Yay!! What a beautiful sound!

[stormi]

Got Dita fired up for the first time this spring!  AND, for once, without requiring the removal of the carbs!

Sounds like the SeaFoam worked!

Now to put the Honda back together, and fire it up,.. then I'll come and actually read what's been going on on the board.

[stormi]

And the blue one fired up like he'd never been put to bed!  

Wow,.. I set aside a whole day for this! +9C today too,... I might just go for a little boot.

[1200 bandits]

That's what I have been accustomed to the last 5 years with my Bandit, take the battery out before the freezing temperatures, trickle charge with a Canadian tire bought battery charger, and when the warm temperatures come, put in the battery, push the start button, and voila!

(I do go through a putting back into service maintenance routine, but not before enjoying a quick first ride.)

Last night it was sunny and +10 after supper.  I grabbed the battery and installed it.  It seemed too large for the battery tray.  Not a good omen.

Tapped it down with the palm of my hand, put the key in the ignition and turned it.  Wouldn't even illuminate the dash lights.  Battery charger showed full charge.

Grabbed my multimeter; 2 volts.

Time for a new battery.

Ordered one this morning; but couldn't pick it up before the shop closed.  Damn; it's going to be sunny and +11 tomorrow.

Well; a couple of more days and I should be back in the saddle again.

Ride Safe & Ride Often,

1200 Bandits

[Have Blue]

Aint nothing better than the sound of running bikes.  :-)
Congrats!

Blue

And the blue one fired up like he'd never been put to bed!  

Wow,.. I set aside a whole day for this! +9C today too,... I might just go for a little boot.

[smitty225]

I cranked mine up about a week ago.  Spent half a Saturday.  Seemed like she just wouldn't start.  She would crank but just wouldn't turn over.  I toyed with draining the bowls and dumping in some Techron and letting it sit.  But I just couldn't spend enough time in the cold garage to find the right sized allen key!  

Finally, I decided to put in a gallon or so of fresh petrol.  Still nothing.  Then I sat on the bike and started making a whole bunch of Vrrroooom!!  Vrrooom!!! Vrrrrrom!! sounds and then remembered to pull down the choke lever.  duh.

She started right up after that.

[willo]

Gees I am glade I live in Aus, and can ride all year be to hard to put bike to bed for more than 1 or 2 nights I guess I'm spoilt ..Graham

[interfuse]

Word-up scarborough. Push start the basterd and go for a ride!!! +11 and sunny is good enough for me!

Tuesday suposed to be +18! I'll believe it when I see it.

[smooth operator]

I like to fire mine up once or twice a month during the winter. Let it run for awhile,till its up to temp.
  Supposed to be nice today,hope to go for a long awaited ride!           Dan

[gyrogearcrunch]

I cranked mine up about a week ago.  Spent half a Saturday.  Seemed like she just wouldn't start.  She would crank but just wouldn't turn over.  I toyed with draining the bowls and dumping in some Techron and letting it sit.  But I just couldn't spend enough time in the cold garage to find the right sized allen key!  

Finally, I decided to put in a gallon or so of fresh petrol.  Still nothing.  Then I sat on the bike and started making a whole bunch of Vrrroooom!!  Vrrooom!!! Vrrrrrom!! sounds and then remembered to pull down the choke lever.  duh.

She started right up after that.

It starts even better if you turn the petcock lever to the PRIME (3 o'clock) position  before pushing the starter button. Believe it or not, enough fuel evaporates from the float bowls after 2-3 weeks sitting idle that starting becomes iffy. Really, you HAVE to try priming the carbs - it makes a world of difference in the starting process.

My '99 Bandit stinks up the garage with gas fumes coming from fuel boiling out of the carbs after a run. I'm sure that starts the process of fuel evapping from the bowls.

Don't forget to put the petcock back into the run position (pointy end down to 6 o'clock).

Herb

[StangMATA]

In texas, I never put mine away.  

Now in NY, it was a different story. Unlike some, I left my battery in all winter and just ran the carbs dry and put some stabil in the tank. Always worked like a charm.


PS. Seafoam rocks.

[stormi]

Aint nothing better than the sound of running bikes.  :-)
Congrats!

Blue

And the blue one fired up like he'd never been put to bed!  

Wow,.. I set aside a whole day for this! +9C today too,... I might just go for a little boot.

I had the stupid grin on my face and everything!  Didn't get them out til Sunday, and it was late in the day when we did get out.  Holy crap is it cold riding on the highway at +1.5C, that's what,.. 34F for you metric-challenged people ;)  And I forgot that certain parts of the city would still have wet (and icing at the close to freezing temps) ground, despite the warmer temps all weekend.  Places like groat road, the only twisty spot in Edmonton.  Add to that the gravel and I got my first ride on blackish ice, and gravel.  I'm not in a hurry to duplicate that again soon!  

Dita's running like a top.. and Blue,.. well,.. he's running great as usual.

[stormi]

IThen I sat on the bike and started making a whole bunch of Vrrroooom!!  Vrrooom!!! Vrrrrrom!! sounds

LOL! Been there!  If it helps,.. I think the vroom vroom sounds give it encouragement...

[stormi]

In texas, I never put mine away.  

Now in NY, it was a different story. Unlike some, I left my battery in all winter and just ran the carbs dry and put some stabil in the tank. Always worked like a charm.


PS. Seafoam rocks.

 I think the Seafoam is what did it this year.  It's the first time we've used it, and the first year we haven't fought non-stop to get her running.   I'd like to buy stock in that company!

[Red01]

It's a sad world for me... my lawn mower got started and used before any of my bikes.  

I'm soooo ashamed of myself!

[Vidrazor]

As some of you know, I've been riding right through the winter. Only stopped for snow. Had some starting problems early on, but after I had the carbs cleaned out, the B4 started right over, even on 18˚F evenings!