Forced to ride the V7 today

[LaGrasta]

Cranked and cranked the V11, but to no avail. Yesterday it was also a hard start, then ran the 50 mile day as if it had a miss. Today, it started after a tremendous amount of cranking, but would not idle. Now late for work, I parked it and hopped on the V7.

I'm not sure what to check first, maybe I'll pull the plugs, see if they're wet. If so, see if each wire is firing. Any other suggestions?

[p6x]

12 minutes ago, LaGrasta said:

Cranked and cranked the V11, but to no avail. Yesterday it was also a hard start, then ran the 50 mile day as if it had a miss. Today, it started after a tremendous amount of cranking, but would not idle. Now late for work, I parked it and hopped on the V7.

I'm not sure what to check first, maybe I'll pull the plugs, see if they're wet. If so, see if each wire is firing. Any other suggestions?

I am not an ace at troubleshooting a V11, but the discipline is always the same, for any investigation:

-start with the easiest and obvious, and get deeper and more technical;

have you checked the fuel? is the pump turning on when you switch on the ignition? are all the fuses ok? then check your plugs, check you have ignition...

[gstallons]

6 hours ago, LaGrasta said:

Cranked and cranked the V11, but to no avail. Yesterday it was also a hard start, then ran the 50 mile day as if it had a miss. Today, it started after a tremendous amount of cranking, but would not idle. Now late for work, I parked it and hopped on the V7.

I'm not sure what to check first, maybe I'll pull the plugs, see if they're wet. If so, see if each wire is firing. Any other suggestions?

Buy two new spark plugs , I prefer NGK .  

 Turn the ign to KOEO , key on engine off. Listen for the fuel pump to turn on . This will last for a second or two. MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THIS ACTION TAKES PLACE. If this happens , go to the next step. If not swap relays and see what happens. I can't remember which position is the fuel pump relay , just look in your wiring diagram to verify.

Remove the old plugs and inspect them...

 If they look good , install the new plugs. Spark plugs can look good but be bad .

 Turn the key on and again listen for the fuel pump to energize , then start the bike . Allow it to warm up and ride it to see if it is fixed.

[motortouring]

You can take off the fuel line to the pressure valve. Just to check if you have some good pressure. Do you change your fuel filter regulary?

And is it cold in your area? I had 20w50 in my California at 0° Celsius, and that requires a very good battery. I needed support from the jumper. If the RPMs are to low the elect ign will not fire.

10w60 in the V11 is also thick oil at these temperatures.

Edited January 23 by motortouring
Editorial

[emry]

Start with new plugs as gstallons suggested. If that doesn't work then fresh fuel. Keep it simple at first and don't over think it.

[LowRyter]

When I was having an issue on my EV, I'd listen for the fuel pump.  And I carry a spare plug, so I could pull of a lead, snap in the spare and see if it sparked.  Sometimes I'd play with the fuses and make sure they were making good contact.

My V11 Sport was a different story.  I was always playing with the relays.  I'd keep spares and intermingle them.  It was usually that they weren't seated.  Last time one of those Omicons crapped out.  Replaced it with an OEM Bosch.  Actually I carry a full set of relays since I've replaced them all for better brands for both bikes.  

Since it was cranking, I can assume all the kill switches weren't the issue.   I'd play with the relay and fuses.

[Gmc28]

I won’t add anything that hasn’t been said, except that my main V11 starts and runs beautifully, year after year, but then for at least a week or two each year it just decides to start very hard, and poorly idle until all the way warmed up.  I’ve gone to some lengths to figure it out, but haven’t found the root cause yet.  The problem will just go away after a while (usually a couple weeks).  I can live with it, as its not yet left me truly stranded, but the unsolved mystery has been eating at me.

some have offered that maybe cold weather is related.  Perhaps, but for my version of the hard-start & idle affliction I’d say if anything is related to warm/hot ambient temps.  Not that i think that’s necessarily the root cause for me, but could be, as it’s always mid to late summer when it happens for me.  Though I’ve had it behave just fine in similar or hotter conditions, so no obvious smoking gun there.   I’ll add what might be a false lead, but for me its always when its being ridden regularly, not coming out of storage for a few weeks or more (contrary to what one might think of as a root cause).  

Bottom line is that plugs, relays, and fuel pumps & filters are not my root cause, and i have same symptoms each year for a little stretch of time.  (Although since i haven’t actually found root cause, i suppose its fair to say that it could be one of those things, just somehow in an intermittent fashion… )

 

[Chuck]

I wonder if it is water in the fuel related? Probably not, of course.. but that's the first thing that came to mind.

[LaGrasta]

@Gmc28 Wouldn't you know? I rolled it into the garage Saturday morning, prepared to evaluate the mishap. Just as the forum suggested, turned the key, heard the pump prime, so I hit the ignition. Started right up, idled perfect! I drove it a bit later to Home Depot, about 8 mile round trip, no problems. Then this morning, ride to work, 25 miles one way, no problem. Sheesh.

btw, I've ridden about 3k or so since replacing the filters, fluids, injectors, plugs, etc.

 

[mikev]

fickle italian girlfriend

[Speedfrog]

1 hour ago, mikev said:

fickle italian girlfriend

And that’s why we love them . . . Beautiful, temperamental and prone to fiery outbursts     

[docc]

One of our forum members coined the phrase, "An Italian woman will stab you for no reason at all ."

[Gmc28]

12 hours ago, LaGrasta said:

@Gmc28 Wouldn't you know? I rolled it into the garage Saturday morning, prepared to evaluate the mishap. Just as the forum suggested, turned the key, heard the pump prime, so I hit the ignition. Started right up, idled perfect! I drove it a bit later to Home Depot, about 8 mile round trip, no problems. Then this morning, ride to work, 25 miles one way, no problem. Sheesh.

btw, I've ridden about 3k or so since replacing the filters, fluids, injectors, plugs, etc.

 

Excellent.  Even minor misery loves a little company :->.  We’ll stay ever vigilant for the elusive fix for the some-times naughty behavior. 

And it provides the appropriate excuse to always have more than one motorcycle!

[LaGrasta]

Rode to work again today, all is still well. Whatever it was, it's gone. 

[audiomick]

Without wanting to de-rail the thread, I will be "forced" to ride one of the bikes to work tommorow. There will be a public transport strike, the weather will be acceptable, and I got the Breva 750 and the V11 Le Mans to a state in which I am prepared to ride them again last week.

The only question is which one: the bike will be parked on the street near the opera into the evening. 1 point against the V11. It's only about 4.5 km, which is just enough to get the Breva more or less warm, but not really enough for the V11. Another point.

So the Breva would be the sensible choice. But I really, really want to ride the V11. We'll see tomorrow morning.

 

PS: neither of them have been ridden for the last couple of months. I've had the batteries out and on the charger, so I think they'll be right. Nevertheless, I think I'll take both keys with me when I go down to the courtyard to leave for work (4 floors, no elevator...)