Flooded it, Now what?

[bigdogdeee]

Hey everyone, this is probably a bone-headed question, and I kind of think I know the answer, but i'm asking anyway. Yesterday I was getting the katana out for it's first real ride of the year, and I flooded it bad. (i have had the bike running on two other occassions this year already) What is the best way to get the bike back running. i waited a half hour or so and tried to fire it up again, and still no luck. So I finally decided to let it sit for a day and try it again today. If it doesn't start today, any suggestions? When I try to start it today, should I choke it? or should I try to start it without the choke? Any help anyone can provide would be awesome. Thanks.

[pitbull76]

Change out the plugs? If you think you flooded it, they could be fouled.

[trinc]

get a can of starting fluid.

tim

[Macka]

Try holding the throttle open all the way while hitting the starter button.

[md86]

All of those are good and sometimes they work , but you're PROBABLY gonna want to just change out the plugs . I've had good luck with WOT a couple times before , but that was after the bike was already warm .

[paperairplane]

put petcock on PRI, hold WOT and try for a start - if it is flooded it shouldn't have fouled anything - worst comes to worst, pull the plugs and turn it over once or twice with no plugs in it - reinstall and should start right up

if when you pull the plugs they are definitely fouled, replace them

[The CyberPoet]

Make sure the fuel petcock isn't set to PRIME when you're parked... if one of the carb floats is stuck, you'll be pouring fuel into the cylinder to run down into the oil (and wash away any oil at the cylinder wall, so it's metal-on-metal when she's trying to start).

The best way to cure a flood is to remove the plugs and turn the engine over a couple times, then reinstall the plugs. But I'm with everyone else here -- sounds like your plugs are fouled. While you're in there changing them, check to make sure your choke cable isn't sticking, because if it is sticking in anything other than completely off, the plugs will foul up very quickly.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[bigdogdeee]

Thanks for all your help guys, waiting a day didn't do any good, so i bit the bullet and went out and got four new plugs at the cycle shop in town. I don't consider myself too mechanically inclined, and was a little nervous taking off the gas tank among other things, but managed to change them out and get everything back together. The plugs I removed looked like they had bathed in gasoline. New plugs in, started on the first try. Running like a top now. Thanks again for all the help.

[Special K]

Katanas are notorious for going thru plugs and for fouling plugs with ease.

I always tell everyong : DON'T touch the throttle when you're starting your Kat!

ALSO: Always run ONLY NGK plugs!

[KatanaO215]

yeah NGK's were what I always used

[md86]

I always tell everyong : DON'T touch the throttle when you're starting your Kat!

When it's cold , yeah , just choke . But when it's warm , I always grab a little . Doesn't go up more than like 2-2.5K rpm's when I start it . And I haven't fouled a plug since last spring when I got the carbs sorted , thank-you-very-much !

[Gripp]

You might want to change the oil if it flooded bad, there might be fuel in it.