starting her up after standing a while

[nick40]

Hi Folks

had my monster (1997 m900) for two years now and found she dont like being woken up after her winter hibernation. Anyhow for anyone having the same trouble I think I ave sussed out the problem and now I can start her first time every time with this method.

1> make sure the battery is good, I use an optimiser

2> Whip plugs out, give em a clean with wire brush.

3> hold em in a flame for 30 secs, I find gas hob is ideal

4> Wack plugs back in, light fag and press button

I am no technical bod and I know people may find better more technical ways but I have found this works every time.

Let her run for a bit on choke then off you go.

All the best

Nick

:yoparty:

[M900nster]

I have had the same trouble starting my '97 M900 after a long lay up. I think the petrol probably evaporates out of the float bowls when the bike strands a long time and it takes ages to fill em up again. Try turning on the petrol ten minutes or so before you try cranking the motor. This seems to work for me.

[Yorkie]

Turning the petrol on??

I take it you have a fuel tap or something similar!!

Yorkie.

[slob]

Good battery charge and if it doesn't fire up after a couple of trys, a quick squit of easy-start in the airbox does it almost every time.
My 620ie hasn't needed the easy-start yet, but then it doesn't have floatbowls.

[pooh]

Hi Folks
Ive found the best way of stopping the problem with bad starting after the winter lay off is to keep riding it, can anybody tell me a good reason to stop riding in the winter other than it gets cold! and you have to learn how to control the bike on slippery roads. So whats the problem my 900ie starts every push of the button and lives outside 24/7. Bikes are for riding not just for christmas oops sorry thats another saying.

Pooh
:spin:

[ricky]

thats a very cross reply!!

[pooh]

Ricky
not cross just find it strange for people to spend shed loads of money on a bike and kit then leave it in the garage 9 months of the year.

Pooh

[ricky]

hey mate i totally agree! ive rid the whole way through winter!! but ya see next year im def gettin a car for the REALLY bad days!!! good to see hardcore bikers still exist though!

[Mand]

hey mate i totally agree! ive rid the whole way through winter!! but ya see next year im def gettin a car for the REALLY bad days!!! good to see hardcore bikers still exist though!


Oh yes, hardcore bikers do exist. My other half hasn't got a car license and rides "every" day on his bike (the Fireplace!) - he is going to pull his finger out this year and takes his car test. yeah right......:mand:

[ricky]

now ya see thats what im talkin about!!:yoparty: thats a biker!! i drove 120 mile round trip, on mostly b roads on a 125 in the pissin rain, frosty roads and at a top speed of 55mph! mind you i had an ulster fry half way :D !!

[benson]

Hooray for us toughies with a lot of thermals and no feeling in our toes... :thumbsup:

I've ridden all winter though some of it has been on the BMW because of the luxuryof heated grips...:rolleyes:

I bought some cracking gloves this year - OLD Frank Thomas stock from Rivetts in Leytonstone (TOP shop - always putting the kettle on!!!:thumbsup: ) and they've been brilliant and kept me going really well.

I've been riding year round for a LONG time now, basically cos I need to get to work and I HATE cars (well if someone gave me a Lotus Elise I wouldn't refuse beacuse it's cute...:p ) and yes it's cold sometimes (OK a lot of the time at the moment) but I wouldn't stop being on two wheels. I ride the monster at least weekly because I miss it if I don't! It's a top bike, and my 900ie starts every time first go and yesterday, despite having a very nasty case of chillimingus (work that one out...) it was still a treat to be riding round with a grin (permanently frozen) on my face....:chuckle:

Whatever you do - keep it on two wheels!!! (Circus acts not included...)

[Paranoid Dave]

Hi pooh, totally appreciate the all year round idea but those of us with carbs, and a serious lack of winter clothing just park up and keep in the warm :D I just don't like riding in the freezing cold but its only 3 or 4 months max. She went to bed in december and is just waiting for a little tail end modification before i wake her up for the year.

I wish i was as brave as you and Benson :hail: :hail:

[Duncan]

Dave

I got carbs and ride mine all year round, the carb icings not too bad and the heaters on the 900s only work when going slow anyway.

I dont ride it for work any more cos I work all over the place and have to carry stuff or fly places. But on those days I am working at home and need to get out then I ride it in preference to the car.

