Bike starts "every second" time only....

[Black Warrior]

Here is a deal - my friend got the same bike as we have quite recently (2000, 7000km). I helped him to clean a carb, tune it a bit etc. So everything was fine until he decided to get a new muffler ... I thought I opened the screw (2.75 turns out) enough to have a bike running nicely (btw shim mod is done there too - 130 jet), but right now his bike behaves actually even better than mine during all regimes, but has a problem to start :( After you crank it for 2-3 sec, let it stay for another 5 and it starts a nothing happened (with an open choke though). I thought that the mixture was too rich and it needed some extra air, so going down to 2 or 1.75 did not fix it, the other way around I went to 3.25 and still the same story with an exception that bike is just being SOOOO LOUD, but it's not a biggy.... Please, could you share any ideas on what it could be! It's kinda unusual for me, since, thanx God, I have not had that problem and my bike is only 5000 kms older.

P.S. Plug is new and working, when the bike is warm it starts as nothing ever disturbs her.

[JWR]

Mine did not do it all of the time, but, if it did not start the first time, I would rock the kill switch and it always started.

WHY ???

[blaine]

Unscrew the nut and make sure the choke plunger is moving when you close the choke.
:) :cool:

[Black Warrior]

@blaine .... I even look at that :) any other suggestions, please!!!

[Black Warrior]

Update: So the problem is still there, but some new details appeared. When the bike is cold and im trying to start it-any play with a choke does not help, and it does not matter how many times i try to start it just rotates a starter and nothing is going on, but if i turn the key off and turn it on in about 3-5 sec motorcycle starts even without a choke on (with a choke it starts too). Therefore I started to suspect an electrical problem. The battery is good, and it has to be ok, since it has the most of juice at the beginning of the starting cycle, a spark plug seems to be ok too (I've asked mu buddy to change it never the less). Please, people with experience of dealing with this type of :curse: ("problems" :) ) help ! As right now it is personal for me!

[blaine]

My bike used to do that about once a week.Turn the key off,turn back on,and it would start.I had forgot about that little glitch,until you mentioned it.It never got any worse,so it was ignored.I chalked it up to dirty contacts in the key switch.
:) :cool:

[Black Warrior]

Blaine, I do not have a problem with contacts (at least I think so), since for the first time i still hear the starter spinning and it "feels" like it misses just a little bit of "power" or ... I do not know what to start. The worst part is the bike does not start at all unless i turn the switch off. And one more... this problem is quite consistent! We switched bikes for a week and that thing happened every morning!

[blaine]

I'm at a loss,except to check your main ground between battery and bike.
:??: :)

[Water Warrior 2]

Try a shot of contact cleaner in the main ignition switch, starter button and kill switch.

[Gz Rider]

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[Black Warrior]

Thank you so much for your all replies!
I will check everything again starting from battery connectors (even though I have checked 'em several times... :) )
@ Gz Rider: I thought already about relays, but concluded if starter turned therefore they should have been ok. Still thanks so much for your ideas about the second relay - definitely swap 'em and see what's going on !

[Gz Rider]

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[alantf]

I'm not sure exactly what the starter relay does.

It allows a low current from the starter button (therefore a thinner cable) to operate a coil in the relay, which closes the contacts for a heavy starter current (thicker cable) to the starter motor. Without the relay you would have to put 80A through the starter button. Imagine how big the button would need to be. :2tup:

[Black Warrior]

Thanks again to everyone!
I've narrowed my problem - it starts if i play with gears for a bit before trying to start a bike (First->Neutral ->First->Neutral->Second->Neutral ...) Right now it is obvious that's a problem with some connection, but I do not know where it can be. I have checked battery, switch and some other clamps, they look ok, not rusted or anything like that. They are still cleaned and connected back - nothing has changed since :(

[Sarris]

Brother, clean or replace your neutral safety switch. It either has dirty connections (internal plunger) or a bad diode.

[Black Warrior]

@ Sarris : that was my plan (thank so much you for confirming that!!! ) One think which I still do not get why I hear the starter every time I am trying to start ? (Confused) I thought it was supposed to be blocked too.

[Gz Rider]

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[Gz Rider]

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[Black Warrior]

Hahahahaha .... really liked it :)
"Check your spark." - I have checked a plug - it has a spark, that's why I'm freaking out. If I knew the reason of the problem, it would be fixed by now. Unfortunately the issue is so not consistent, I mean it happens quite often, but I can't investigate it completely since once the motorcycle started - the question disappears for quite some time until the bike gets cold.

[Black Warrior]

Never the less I will take my time and will start with "rebuilding" or changing everything part by part. Fortunately I do have an extra bike to play around.

[Gz Rider]

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[Water Warrior 2]

Go back to your original post. You changed the exhuast and carb jetting. Getting that sorted out will probably fix things.

[Gz Rider]

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[Black Warrior]

@ Water Warrior: "You changed the exhuast and carb jetting. Getting that sorted out will probably fix things."
I'm quite happy with changing an exhaust and rejetting in general!!! My bike runs without any issues whatsoever!!! :) I have done some similar stuff on this bike though, but I do not see how it can affect the issue...
I'm almost convinced that that's a problem with some electrical connection - I have had this motorcycle for three days in a row and it looks as this question does not even exist. Unfortunately it was not like that last week ...

[Water Warrior 2]

Maybe this is just the Nature of the Beast to want start after a 5 second rest. If it always does start 2nd try and runs well I would be inclined to live with it for a while and experiment with different fuel brands. You never know if the bike is happy with it's diet. Lynda's GZ always ran well with Chevron or Petrocan. I tried Husky in my Vstrom at one point and had computer codes popping up at every start. Not all gas is equal.

[jonathan180iq]

To vouch for the possibility that the issue lies with the jetting, I'll add my piece.

When I bought the Qlink (CF Moto), it was hard to start. Always required thumbing the throttle, giving it gas and then letting it die and do it again. It always two or three tries to get the beast to stay idling on it's own, and these things have auto-chokes.

It wasn't until after I put an aftermarket muffler on it and adjusted the main jet and idle screw that things started acting like normal.
I can now, even on cooler mornings, pull the brake lever, mash the started once and she'll roar to life. I may have to punch the gas once or twice while I'm backing out of the garage. But all in all, my re-jetting fixed my problem. Maybe it will do the same for you.