Bike won't start in the moring

[KPDL6290]

Hey Guys,

So I recently got my first bike, so happened to be a Katana, a few months ago. But ever since I had my bike and tried to start it up in the morning or after an 8 hour shift at work, my bike would not start even with the choke on. However, it will start sometimes after I rev the throttle a little. I heard that is bad for the bike and I also heard that the carb will be flooded doing that. People have told m to tilt the bike and it will unflood the carb but sometimes the bike still won't start. What could be the issue for this and i this normal? Any suggestions?

In addition, I changed my brake pads for the rear and my mechanic told me just to keep riding the bike in order for the pads to match the grooves on the old rotors. Is this also true? Any suggestions?

[Kreylyn]

Hey Guys,

So I recently got my first bike, so happened to be a Katana, a few months ago. But ever since I had my bike and tried to start it up in the morning or after an 8 hour shift at work, my bike would not start even with the choke on. However, it will start sometimes after I rev the throttle a little. I heard that is bad for the bike and I also heard that the carb will be flooded doing that. People have told m to tilt the bike and it will unflood the carb but sometimes the bike still won't start. What could be the issue for this and i this normal? Any suggestions?

In addition, I changed my brake pads for the rear and my mechanic told me just to keep riding the bike in order for the pads to match the grooves on the old rotors. Is this also true? Any suggestions?

Throttle adds air only... so if you need throttle to start the bike, then full choke is too much. If the choke is off, and it still takes throttle to start the bike, your carbs are leaking fuel. It will take a good carb cleaning to fix that.

If it won't start with the choke off and throttle, but needs the choke and throttle... then keep in mind the choke is not on/off situation... so it may be simply that you only need 1/4 choke right now to start the bike. Try starting it with no choke, and then slowly as the engine is turning pull on the choke lever. If you find that it will start regularly that way, then you have solved the issue.

That's all 1 issue... fuel related.

The second possible issue is that your having a problem with lower power to the coils. A simple volt meter test at the coils (orange/white stripes) when the key is on, and then again with the batter turning the starter over... should show never below 11v. If it drops below that, you have a power issue.

Krey

[rottenpixies]

Hey Guys,

So I recently got my first bike, so happened to be a Katana, a few months ago. But ever since I had my bike and tried to start it up in the morning or after an 8 hour shift at work, my bike would not start even with the choke on. However, it will start sometimes after I rev the throttle a little. I heard that is bad for the bike and I also heard that the carb will be flooded doing that. People have told m to tilt the bike and it will unflood the carb but sometimes the bike still won't start. What could be the issue for this and i this normal? Any suggestions?

In addition, I changed my brake pads for the rear and my mechanic told me just to keep riding the bike in order for the pads to match the grooves on the old rotors. Is this also true? Any suggestions?

I've always had a similar issue. I have to put the choke on full and also give the throttle a little rev to get the rpms up. If I put the choke on full and try to start with no throttle, it starts than stalls out right away. Once the engine is warm and been running, I can start the bike without choke or throttle. But if its a cold start it always requires choke and little throttle to keep it from stalling.

Does that sound like same type of carbs leaking gas issue as OP is having? I haven't had carbs worked on since I bought the bike 5 years ago, so it obviously in need of a tune up. But it has been like that since I bought the bike, and i've read that Katanas don't like starting cold anyways so I always just dealt with it.

[KPDL6290]

yeah, that is exactly what happens to the katana. it stalls out if i dont use the throttle and sometimes i need to over rev it as well. I mean, I've heard that this is bad for the bike if done so many times.

I've always had a similar issue. I have to put the choke on full and also give the throttle a little rev to get the rpms up. If I put the choke on full and try to start with no throttle, it starts than stalls out right away. Once the engine is warm and been running, I can start the bike without choke or throttle. But if its a cold start it always requires choke and little throttle to keep it from stalling.