You get some great winters days and wearing the right gear its not bad at all. Rode from Bristol to Oakham and back in a day last year in January, temperature was betweem 5 & 10c its 300 miles and had fun all the way.

Winters are pussy cats up to what they once were and bike gear, bikes, tyres etc so much more capable that the wusses season should be confined to a very short time. The biggest enemy is the salt and if you wash that off as it collects then bike doesnt deteriorate too much.

We also keep the section ride outs going thro the winter and have had some great trips out.

Once youre out in the weather its always much more pleasant than you think its gonna be.

[Paranoid Dave]

again, can see you're point duncan, but the suffolk meets don't happen in the summer let alone winter. There's only me and Jon and he's just had another kid (well his wife has) I don't need to get anywhere as such and there's not a huge social aspect in going out by yourself to the cafe for a brekky for one then come home again. The reason i stopped going out was that i was toooooo cold, even doing 20 miles i just hated the temperature. Last year i did use another bike i had through winter but only if i really really had to, even went out (cos i had to) 20 miles on the A12 in the snow. My fingers and body just gave up. I don't enjoy it and have no need to so when kylie is a pleasure vehicle, i save her for ddays now when we'll both enjoy it IYKWIM.

[benson]

I know Dave - I either have to move to Suffolk or we have to persuade some more people to come out to play! :D

I will make myself the official Suffolk cuckoo I think this year - nice places to ride nice people to ride them with and so on...:running:

Meanwhile - have you seen ride this month?? TWO RIDES IN ESSEX!!!!!!:yoparty: :yoparty: :yoparty:

Hurrah!!! When my current frostbite wears off I'll be out there.....

Surely there's a bag of chips with my name on???:woot:

[spacemonkey]

Anyway, getting back on topic before you all get banned, I would like to add that simply squirting fresh petyrol down the bellmouths should fire it up enough for the old petrol to get sucked through. Old stale petrol is your biggest enemy, and the word is that modern unleaded goes off after 2 months.

[Rockhopper]

A good dose of Pro FST before you put it away does the trick. Ours fires up first time.

[CK & AK]

Ricky
not cross just find it strange for people to spend shed loads of money on a bike and kit then leave it in the garage 9 months of the year.

Pooh

stil 'ard as' then Ian?:D

I hope you are both going to pop down to Cadwell at the end of March for the racing - as we'll now be arriving either late on the Thurs - or very early Fri am (23/24th) for the ACU day on the Friday - and the 2 day meeting after (tho we are just racing on the Sunday)

If its tooo brrrrr, can I call for taxi collection to a nice B&B I know?;) ;) :D

C, not ridden this w/end, as other things needed doing:look: :(

[pooh]

stil 'ard as' then Ian?:D

I hope you are both going to pop down to Cadwell at the end of March for the racing - as we'll now be arriving either late on the Thurs - or very early Fri am (23/24th) for the ACU day on the Friday - and the 2 day meeting after (tho we are just racing on the Sunday)

If its tooo brrrrr, can I call for taxi collection to a nice B&B I know?;) ;) :D

C, not ridden this w/end, as other things needed doing:look: :(

Charlotte
NOT ARD just stupid, B&B still open

Ian

[nick40]

Ricky
not cross just find it strange for people to spend shed loads of money on a bike and kit then leave it in the garage 9 months of the year.

Pooh

If I wanna spend loads of money on my bike and burn it thats up to me, my bike is a toy and I get cold enough all day working in the bloody cold weather. Why do people who ride all year round feel so superior?

[ricky]

If I wanna spend loads of money on my bike and burn it thats up to me, my bike is a toy and I get cold enough all day working in the bloody cold weather. Why do people who ride all year round feel so superior? Coz we are!!:thumbsup:

[pooh]

If I wanna spend loads of money on my bike and burn it thats up to me, my bike is a toy and I get cold enough all day working in the bloody cold weather. Why do people who ride all year round feel so superior?

Nick
Did I touch a nerve or something, I was not trying to be sound superior, my bikes are all toys but as somebody who likes to ride I find it strange to not ride if the opportunity is there. We all know people who buy bikes as fashion statements and then don't use them except to ride a couple of miles to the local bike night once a week if the weather is nice. My point is as with all mechanical items they don't like not being used so when they don't work due to lack of use why complain about it or get nasty when somebody suggests that using the bike will stop the problem.

