Starting and shifting

[RHIP]

I've had my 2001 v11 for a year and a half, and two very basic issues continue to stump me. Is there any special drill for starting that will get it to fire off sooner? I use the enrichment setting when cold, but is there any trick to opening the throttle while the engine is spinning, or some other technique that gets it to pop off? On most bikes, there is something, whether it's rolling the throttle once before engaging the starter, or absolutely hands off the throttle, that seems to lead to a quicker start. New plugs in, everything else up to snuff - is it just the nature of the beast, because it seems to take a long time to fire up.

 

The other is shifting. I appreciate the huge advance of the six-speed over the previous transmission, but I cannot seem to avoid a jerky engagement in the lower gears, esp from first to second. The problem is solely related to the clutch being released - if I carried a passenger, she'd have a concussion from the lurching. I usually roll off the throttle, clutch all the way in, let it out and give it gas, which I've been doing for over 40 years of riding. I've never had a bike that's been this hard to move though the lower gears smoothly.

[docc]

RHIP,

 

On starting my 2000 Sport, I gradually roll the throttle up as she cranks. After about 3-5 revolutions she'll catch. Looser valve specs, a good AGM battery, and careful TPS/throttle body balance are also good medicine. Realize your Veglia tach may read 300-500 RPM high, so expect to set your idle specs appropriately (as in: tach reading 1500 at idle) [YMMV]

 

On shifting: be certain the clutch hydraulics have been bled with fresh fluid. Also, I found my master cylinder spring had broken internally, causing a terrific amount of play in the lever (Master Cylinder Rebuild).

[Dan M]

I always open to about 1/4 throttle while cranking and it fires quickly. I never use the fast idle cam.

[fotoguzzi]

I always open to about 1/4 throttle while cranking and it fires quickly. I never use the fast idle cam.

that's what I do too.

[richard100t]

Have the battery checked at an auto store. As my battery got old the bike would still crank and start but it did take longer. If its not the battery then all the other posts have good advice to follow.

[luhbo]

....is it just the nature of the beast, because it seems to take a long time to fire up....

 

Define this "long time to fire up" - time, please. Probably your bike is perfectly right, so is the battery and so are the relais , probably.

 

...The other is shifting. I appreciate the huge advance of the six-speed over the previous transmission, but I cannot seem to avoid a jerky engagement in the lower gears, esp from first to second. ...

 

Have you tried to shift quicker and have you tried not to close the throttle completely? Imagine the clutch lever was broken and you had to shift without this handy tool - that's how shifting should be sounding like.

 

Hubert

[Steve G.]

I've had my 2001 v11 for a year and a half, and two very basic issues continue to stump me. Is there any special drill for starting that will get it to fire off sooner? I use the enrichment setting when cold, but is there any trick to opening the throttle while the engine is spinning, or some other technique that gets it to pop off? On most bikes, there is something, whether it's rolling the throttle once before engaging the starter, or absolutely hands off the throttle, that seems to lead to a quicker start. New plugs in, everything else up to snuff - is it just the nature of the beast, because it seems to take a long time to fire up.

 

The other is shifting. I appreciate the huge advance of the six-speed over the previous transmission, but I cannot seem to avoid a jerky engagement in the lower gears, esp from first to second. The problem is solely related to the clutch being released - if I carried a passenger, she'd have a concussion from the lurching. I usually roll off the throttle, clutch all the way in, let it out and give it gas, which I've been doing for over 40 years of riding. I've never had a bike that's been this hard to move though the lower gears smoothly.

 

 

So my impression of the Veglia guages is right. I always keep the "choke" lever pulled back as far as it can go, I like the idle high.

 

BTW, the choke is not an enritcher, it's simply a fast idle, the ECU ses to the enritching business.

 

Steve

[fotoguzzi]

BTW, the choke is not an enritcher, it's simply a fast idle, the ECU ses to the enritching business.

 

Steve

UM, it's not even that complex.. the computer never even sees input from the enrichener lever, it just turns a cam via cable and opens the TB butterflies a bit which in turn opens the TPS a little and the CPU sees that as if you had the throttle open the same amount.

[NakedV]

Hi Rhip. When cold I fully open the enrichment lever, no throttle at all, bike fires up at once and ticks over at about 1100 rpm for about 20 sec's before revs begin to climb, as they climb I decrease the amount of cold start lever to keep her around 1100rpm. (I'm not keen on reving a cold engine). I had real trouble getting smooth changes in lower gears till I started feeding the clutch in rather than just dumping it between changes, (Not excessively so). Guess it may lead to slightly quicker wear on the clutch but a hell of a lot kinder to G/box and drive train I reckon. Mick.

[ScottS]

Don't know if this makes a difference , but turning the ignition on , letting the pump run till it stops 3-4 times in a row seems to result in faster starts . You should check out the "accumulated fuel line vacuum bubble " issue in this forum as it may be a related issue as well.