Bike won't start

kaycorich · Aug 9, 2018

Climbed on the NT for a short ride today...imagine my surprise when she would not start !!! This never happens on a Honda ! Thought at first that I wasn't getting a spark...plenty of fuel, etc. Pulled her back in the garage. Got back from my errand & decided to give it another try. Still no luck. As a last resort, I opened the throttle & cranked...sounded like there might be some hope. Tried this a few more times & finally, the beast responded. Had not been ridden for @ 3 weeks,since I picked up a Shadow, but every Spring, I pop the battery in & she fires up like a raped ape ! Has anyone else experienced this ? Kind of afraid to get too far from the house in case she gets an attitude again. Possible injector problems ??? :frown: :shrug2:

seagrass · Aug 9, 2018

Unusual problem to have and I have never had the problem on my NT.

A couple of times on my CX500 Turbo (also fuel injected) I have had a similar problem and I believe it was caused by old stale fuel in the fuel rail. Once I opened the throttle to let the fuel flow through and got some fresh fuel from the tank to the injectors, it fired up and ran a bit rough until the extra fuel cleared. After that it ran just fine as it always does.

Seagarss

Miairhead · Aug 9, 2018

How long did it sit? I know the wonderful gas we have today can have issues with water, not that it was from your bike but the last station could of had a issue with condensation and you where the benefit of it.

Warren · Aug 10, 2018

Most likely the battery. How old is it and have you checked the voltage at terminals. It should be 12.8 - 13.2 volts.

DirtFlier · Aug 10, 2018

Was the sidestand fully retracted and the Engine Stop Switch in "RUN" position?

Brillot2000 · Aug 10, 2018

Another possibility is the Crankshaft Positioning Sensor (a.k.a. Pulse Generator) could be faulty, thus no spark.

I had issues with NaTalie sometimes not starting after getting up to temperature after a long ride and stopping for a quick errand. However, this issue would throw out a code and make the engine check light flash a sequence. In order to get the bike to show you the code, the side stand needs to be down and cranking the engine for 10 seconds.

This post will hope you with finding out how to check and read these codes, PGMI-FI Codes.

I hope this is not your issue. However, it is a possibility that cannot be overlooked.

dnktng · Aug 10, 2018

Here is my story on a hard start. It was years ago and has only happened once. Suspect I had the throttle slightly open and flooded it...not 100% on that idea though.

Sojourner · Aug 10, 2018

There are evil spirits in the distributor cap.

(If you know what obscure, made-for-TV animated movie that was, you are a geek of immense proportions.)

kaycorich · Aug 10, 2018

New Battery...cranked just fine. Ran fine today...gotta think it was a gas problem.

kaycorich · Aug 10, 2018

Thanks for the info... gotta think it was gas as it ran fine today !

kaycorich · Aug 10, 2018

I believe you nailed it ! Ran fine today. Thanks !

mikesim · Aug 10, 2018

It is difficult to flood a fuel injected engine, but not impossible..... hopefully, that's all it was.

Mike

Phil Tarman · Aug 10, 2018

mikesim said:
It is difficult to flood a fuel injected engine, but not impossible....

Mike, that may be true now, but back in the early-60s, when aircraft engines first started using fuel injection, it was sometimes very difficult to get them started until a half-hour or more had passed since they'd been stopped. The dreaded "hot-start" made it very easy to flood the engine. My dad was flying a Beech B-55 Baron with Continental IO-470 engines. IIRC, the hot-start issue occurred because of vapor lock in the fuel injection rails. I flew with Dad in the Baron quite a lot in those days and it was usually in the summer. I can only remember once when he had a problem with a hot start. Since I was his only passenger, it was no big deal. We went into the airport café and had lunch and after that there was no problem getting the plane started.

mikesim · Aug 11, 2018

Phil Tarman said:
Mike, that may be true now, but back in the early-60s, when aircraft engines first started using fuel injection, it was sometimes very difficult to get them started until a half-hour or more had passed since they'd been stopped. The dreaded "hot-start" made it very easy to flood the engine. My dad was flying a Beech B-55 Baron with Continental IO-470 engines. IIRC, the hot-start issue occurred because of vapor lock in the fuel injection rails. I flew with Dad in the Baron quite a lot in those days and it was usually in the summer. I can only remember once when he had a problem with a hot start. Since I was his only passenger, it was no big deal. We went into the airport café and had lunch and after that there was no problem getting the plane started.

Was the no start due to flooding or lack of fuel delivery due to vapor lock? Different issues but both result in a no start condition.

Mike

BTW, most youngsters have never heard of vapor lock. It was quite common back in the day when we were pups.... well, I was a pup, you on the other hand were already an old fart.

:rofl1:

DirtFlier · Aug 11, 2018

On the 1st generation Fi on a Honda motorcycle, when the key was turned to RUN, all four injectors fired one time on the '85 GL1200. If you did the key ON, key OFF repeatedly it could possibly flood the engine but I honestly never tried that to confirm it.

My only problem with my Fi bikes is that my right wrist occasionally forgets that it doesn't have carbs so crack the throttle open which makes it tougher to start.

kaycorich · Aug 11, 2018

mikesim said:
Was the no start due to flooding or lack of fuel delivery due to vapor lock? Different issues but both result in a no start condition.

Mike

BTW, most youngsters have never heard of vapor lock. It was quite common back in the day when we were pups.... well, I was a pup, you on the other hand were already an old fart.

Good one, Mike ! Have since gone 200 miles with no issues. Hopefully just a fluke !

Frosty · Aug 11, 2018

Phil Tarman said:
Mike, that may be true now, but back in the early-60s, when aircraft engines first started using fuel injection, it was sometimes very difficult to get them started until a half-hour or more had passed since they'd been stopped.

Those early FI systems had the fuel distribution components located on top of the horizontal opposed air cooled motors. Once the hot motor stopped and heat rose, there were vapor lock problems on a restart.

Phil Tarman · Aug 11, 2018

Mike, you're right... it was vapor lock, not flooding that kept my Dad's Baron engines from starting when they were hot. I'm so old I'm confused.

Bab · Aug 17, 2018

One day this summer, my bike was parked in the sun, weather was super hot, and my bike would not start. I cranked the starter, and held the throttle at about 1/2 open, and gradually it fired, and eventually cleared itself. Is it possible the heat caused expansion pressure to build up in the tank, and upon the pump being activated more fuel was injected than should have been causing a flooded situation? The only other time this bike would not start was due to battery issues.