Been having a odd problem the past two days. Outside my house my motorcycle starts right up. I can drive it all over. Shut it down to gas it up or grab some food and it is difficult to restart.

Just as a refresh this is a 2000 and has a carburetor. Going to change out the spark plugs today. Getting a old bike and not knowing when things were done to it can be a hassle. For all I know since it only has 11k miles on it but it is 13yrs old. This could be the first time the plugs have been done.

Now the dealer it came from did a 5k service on it at 9100k. At least that is what they tell me. So I am wondering what you guys think I can do or should do to improve it starting. I mean the other day I thought I was going to kill the battery before it started. I was ready to call roadside assistance.

Maybe after 13yrs the carburetor could use a cleaning I mean the bike only has 11k miles on it. To me that means it did a good amount of sitting. Would you all agree with that? Can you think of anything else I might want to do as well?

Thanks in advance gang. Going out now to check and replace my plugs.

 

I replaced the spark plugs and the bike started cold with no choke at all. I took it for a short ride and it felt as if it was firing better. Not sure that makes much sense. Now I have no plans to clean the carb yet since I used up my cleaner on the other motorcycle. It is a twin carb so it killed the entire bottle I had. Also it was really dirty and the Vulcan is as old as this Harley with 1/2 the miles on it.

So I will let you all know just how bad or good the carb is when I remove it from the Harley tomorrow.

 

If you can see the idle mixture screw, no plug, then it's a good chance your carb has been modded. Now what has been done is a different question. I've found that on my carbed bike a couple of twists of the throttle before starting a warm engine usually helps get things going.

 

Oh believe me I tried a few twists of the throttle. I flooded the engine and had to wait. It is strange how I can't keep it steady. Need full choke this time. No choke the next. Maybe half choke, or if I don't give it gas at the right moment it doesn't start either. Such a random starting bike.

I will feel better about riding it to travel once I know it will start for a return trip.

 

Also, since you bought it used I'd look at replacing the battery or installing a trickle charger (if it doesn't have one already).

 

I ordered a trickle charger but the battery seems fine. Now as an update I managed to find a sweet spot with the throttle. If I turn it say 5 to 10 degrees then hit the starter button. It starts every time with no choke hot or cold.

Really want to avoid taking off the carb but that to me sounds like a carb needing to have the pilot jet cleaned out. Please correct me if I am wrong. I will toss a bottle of carb cleaner in the gas and run it threw the bike first before I do anything else.

 

A twin carb?

 

It is a v-twin with a single carb.

 

Everyone knows it's a V-twin.

Why would you say it's a twin carb?

 

He said his OTHER bike has twin carbs.

"since I used up my cleaner on the other motorcycle. It is a twin carb so it killed the entire bottle I had."