My bike won't start :(

[Smousie]

I have a Yamaha Virago XV125 which wouldn't start today. It's kept on the drive outside my house and it was a bit cold today but not freezing. The bike is in working order as it was just serviced 10 days ago, I was riding it yesterday so it hasn't sat there unused for ages or anything like that.

I put it on full choke and pressed the starter, it was trying to start but not actually getting going. I tried revving it at the same time as pressing the starter but to no avail. I checked it had petrol and even tried turning on the reserve tank, but nothing worked.

I just felt utterly helpless - I had no idea what to do beyond pushing the starter button again and again (the bike has no kick-start). I felt like a complete idiot and I started to get extremely annoyed because it's just been serviced and it has petrol so there's no reason why the stupid thing shouldn't start. Eventually I gave up and went back indoors.

I'm quite upset by this because today was by no means a cold day, there'll be much colder days than this over the next few months and if the bike won't start today it won't start any other day either. I need the bike to get to my new job, if I'd been at work today I'd be screwed as I'd have been unable to get there, or worse I might have been there and been unable to get home because the bike wouldn't start.

Am I doing something wrong? If the bike doesn't start on full choke what else can I do?

[benjami]

Have you checked that you have a spark?

Or that your HT lead is on correctly?

Sometimes that happens to me :S

Good luck, if those aren't the causes.

[Mr.Everready]

Did you push the choke in and turn it over a few times ? Might have been flooded.
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[killa]

Try and bump start it
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[Ben.]

dont twist the throttle when you start it! it floods your engine. you eithier need to take the spark plug out and clean it, or start it with some throttle and keep the throttle half open, and keep the starter button pushed in. push the choke in as well. in future just push the starter button, no throttle.
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[gmanxiii]

check your battery is ok, and your kill switch isnt on
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[Smousie]

[Ben.]

okay yes that means theres too much petrol and hte spark isnt strong enough to get it all burning, get throttle to 1/4 turn, then hold that starter button in, continusouly, now if you start to here it catching keep doing what your doing untill it starts running. No choke while your doing this. tell us if that works, if not probably a sooty spark from flooding the engine every time you start it
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[TUG]

we have a workshop section....
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[Smousie]

Oh sorry, could a moderator please move this thread to the apppropriate section of the forum?

So am I supposed to use the throttle while starting the bike or not? Some people say yes, some say no...

[Kal]

Leave it. The excess petrol drains/evaporates off.

Then go in and try again. If it will start without using the throttle or the clutch then do so.

If it just wont catch let it rest (gives the battery time to recover) then try it with the choke on.

Only if the timing is off or it is really cold should you need throttle and choke... Otherwise you are asking for it to flood straight out of the gate.

You can blip the throttle during starting to try and get it to catch - essentially doing the same thing as the choke
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1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Smousie]

Went outside and had another go on full choke with no throttle, the bike started straight away. I must have flooded the engine earlier by using the throttle and choke at the same time, and that's why it wouldn't start. Why oh why don't they tell you these things on the CBT?

The engine was a bit iffy to begin with though, quite slow and irregular. I tried to rev it a bit right after starting it (thinking that would get it going) but it just stalled, so I had to re-start it and let it run on full choke for a while. By the time I got the bike started it's too dark for me to go for a ride though (I'm still a bit nervous about riding in the dark).

Thanks for all the advice, at least I know for next time

[Kal]

The irregularity is nothing to be worried about, it is just the engine warming - once warm it should smooth out.

BTW. nearly everyone here has done what you have just done at one point or another so don't worry about it.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[doggone]

Might be worth getting some WD40 or similar to spray around exposed electrics especially the HT leads (from spark plugs).

The reason it didn't start initially was likely damp related - electrickery tends to seep away from where it should be in the never-ending dampness at this time of year.

[iooi]

[deanoet]

I try mine without choke
With middle choke
Full choke
Just for 1 or 2 turns on each one

if it doesnt start i give it a few revs
mine wont tick over with full choke, so just have to start mine then instantly into the middle.
Ticks over fine unless really cold, so a couple of revs and it will idle okay.


I flooded mine on the dealers forecourt before i had even sat on it.
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CBT Passed 18th July 2007 : Previous Bikes> CG125 : Current Bike> Hornet 600 : PASSED DAS 30th Oct 2007
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[Noxious89123]

The irregularity and stalling when you blip the throttle is normal when the engine is bone cold.

I couldn't get my bike started, but a friend go i started. Choke off, hold the started for about 20 seconds or so, and kept blipping the throttle. Could hear it trying to start but it couldn't quite, then it finally fired up into life
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