but not least, make sure your bike isnt losing compression for some reason. My S2R1k starts slower in the cold, but it still starts in 20-30degree weather.
Are you running a fuel management system? I find that my 1k with a rapid bike is much harder to start in the winter than it is in the summer. If your bike is running very lean due to intake/exhaust mods, it will only exaggerate the problem. without adding fuel, try throwing your airbox back in.
If you need someone to make a heat sheild for your oil cooler PM me. I have spare 24gauge Stainless steel sheets and i need to make one for myself instead of using duct tape.
Also, there are reusable instant heat packs that are the size of hand warmers. THey last about 20mins -2 hours depending on the air temp. You boil them to put energy back in, and you flick them and they will heat up to about 140degrees instantly. The local shop sells em for $15 bucks for 2. Maybe you can make a pouch that lets you place these things onto the intake.
OR last but not least, you can get heated grips and wrap the grips around your throtle bodies. But they consume a lot of power and will probably kill your battery, because if i turn them on and try to start the bike, the bike pretty much will crank it self dead. not enough amps on hte batt.
Looked at the heated pads on the TBs, no enough room to wrap anything to induce significant heat efficiently.
for now, I fabbed up an extension for my battery tender tails so I can jump the bike without having to lift the tank. But I haven't needed it yet. Bike's been starting on the 2nd cycle or so. It may have been linked to humidity in the chambers...
???
Q
Mabey these can help you guys up north. I haven't thought about running veggie oil in my Benz for a while, so I forgot about them.
Injector line/filter heaters
http://www.fattywagons.com/fwproducts.htm (http://www.fattywagons.com/fwproducts.htm)
Quote from: LowThudd on December 22, 2009, 12:14:42 AM
Mabey these can help you guys up north. I haven't thought about running veggie oil in my Benz for a while, so I forgot about them.
Injector line/filter heaters
http://www.fattywagons.com/fwproducts.htm (http://www.fattywagons.com/fwproducts.htm)
8 amp draw on your motorcycle battery that is barely able to crank your bike over in cold weather is not good, nor is raising the temperature of your gasoline to 200
oF. Gasoline will boil at approximately 100-400
oF, depending on blending, winter blend closer to the lower number. Now, for your Mercedes with the big battery that is running veggie oil, great idea. Even better is to simply start it on deisel, then switch over to veggie oil.
Quote from: howie on December 22, 2009, 01:29:22 AM
8 amp draw on your motorcycle battery that is barely able to crank your bike over in cold weather is not good, nor is raising the temperature of your gasoline to 200oF. Gasoline will boil at approximately 100-400oF, depending on blending, winter blend closer to the lower number. Now, for your Mercedes with the big battery that is running veggie oil, great idea. Even better is to simply start it on deisel, then switch over to veggie oil.
I was thinking maybe you could use it on the oil filter/cooler or Throttle bodies. But, I guess your right. Too much draw. I like to run Biodiesel when I can get it in my MB, in socal no need to heat anything. Smells like deep fried Edemame. :D