Ian:D

[Mand]

If I wanna spend loads of money on my bike and burn it thats up to me, my bike is a toy and I get cold enough all day working in the bloody cold weather. Why do people who ride all year round feel so superior?


Whoa! Easy Tiger! Some people have no choice! For example, working in a city centre, no parking, unless you are willing to pay the best part of your wages to the NCP man.

Personally, I don't feel superior when I am freezing my bits off going to work when I would rather be in a nice warm car.

[nik_the_brief]

Coz we are!!:thumbsup:

Ya hit the nail on the head there Ricky.

I ride my carbed ickle 600 all year round too - have done for the past 3 years and did the same thing for the pervious couple on a tiny CG125 - try that across the top of the White Cliffs of Dover in a force 9 with foreign lorries blatting past ya.

I commute to work daily on her and bought a bike coz having a car with 3 empty seats when I travelled to and from work was a waste. My missus has the car for herself and the lads with airbags, a heater and all the gubbins and I really don't envy her most of the time.

There's no such thing as the wrong weather (save for blizzards and solid icy weather and I've even been caught out in them) just the wrong clothing. The stuff I have is not top of the line posh electric heated stuff or owt, good old leather jacket with a ripstop, windproof Ducati overjacket and loads of layers below. A cheap (£30 pair of Swift thermally lined trousers over my jeans) and a pair of winter gloves with those windproof liners. Sure my fingers get a bit chilly after half an hour or so but it's nowt that can't be put up with.

It seems to me that the majority of complaints about Duc reliability come from the softies who put their bikes away when the autumn leaves start to drop and don't get out and about again until about this time of the year. They then get out to play and are surprised when their bike doesn't want to work. Personally I think mine sulks if I don't get out and ride her regularly.

Perhaps that's also why people seem to get so arsey in the motorcycle forums this time of year (not just here) - a kind of cabin fever caused by not riding for so long.

[M900nster]

Turning the petrol on??

I take it you have a fuel tap or something similar!!

Yorkie.
Thats right. My '97 M900 has a petrol tap. Later models (like the '99 M900 I owned) have an automatic (servo) tap, and later still (year 2000?) they went over to fuel injection so did not need taps.
Henry

[M900nster]

Thats right. My '97 M900 has a petrol tap. Later models (like the '99 M900 I owned) have an automatic (servo) tap, and later still (year 2000?) they went over to fuel injection so did not need taps.
Henry
Correction: My M900 is a '96 model, not '97 as stated above.
Henry

[Yorkie]

H,

Thank god for that i thought i had been missing some thing off the bike for the past 7 years!

Yorkie.

[DesmoDog]

Got FST in the tank all winter and the things on the optimate. Still won't start so I'm thinking duff fuel. Might try the petrol in the bell mouths lark though. How much I wonder? 'Course, I won't be doing that until August, when it's sunny - right now I stick to the Volvo with the winter pack because it starts first time, dosen't need to be warmed up and it's too bloody cold, wet, miserable, and the drivers are paying even less attention because they too are most of the above.

We all do what we want and that's fine, I really wouldn't go down the route of slagging unless of course you are an untouchable.

[ricky]

Ya hit the nail on the head there Ricky.

I ride my carbed ickle 600 all year round too - have done for the past 3 years and did the same thing for the pervious couple on a tiny CG125 - try that across the top of the White Cliffs of Dover in a force 9 with foreign lorries blatting past ya.

Im very impressed!!:thumbsup: You going to weekender? I'll buy ya a pint!!:drunk:

[M900nster]

Anyway, getting back on topic ....... simply squirting fresh petyrol down the bellmouths should fire it up....... Old stale petrol is your biggest enemy, and the word is that modern unleaded goes off after 2 months.

Couldn't agree more. Petrol goes stale and loses it's oomph (that's tech jargon for ya). Whilst cranking the motor though, please don't use the starter motor for more than a few seconds (a 5-6 second burst is plenty) before switching off the ignition and leaving it for 5 or ten minutes for the starter motor and coils to cool down. People who ignore this advice are asking too much of these components and risk burning them out. The rest time also allows the battery to recover a little before you ask it to give up a load more ampres.