Does that sound like same type of carbs leaking gas issue as OP is having? I haven't had carbs worked on since I bought the bike 5 years ago, so it obviously in need of a tune up. But it has been like that since I bought the bike, and i've read that Katanas don't like starting cold anyways so I always just dealt with it.

So should I still rev the throttle if I start the bike without the choke and it won't start? But thank you for the great suggestion. I've never really started the bike without the choke and slowly raising the choke. Always been told start it with the choke.

Throttle adds air only... so if you need throttle to start the bike, then full choke is too much. If the choke is off, and it still takes throttle to start the bike, your carbs are leaking fuel. It will take a good carb cleaning to fix that.

If it won't start with the choke off and throttle, but needs the choke and throttle... then keep in mind the choke is not on/off situation... so it may be simply that you only need 1/4 choke right now to start the bike. Try starting it with no choke, and then slowly as the engine is turning pull on the choke lever. If you find that it will start regularly that way, then you have solved the issue.

That's all 1 issue... fuel related.

The second possible issue is that your having a problem with lower power to the coils. A simple volt meter test at the coils (orange/white stripes) when the key is on, and then again with the batter turning the starter over... should show never below 11v. If it drops below that, you have a power issue.

Krey

[loneraider]

My bike use to do that when I first bought it,but after a couple carb cleanings & factory pro parts installed plus a new battery / problem solved!!
Now I give it 1/4 choke when cold...fires right up everytime .

[jondoe]

Throttle adds air only... so if you need throttle to start the bike, then full choke is too much. If the choke is off, and it still takes throttle to start the bike, your carbs are leaking fuel. It will take a good carb cleaning to fix that.

Krey

Is there a specific area there would be a leak? Something to pay close attention to, or just clean the whole thing and what should solve the problem?

[Kreylyn]

Is there a specific area there would be a leak? Something to pay close attention to, or just clean the whole thing and what should solve the problem?

The "leak" I am refering to is when something goes wrong allowing the bowls to over fill with fuel. When that happens, fuel then "leaks" out... or the carb overflows would be a better reference I suppose. That fuel will come out of any half a dozen air ports and drain out the lowest point. Since the carbs are angled slightly towards the engine, if the bike is parked on a flat surface... that will normally be into the engine.

Where specifically does this happen? Most often it's a mis adjusted float, a dirty or damaged flaot needle or the float needle seat, or on rarer occasions, the oring that seals around the float needle seat.

If any of those fail, fuel will continue to flow into the bowl, over filling it.

A good general cleaning would normally take care of this. In addtion, you can check if it's leaking by filling the blow, and blow on the fuel line hard. If you can move any air at all, it's most likely leaking.

Krey

[numus]

The "leak" I am refering to is when something goes wrong allowing the bowls to over fill with fuel. When that happens, fuel then "leaks" out... or the carb overflows would be a better reference I suppose. That fuel will come out of any half a dozen air ports and drain out the lowest point. Since the carbs are angled slightly towards the engine, if the bike is parked on a flat surface... that will normally be into the engine.

Where specifically does this happen? Most often it's a mis adjusted float, a dirty or damaged flaot needle or the float needle seat, or on rarer occasions, the oring that seals around the float needle seat.

If any of those fail, fuel will continue to flow into the bowl, over filling it.

A good general cleaning would normally take care of this. In addtion, you can check if it's leaking by filling the blow, and blow on the fuel line hard. If you can move any air at all, it's most likely leaking.

Krey

I had mine slightly leaking into the air box.

[jmoles95]

Had this same problem too carb clean took care of it

[Fast]

Hey Guys,


In addition, I changed my brake pads for the rear and my mechanic told me just to keep riding the bike in order for the pads to match the grooves on the old rotors. Is this also true? Any suggestions?

It is the balance between how much money do you want to spend and how good do you want to feel about the job. The new pads will eventually wear in to match the grooves but does this effect the braking ? Brake rotors are expensive. The grooves happened because the brake material was worn off the pads and the metal of the pad was rubbing against the rotor. The rotor has been worn down from its original size but you don't know how much it has been worn down. Nobody can say what the results will be but it wasn't designed to run like that. The prudent choice now is to replace the rotor and another set of pads.. But then it just depends upon how much money you want to spend to maintain stock specifications.

