3rd Times a charm

[mholc123]

After the last rebuild of my monster June 2011 I changed the Frame from Red to Gold 16891 16892 and did some general tidying up all seemed to be OK until the cold weather arrived. This caused me a lot of grief, my trouble was :-
1. Cold starting Issues
2. Overheating of the Positive Lead
3. Slow Turn over of the engine.

[mholc123]

Try again!!
Red
16893
to
Gold
16894

[NewMon]

So, are you saying the colour change caused the problems? :-)

[Saint aka ML]

If it is early carbed one kind off normal in cold then.

They had different starting system to later models. Plus for some odd reason one of the cylinders almost always stops just before compression stroke. In fact on few occasions my one stopped so close to max compression that starting it soon after, while still hot, was impossible. Had to move the engine a bit to get it going.
Trick I learned when my was stock.

Starter:
Press
Release
Press
Release
Press and hold.

[Diego]

sounds like a number of issues at play there..

when is the last time you put in a new battery and what is the condition of your carbs?

[Nickj]

It's a big lump and takes a bit of power to spin over.
When cold figure:
The oils viscosity will be higher, thicker oil harder to spin over.
The battery might drop a volt or so if it's cold.

So the motor doesn't turnover so quickly (cold thick oil and a volt or so lower). The starter motor is working harder and pulling more power, given you need to crank for longer and the whole thing is much harder work the supply wire can get very hot.

The above, lower volts and slower spin can make the motor more difficult to start.

On Monday mine was really lethargic starting at end of day, out in the open at minus something C took the edge off the battery

[Dukedesmo]

Try again!!
Red
16893
to
Gold
16894

Try;

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/attachment.php?attachmentid=16893

and;

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/attachment.php?attachmentid=16894

Personally preferred the red, but your problem maybe down to the earth as this runs through the engine which was (presumably) removed for frame painting and may not be as good a connection as before.

Would help to replace the starter leads with some more heavy-duty cables too.

[mholc123]

So this winter I have decided to sort this out,
1. I am going to upgrade the pos & neg leads, the standard Ducati leads are quite frankly pathetic.
2. I have overhauled the starter changed the brushes and cleaned the stator.
3. Get rid of the Ducati Vacuum Petrol Pump and replacing it with a Yamaha FZ750 fuel pump.
4. Getting rid of all the crap associated with the Vacuum Pump.
5. Git rid of the pointless emission module and all its associated pipework.
6. Place the new petrol pump and starter solenoid in this new space (as I don't like it being so close to the rear cylinder head.

My theory is that if the bike was left for 3 days or more, the petrol in the carb ran dry, then when trying to start the Bike the starter motor just didn't have enough grunt to turn the motor and create a big enough vacuum to draw new fuel into the carbs.

Result burning cables, flat battery, and pi55ed off wife as I had to take her car.

[mholc123]

I've never thought it may be the Frame Colour, but now I'm considering forgetting all my rational thoughts and painting the frame blood red again !! :running:

[manwithredbike]

the gold frame is much nicer imo.
re the overheating positive lead, i had the same issue and re placed the whole lead, including new crimped lug connections - and cleaned all surfaces before reconnecting. gave the connections a good smear of vaseline (ooo matron) and the engine spun well afterwards. seems that the crimped connection at the battery had deteriorated causing an increased resistance and overheating.

[Rally]

It sounds to me like a simple case of a bad earth, probably through the nice new paintwork onto the frame. It could even at a guess be where may have changed a bolt for a stainless steel one and it doesn't conduct electricity?
Both easy things to overlook in the excitement of a rebuild. Good luck with it.

[Dookbob]

Stainless bolt will make no difference to electricity conductivity.
For me, the gold frame just doesn,t work with the black wheels and red tank, but the whole bike looks the dogs whatsits with the red frame.
I would be extremely interested in the fuel pump mod that you intend to do, something I have considered doing myself, but not got round to doing the research yet. Forgive me if I let you do the research for me.

[Saint aka ML]

What is the PSI of that Yamaha pump?

BTW I have earth wire going directly to one of the bolts of starter motor, then one to frame, one to engine and one to rectifier.

Still turns over like a lazy hippo in cold.

[mholc123]

Yer I've ensured I have a good earth, so I know its not that, I also like the red paint I may well go back to it next strip-down, but for now it's going to stay gold/bronze. I will be sticking the pictures of my modes on the site as I complete them. The FZ pump is from a carbed bike so it doesn't have a high psi, I have trialled it on my workbench and it pressurised the carbs but didn't overflow them, so I pretty sure it will be OK.
I'm also re-painting the side covers on the engine back too grey/silver ..., I'll keep you posted.

[mholc123]

OK so the pump and the Solenoid have been fitted, 16901.
First problem no spare working fuse position, so I've had to remove the fuse box and wire in some new positions
1 before. 16902
2 After. 16903,
And then run a new power lead towards the pump, which I've yet to wire in.

[mholc123]

Photos
16904

16905

16906

[mholc123]

Fitted the new Starter Motor Cables and upgraded the earth lead
New Leads
16909
Old V New Leads
16910

[mholc123]

2nd time - New Starter leads photo
16911