Next bit of sage old advice is for all you well 'ard year round bikers: Before I could afford a car as well as a bike (I gues we're talking about a period of 7 or 8 years) I used to commute on my Norton 40 miles each day, plus I'd think nothing of riding 250m round trips at weekends to visit my girlfriend. The number of times my fingers went numb is nobody's business. I'm paying the price now because I have developed something called Reynard's Disease, ie. at the slightest sign of cold my fingers go white, numb and painful. This even happens in the summer these days. It just has to be a bit cool (less than, say, 20ºC) and when the sun goes in the wild chill does the rest and the fingers start to hurt, I have to stop and flail my arms, rub my fingers, shove my hands down my pants - whatever it might take to get some life back into me poor dying digits. It sounds funny I guess, but it effing isn't. Please take care. Use heated grips, plus bar muffs, plus whatever, but don't freeze your fingers too often or you'll regret it like I do.
Henry

[nick40]

You The man, I wish I was as 'Ard as you, There is the wrong sort of weather, Its called "winter" when you work outside in freezing conditions for fourteen hours a day, your piffle will mean something to me.
Ya hit the nail on the head there Ricky.



I ride my carbed ickle 600 all year round too - have done for the past 3 years and did the same thing for the pervious couple on a tiny CG125 - try that across the top of the White Cliffs of Dover in a force 9 with foreign lorries blatting past ya.

I commute to work daily on her and bought a bike coz having a car with 3 empty seats when I travelled to and from work was a waste. My missus has the car for herself and the lads with airbags, a heater and all the gubbins and I really don't envy her most of the time.

There's no such thing as the wrong weather (save for blizzards and solid icy weather and I've even been caught out in them) just the wrong clothing. The stuff I have is not top of the line posh electric heated stuff or owt, good old leather jacket with a ripstop, windproof Ducati overjacket and loads of layers below. A cheap (£30 pair of Swift thermally lined trousers over my jeans) and a pair of winter gloves with those windproof liners. Sure my fingers get a bit chilly after half an hour or so but it's nowt that can't be put up with.

It seems to me that the majority of complaints about Duc reliability come from the softies who put their bikes away when the autumn leaves start to drop and don't get out and about again until about this time of the year. They then get out to play and are surprised when their bike doesn't want to work. Personally I think mine sulks if I don't get out and ride her regularly.

Perhaps that's also why people seem to get so arsey in the motorcycle forums this time of year (not just here) - a kind of cabin fever caused by not riding for so long.

[pooh]

You The man, I wish I was as 'Ard as you, There is the wrong sort of weather, Its called "winter" when you work outside in freezing conditions for fourteen hours a day, your piffle will mean something to me.

Nick
I do not know what temperature you work in but as a fridge engineer who spends most of his time at -25 C you aint got an arguement, the truth is you choose to ride your bike when it is sunny and warm and the rest of us ride whatever the weather, this is not a problem unless you complain about the reliability of your bike cos you aint ridden it for months. We are not trying to put you down we are just stating a fact that bikes are built to be ridden not polished.

Ian

[Pugi]

I have developed something called Reynard's Disease, ie. at the slightest sign of cold my fingers go white

My dad has fingers like that...didn't know it was a disease with a name and all.

[nik_the_brief]

You The man, I wish I was as 'Ard as you, There is the wrong sort of weather, Its called "winter" when you work outside in freezing conditions for fourteen hours a day, your piffle will mean something to me.

Exposing yourself to harsh weather conditions for extended periods of time is an entirely different story. Even winter for extended periods here, if you're not properly kitted out. That's not what I'm talking about.

In this temperate climate which is the UK - especially the southern half - it seldom gets below freezing, now if you want cold I've been to places that get cold and 'our proud land' ain't one sunshine -well not often anyway. That's why it p1sses down with rain so feckin' often. You might get a bit chilly but you'll live and are unlikely to die of frostbike if you get even half decent clobber, don't be soft. You have the choice if you want to do it.

I seldom need to ride for more than an hour and I can put up with the, relatively, poor conditions for that short period of time without problem - especially when I know there's a warm building at the other end and a place to dry my gear. That's coz I want to and it's the choice I make. I hate feckin traffic jams and the south east is full of the b*stards.

