Morning bike won't start

I have a suzuki bandit 400 with about 23k miles on it. I've had the
bike since january 06 and for the pass week i've have been able to
start the bike in the morning. During the afternoon the bike starts up
with no problems at all. I live in socal so the temperature doesn't
change all that much. in january i got the battery changed, carbs
cleaned, and spark plugs changed. also tires, brakes and a couple of
other things that probably have nothing to do with starting the bike.
the choke works fine (well in the afternoon with the bike starts up).

does anyone have any advice on why the bike wouldn't start up in the
morning.

 

How -old- is that battery?

They don't last forever, and tend to work less effectively at lower
temps. (Yes even by California standards)
I had a similar problem with my bike, until I finally decided to suck
it up and get a new battery (Hawker Odyssey AGM, btw..they rock) -
problem solved.


cds

 

Even if it's a new battery it might not get a chance to charge
up very well. Check your battery voltage and clean the
terminals and battery wires.

If the voltage is low, buy a small charger like a Battery Tender.
These are useful to have so you might buy one anyway and
see if it makes things better.

My bet is that if you took the bike for a long ride at freeway speeds
it might start more happily the next morning. Same thing if it was in
a warm space overnight. Cold makes the oil thicker and also makes
the battery less effective.

 

what's the problem? I don't start up in the morning either. ;-}

 

Sounds like case of English Bike Syndrome, where the machine actually
believes it's a BSA or similar.
Have you been using Castrol?
Just a thought.
but seriously, I think it's your battery or related.
Jim Stinnett
R1100RS
YZF R1
NX 250

 

You need to be a little more specific about the symptoms: This is the
classic example I use when I describe a good bug report to new software
QA engineers. "The bike won't start" could mean a lot of things, so many
things that without more information it's meaningless.

You gave the environment very well:
Suzuki Bandit 400 cc with ~ 23k miles on it
Southern California
In the morning

Now we go on to Steps To Reproduce, Expected Results, and Actual
Results:

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Checklist:
Fuel petcock on MAIN
Choke ON
Sidestand UP
Centerstand UP (if fitted)
Transmission in Neutral
Clutch IN (squeezed)
Ignition ON
Kill-switch ON (RUN)

Verify:
headlight is on, nice and bright
oil light is on
alternator light is on

2. Press the starter for a second or two.

Expected Results: Headlight goes out, engine spins and catches;
when starter button is released, headlight comes on again;
engine runs at ~2000 RPM;
alternator light goes out.

Actual results:
€ nothing happens?
€ headlight goes out?
€ headlight goes out and it makes click-click-click noise?
€ headlight goes out and engine spins but does not catch?

So what happens at Actual Results?

 

yea i should give more information sorry...
well it starts up in the afternoon and later. in the morning it turns
the engine and is trying to start but nothing happens. the battery
seems to be just fine because the lights come up and can turn the
engine easily. i'm thinking maybe the oil or the carbs are the
problem. i'm also thinking of getting the bike moving in gear and
releasing the clutch to get it started. but actually i think that may
not work because the battery isn't the problem.

 

The oil is not the problem. But the carbs are the right direction to
investigate.

No, don't do that. That won't solve anything.

The single thing that changes between you being able to start the bike
and not is outside air temperature. That has a very big effect on how
well gasoline vaporizes. When it's cold, fuel doesn't vaporize as
easily; that's why you have to turn on the choke. Is the choke cable
actuating the choke properly? That's where you should look.

 

wrote in @b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

I wouldn't totally rule the battery out. It may have enough to crank but
not enough to give a strong spark. You could try jump starting off a car
battery *without the car running* and see if that'll start the bike in the
morning. If it does, your spark may be weak enough that it doesn't fire
right away and the plugs wet foul.

Most of the other directions people are mentioning don't seem to account
for why the bike may start in the afternoon. Even a few degrees difference
could improve the battery's condition and may account for the bike starting
later in the day. Remember, in the morning, the battery has been cold all
night, whereas in the afternoon it has had a chance to warm up during the
day.

ab