THE BIKE YARD

MOTORCYCLE WRECKERS

TECH TIP #3


Hard Starting After Winter Storage

When you first put your bike away in the Fall, if you did all the right things to prepare it for storage, you should have have little trouble in getting it started and ready for a new season of riding. It is common for the engine to resist starting initially after a storage period though. Some possible reasons for this are:

Additional thoughts:

A very long storage period (over six months) may have caused the carb internals to gum up, possibly plugging the jets or sticking one or more float valves in an open or closed position.

Some other mechanical or electrical problem may be causing a loss of fuel or spark to reach the engine.

A More Complete Illustrated Section On What To Do When Your Bike Won't Start Can Be Found In The Motorcycle Handbook.

In a nutshell, here is a general method of approaching the problem when your bike won’t start after winter storage. Note that longer periods of storage may have caused carburetor problems which will require attention before the bike is started.

This method generally works well for initial starting, and after the bike has run for a few minutes it should restart easily.

All these tips, and many more, can be found in The Motorcycle Handbook along with explanations on many aspects of motorcycles and motorcycling. 63 chapters of practical, down-to-earth information you won’t find anywhere else! Just click on The Motorcycle Handbook link for more info and some excellent reviews.

John Hanney