If I'm doing any distance I'd be daft not to choose to take the car - it's not like I'm banned from it, I just make a personal choice to use my Monnie for local journeys. It's only a 600 and you'll appreciate that they're not built for motorway journeys. If I'm in court or a meeting somewhere on the outskirts of London I take my my wife's car (far better mileage rates for starters and wearing a suit under leathers does tend to make one appear a little disheveled upon arrival). Unless it's great biking weather of course.

Riding all year round doesn't make me 'hardcore' just a little more stoic than some in the face of short term discomfort. The benefits of doing it in for me personally is that I can justify owning my Monnie coz I have too many other financial commitments to own it and a car. It's one or the other mate for me I'm not minted.

I'm not slagging you for chosing a 'soft' option or for being wealthy enough to do so and have a Monnie as a 'toy'. I was slagging you (gently and in a non-threatening way of course, gentleman and advocate that I am) for complaining about reliability issues with your bike if you wrap it up in mothballs for any length of time and then expect it not to p1ss you around.

Enough said, I could go on (and perhaps I have) coz i argue for a living and am married to an Irish woman so don't get me started...

ps. Ricky - my professional and social calendar is a whirl that is beyond my understanding. Suffice to say that I'll definitely have at least one beer with you mate if I make it to the Weekender - it's sort of on my list of stuff to do this year but it's truly a busy one for me and finances are (as always) stretched.

[pooh]

Henry
What you mentioned makes a lot of sense, after 30 years as a fridge engineer working in temperatures well below zero I now have similar problems, never new it had a name. I have found that those magic clic pouches that get warm and then you boil the bag jobbies are great to releive the pain and discomfort and also help to get things moving again. I cannot remember the name of these chemical marvels but they are available from all good army and navy stores. Also I have found that oil of evening primrose helps no end to at least stop the pain.

Ian

[nick40]

I Dont ever remember slagging the bike for not starting, I simply started a thread becouse i noticed a number of people asking advice on starting bikes either after a lay off or in cold weather, I never slagged the bikes reliability, suddenly I get bombarded with the "Holier than thou" brigade having a go at "Summer riders" very helpful to someone who may be new to these bikes and having trouble starting their motor in this weather, its all well and good dressing up in winter gear etc, if you cant start you bike it pointless, this thread as useul as completley wondered of course due to people trying to look like a "Real Biker"

Exposing yourself to harsh weather conditions for extended periods of time is an entirely different story. Even winter for extended periods here, if you're not properly kitted out. That's not what I'm talking about.

In this temperate climate which is the UK - especially the southern half - it seldom gets below freezing, now if you want cold I've been to places that get cold and 'our proud land' ain't one sunshine -well not often anyway. That's why it p1sses down with rain so feckin' often. You might get a bit chilly but you'll live and are unlikely to die of frostbike if you get even half decent clobber, don't be soft. You have the choice if you want to do it.

I seldom need to ride for more than an hour and I can put up with the, relatively, poor conditions for that short period of time without problem - especially when I know there's a warm building at the other end and a place to dry my gear. That's coz I want to and it's the choice I make. I hate feckin traffic jams and the south east is full of the b*stards.

If I'm doing any distance I'd be daft not to choose to take the car - it's not like I'm banned from it, I just make a personal choice to use my Monnie for local journeys. It's only a 600 and you'll appreciate that they're not built for motorway journeys. If I'm in court or a meeting somewhere on the outskirts of London I take my my wife's car (far better mileage rates for starters and wearing a suit under leathers does tend to make one appear a little disheveled upon arrival). Unless it's great biking weather of course.

Riding all year round doesn't make me 'hardcore' just a little more stoic than some in the face of short term discomfort. The benefits of doing it in for me personally is that I can justify owning my Monnie coz I have too many other financial commitments to own it and a car. It's one or the other mate for me I'm not minted.

I'm not slagging you for chosing a 'soft' option or for being wealthy enough to do so and have a Monnie as a 'toy'. I was slagging you (gently and in a non-threatening way of course, gentleman and advocate that I am) for complaining about reliability issues with your bike if you wrap it up in mothballs for any length of time and then expect it not to p1ss you around.