PS: Pads offer different stopping capabilitites. Pick the compound that best suits your style of riding.

[crazycraven420]

In addition, I changed my brake pads for the rear and my mechanic told me just to keep riding the bike in order for the pads to match the grooves on the old rotors. Is this also true? Any suggestions?

post a pic. It depends on how drastic the grooves are.

I've always had a similar issue. I have to put the choke on full and also give the throttle a little rev to get the rpms up. If I put the choke on full and try to start with no throttle, it starts than stalls out right away. Once the engine is warm and been running, I can start the bike without choke or throttle. But if its a cold start it always requires choke and little throttle to keep it from stalling.

Does that sound like same type of carbs leaking gas issue as OP is having? I haven't had carbs worked on since I bought the bike 5 years ago, so it obviously in need of a tune up. But it has been like that since I bought the bike, and i've read that Katanas don't like starting cold anyways so I always just dealt with it.

I havnt used my choke since I got my rebuilt carbs from arsenic, new plug wires etc. Thats been in 35-40 degree weather first thing in the morning. It was a bit rich at first until I turned my a/f screws to 2 turns but even now I have yet to need it. An im not talking about sitting there cranking it til it starts either, maybe one or 2 seconds MAX and shes idling. Good spark an clean carbs do justice. Prior to carbs an plugs an wires it was full choke an 2 sometimes 3 crank attemps an she still wouldn't idle, id have to hold the throttle to keep her running

[registermailac]

This is normal because it's too cold. Just tune the gas.

[DeltaFunk0]

2003 Katana

My problem sounds somewhat similar. I just brought a 2003 Katana out of storage. I'm not mechanically inclined (city boy). The bike ran fine when I got it out of storage. I drove it back to my house, went inside, ate a PB&J, then started it and drove it again. The next morning, it would not start. It runs for 2 to 3 seconds, then the RPMs drop until the bike eventually stalls. Giving it throttle seems to have no effect, and if anything, makes it stall faster. The oil light also comes on. I changed the oil and oil filter, with no change in results.

Is it possible that the engine starts, but then the fuel flow is too slow to keep it going? I did notice that the bike starts better with the petcock set to prime. If I were to guess, with all the wisdom I've attained on the Internet, this could be bad gas (91 octane, BTW), cruddy fuel tank or fuel filter, or dirty carb. I wouldn't mind doing these things myself but alas, I live in an apartment. No garage or space to do this in. Have to suck it up and pay someone to do it.

[Kreylyn]

It could be as simple as an issue with the vacuum line for the petcock. Do you have a friend who would be willing to let you borrow their driveway or garage for a short "project". Honestly, most of the possible other issues would generally be quick to fix, with the exception of doing a full cleaning on the carbs.


Krey

[numus]

My problem sounds somewhat similar. I just brought a 2003 Katana out of storage. I'm not mechanically inclined (city boy). The bike ran fine when I got it out of storage. I drove it back to my house, went inside, ate a PB&J, then started it and drove it again. The next morning, it would not start. It runs for 2 to 3 seconds, then the RPMs drop until the bike eventually stalls. Giving it throttle seems to have no effect, and if anything, makes it stall faster. The oil light also comes on. I changed the oil and oil filter, with no change in results.

Is it possible that the engine starts, but then the fuel flow is too slow to keep it going? I did notice that the bike starts better with the petcock set to prime. If I were to guess, with all the wisdom I've attained on the Internet, this could be bad gas (91 octane, BTW), cruddy fuel tank or fuel filter, or dirty carb. I wouldn't mind doing these things myself but alas, I live in an apartment. No garage or space to do this in. Have to suck it up and pay someone to do it.

My bike did roughly the same thing sometimes. Turned out the fuel filter melted and was leaking out (introducing Air into the fuel line).