Enough said, I could go on (and perhaps I have) coz i argue for a living and am married to an Irish woman so don't get me started...

ps. Ricky - my professional and social calendar is a whirl that is beyond my understanding. Suffice to say that I'll definitely have at least one beer with you mate if I make it to the Weekender - it's sort of on my list of stuff to do this year but it's truly a busy one for me and finances are (as always) stretched.

[bigredduke]

I have always kept a decent bike for dry weather riding. When I first started work and couldn't afford a car I rode an old Honda 90 then later a CB125 to work on wet days and through most of the winter. They never got cleaned and were much abused!

I bought my Monster last May and managed to ride it fairly regularly until the first week of Novemmber. The bike was taxed until January, so it has been ridden when the roads have been dry and salt-free. I decided to re-tax in January for what it cost for a couple of months anyway and couldn't be bothered with the SORN declaration and I have ridden it a few times since.

The point of this rambling account is that the longest the bike has been unridden for is about 3 weeks and I think it is better for it. This is the first bike I have had with cam belts and I do worry about them developing a 'set' if the bike is standing for long periods. As has been mentioned elsewhere, modern fuel rapidly deteriorates and any moisture in the oil can be damaging to an engine as well. I don't take it out for long - about 45 minutes is enough to make the fingers feel cold but it's long enough to get the oil nice and hot charge the battery and operate the brakes which is the main point of the exercise

[nik_the_brief]

I Dont ever remember slagging the bike for not starting, I simply started a thread becouse i noticed a number of people asking advice on starting bikes either after a lay off or in cold weather, I never slagged the bikes reliability, suddenly I get bombarded with the "Holier than thou" brigade having a go at "Summer riders" very helpful to someone who may be new to these bikes and having trouble starting their motor in this weather, its all well and good dressing up in winter gear etc, if you cant start you bike it pointless, this thread as useul as completley wondered of course due to people trying to look like a "Real Biker"

And a very good thread it is too. I am sure that people with starting problems after a lay off will very much appreciate the advice you are dispensing.

In no way was I trying to belittle you or come across all holier than thou as you so succinctly put it. As Pooh said - you appear a little touchy about the whole subject. My reply was merely in response to your, rather aggressive and sarcastic, reply to my post with a bit of an explanation of why I have to ride all year round and calling you a girlie fair weather rider into the bargain (joke before you get all arsey again).

As for the thread 'wandering off course' (I had to re-read your poorly worded, mispelt and grammatically incorrect post a couple of times before I understood what you were alluding to) I prefer to think that your thread evolved with a few slightly off topic (yet still pertinent and salient) posts about not suffering starting problems at all if you keep your bike running throughout the year.

Nuff said ya girlie FWB! Shouldn't you be out in the cold working your proverbials off? :mand:

[Pugi]

I'm not helping the slightest here...but it is funny when a solicitor misspells "misspelled" with "mispelt". :mand:
In the meanwhile...can't we all just get along?

[nik_the_brief]

I'm not helping the slightest here...but it is funny when a solicitor misspells "misspelled" with "mispelt". :mand:
In the meanwhile...can't we all just get along?

It's a fair cop you've got me bang to rights Guv'nor and all that.

Well, not quite! The transitive verb for misspell can be either misspelled OR misspelt - mea culpa for missing out an 's' though (and so ironic that it was that word in particular!).

[Pugi]

Well, not quite! The transitive verb for misspell can be either misspelled OR misspelt - mea culpa for missing out an 's' though (and so ironic that it was that word in particular!).

Had to double check that, especially the single 'l'. Webster says 'no' but Oxford says 'yes', and since we're not american... Must be a recent update though.
Good sport in seeing the irony. :thumbsup:

[nik_the_brief]

Had to double check that, especially the single 'l'. Webster says 'no' but Oxford says 'yes', and since we're not american... Must be a recent update though.
Good sport in seeing the irony. :thumbsup:

Cambridge says 'yes' too. Them septics never could spell. I'll stick with the Oxbridge brigade - proper English like wot the Queen speaks innit.

Sorry Nick40 this thread really has wandered off course now, please accept my apologies.

To get back on track, personally I swear by a good old can of Bradex Easy Start when my bike's being a biatch to start. I have resorted to the spark plugs on the hob in the past to great effect though.

[Pugi]

Cambridge says 'yes' too. Them septics never could spell. I'll stick with the Oxbridge brigade - proper English like wot the Queen speaks innit.

Oh God... :banghead:
I agree though, but in this particular case I believe our dictionaries have been 'updated and modified' to correlate with spoke language, while the americans haven't (yet?). Up to you which is 'correct'

My apologies for hijack - to return to topic:

I just woke my baby from winter hibernation and I have to favour the 'stale petrol theory' (or is it proven?). I filled her up with Shell's super duper optimax etc. (are those other words for 98 octane?) to get her purring happily, but no luck. It took appr. 20-25 tries with battery recharging in half time to get her up & running (that is >24 hrs). I blame the system needing to replace stale fuel with my new addition.

[spacemonkey]

Well squirt some in the frickin bellmouths then, ya wussie!! :freak:

I used to ride all year apart from the icy days, and great fun it was too. Character building stuff and all that. Then i discovered that on my route around London I could actually do it in my car in the same time as I wasn't tip toeing around slippy corners. Now I live in the Lovely Cotswolds, I don't need to use my bike for work, so it has finally become a plaything for my wicked desires. Still, I have done 30k miles in the last 3 years, which considering how long it has been off road waiting for parts, is not bad.

[M900nster]

Henry
What you mentioned makes a lot of sense....... I now have similar problems.... magic clic pouches that get warm and then ..... releive the pain and discomfort and also help to get things moving again..... Also I have found that oil of evening primrose helps no end to at least stop the pain.

Ian

Thanks Ian,
I'll try your recommendations. The take home message for all has to be to opt for prevention because there is no cure. Please people, you can only get away with freezing your digits a few times. After that you're looking at permanent damage and it's not funny. Don't think it won't happen to you. It will, and it spells biking misery.
Henry

[Little Monster]

Get out on yer bikes and stop this fronting up. :twak: I barely go out in the winter COS IT'S COLD (and generally wet, up here) and I tend not to do things that aren't fun. If my fingers get cold, I'm not a happy bunny but thick gloves are just too much on my little mitts. Heated bars. Piffle. Go out when it's nice - much easier. No need for bars the thickness of a tree trunk.

If that means I'm not 'ard then 'whatever' (*I'm doing the W handsignal and everything*). But neither am I trying to prove how big my naughty bits are by riding in the cold/rain/snow. :D

As for you, Nikkers_in_panties - Don't EVEN try and argue with me - I'd kick yo ass :on: xxxx

long live sunny days :heart:

[nick40]

That’s it, I have now lost the will to live, a biker’s forum where people are critical of your spelling and Grammar, and then start getting dictionaries out!!!!!!!! Why not change your user name to Carol Vordaman? Have you thought about suggesting a spell checker be added to the website so we can avoid offending you with poor use of the English language?

Wan*er
noun [C] UK OFFENSIVE
1 a very stupid, unpleasant or useless person, usually a man:
They're all a bunch of wan*ers!


And a very good thread it is too. I am sure that people with starting problems after a lay off will very much appreciate the advice you are dispensing.

In no way was I trying to belittle you or come across all holier than thou as you so succinctly put it. As Pooh said - you appear a little touchy about the whole subject. My reply was merely in response to your, rather aggressive and sarcastic, reply to my post with a bit of an explanation of why I have to ride all year round and calling you a girlie fair weather rider into the bargain (joke before you get all arsey again).

As for the thread 'wandering off course' (I had to re-read your poorly worded, mispelt and grammatically incorrect post a couple of times before I understood what you were alluding to) I prefer to think that your thread evolved with a few slightly off topic (yet still pertinent and salient) posts about not suffering starting problems at all if you keep your bike running throughout the year.

Nuff said ya girlie FWB! Shouldn't you be out in the cold working your proverbials off? :mand:

[nik_the_brief]

That's Vorderman BTW! :D

ps - This is the only bike forum I know of where there's a sweary mary filter that doesn't allow you to say w*nker (or even c0ck for that matter.). Not that I'm complaining as it amuses me no end.

pps - If you're attempting to perpetuate the myth that everyone who rides a bike is a knuckle-dragging intellectual midget who has to resort to base playground insults in the face of well-reasoned argument simply because they're unable to formulate a coherent response you're certainly doing a good job of leading by example.

ppps - See how much more fun it is to insult people without swearing.

Little Mon - any time darlin' ;) x

[nick40]

If you are going to use this forum, please have the civility to use correct capitalization. I am afraid I am devoid of any knowledge of a mechanism that would censor any attempt to use profanities as I censor my own bad language prior to posting. I agree to some point that there is no need to forever swear in order to show you denunciation of somebody as a member of the human race, however I also deem it fitting to call a "Pri*k a Pri*k" in the same way you would a spade.

Are bikers knuckle draggers? not in my experience, but until this week I had never before met a Biker who thought he was a primary school teacher, I once had a subordinate who felt it improved his social standing to criticise peoples Grammar, spelling etc, he was from the Black Country and he turned out to be a total C*^t as well.:cens:

Nik_the_brief it would appear that your username is more fitting than my initial suggestion, as it is very clear to all and sundry, that you do in fact talk "Pants"

That's Vorderman BTW! :D

ps - This is the only bike forum I know of where there's a sweary mary filter that doesn't allow you to say w*nker (or even c0ck for that matter.). Not that I'm complaining as it amuses me no end.

pps - If you're attempting to perpetuate the myth that everyone who rides a bike is a knuckle-dragging intellectual midget who has to resort to base playground insults in the face of well-reasoned argument simply because they're unable to formulate a coherent response you're certainly doing a good job of leading by example.

ppps - See how much more fun it is to insult people without swearing.

Little Mon - any time darlin' ;) x

[CK & AK]

:D :D

blimey - playground just opened up for business then?:D

Entertaining reading peeps, makes up for the boredom of working out my last 3 weeks of redundancy:( before I can ride my bike on weekdays too:D

carry on.... as you were......

[DesmoDog]

oh oh, now heads are going to roll!

BTW, thanks for the advice - Bradex Easy Start was exactly the brand name I was looking for. Sadly I have had to wade through tonnes of inane and generally off theme waffle before getting to my desired answer. I really wish this sort of banality was confined to the "random" thread and then I wouldn't have to be upset whilst trying to find answers to technical questions.

Still goes to show that when the ****ers out posting went up the pointy hat crew were only looking at certain targets. Kind of ratifies my comments about the small percentage producing the most posts.

Did I mention I ride a monster? (When the feeling takes me, or maybe not because apparently you can't leave the things lying around or they break).

[nik_the_brief]

I also deem it fitting to call a "Pri*k a Pri*k" in the same way you would a spade.


Why would you call a spade a pr1ck?

Is a Biker a proper noun?

Is NTB a Biker or just a bloke who happens to ride a bike?

Is Nick40 a pr1ck, a w@nker or just a sad apoplectic little man with a persecution complex?

Did Nick40 get his mum to help him out with the last post as his spelling and grammar appear to have improved dramatically.

Tune in for the next exciting episode folks...

ps - As usual I rode my bike in to work today. Unusually for this time of year there was not a cloud in the sky - a glorious day all round, slightly 'fresh' but bearable. Also a very nice lady wound down her car window and complimented me on my lovely bike - she can't have been looking all that hard as filthy would be an understatement for it.

pps - No probs with the Bradex tip DD, in Australia they have a similar product but it's named "Start Ya b@stard" - no word of a lie.

[dean]

Nik, i considered your observation on the not inconsiderable improvement on the grammar of your adversary and would ask that you note the following:-

In Rambo- first blood, the character of John Rambo(superbly played by sly Stallone) was barely able to speak in joined up syllables,let alone articulate a full sentence with dots and crosses. However in the sequels he seemed to develop quite an intellect and became more and more handy with his fists.I see a similarity here, so be careful, dont bite off more that you can chew, and dont play with fire, and dont eat cheese too close to bedtime.

Are you sure you know what you're doing here?

good luck from the touchline

Dean
p.s if your shoulders need a rubdown, i am sure little mo would be happy to oblige.

[DesmoDog]

Pah! Never mind Rambo - the teletubbies went the same way after they'd been to America. They talk now, and one of them has always struck kung fu poses so he can only have improved over the last ten years or so.

It's the green one by the way so if you do get in a ruck with them twat him first or go for the little red one and let your mates deal with Tinky winky.

NTB - Now I have to get me a can of Start Ya b@stard!

[nik_the_brief]

Available in all bonza motor factors in Oz.

[fatbloke]

this thread is heading towards crap
I've closed it