I have an 06 Streetbob. I have had it for over 10k miles and it currently has around 18k miles on it now. Just recently after the weather got cold it started to be hard to start ONLY when cold. I havent had any check engine light or any other out of the ordinary issues. Today it almost didnt start with a really strong fuel smell like it was flooded but I actually got it to fire on its own. I realize I am due for spark plugs anyway so I am gonna swing by the dealer and buy some new stockers. I feel guilty that I didnt replace these earlier. I have all of the service records on this bike and dont believe the plugs have ever been changed.

My question to you guys is. When a V Twin fouls a set of plugs is this how the symptoms show up? I have never had any issues like this and just want to confirm that I am on the right track in thinking it is actually the plugs getting old and causing this. I am not gonna use any special plugs other than stock as these have lasted for a good many miles. As always I appreciate any info or help provided.

 

Is your bike carbed or EFI? How old is the gas in the tank?

 

i would just change em for peace of mind....hell i have 23k on my stock plugs but its next on the long list of stuff to do haha

i would think the cold oil could be a factor on hard starting but i could be wrong....

 

Its an EFI and the bike is ridden daily. Fresh tank of fuel every week. I did get gas at a no name place last time as I was in the middle of nowhere. Brand name though.
I just pulled the plugs and the rear one smelled fine and looked worn but normal. The front one however stunk like raw fuel but looked the same as the rear plug visually. They are the stock 6R12 plugs and will be what I replace them with tomorrow. I believe this may be the issue. Has anybody experienced this cold start issue or plug fouling with winter blend fuels?

The bike is kept in an unheated attatched garage that stays about 60, so cold oil isnt the culprit.

 

06' came out with 2 different types of injectors depending on when they were made. Early 06's had 8* injectors that would lead to cold start issues. Later in the year the MoCo. switched to a 25* injector. I chased cold start issues on my bike forever until I finally gave in and switched injectors. Once I switched to 25 degree injectors all my problems went away. If you do a search on 25 degree injectors you'll find more info on how to check which injectors you have. I bought my injectors on ebay for about $50 and it only took 20mins to install them.

 

I will check that out Hogrida much appreciated.

 

Ah ha hogrida gots it right i totally forgot about that issue

 

Another thing to consider is the age of your battery. You did mention it is a daily rider, clean your battery connections real good. When it's colder out the battery works just a little harder. Something I read a long time ago was that premium fuel can be a issue for cold starts, I'd try a tank of mid-grade and see if it starts easier.

 

The battery does not seem to be as fresh as it used to be. I will check that after I do the new spark plugs. If it starts hard tomorrow morning with new plugs installed I will charge the battery and check for a hard start the following morning. I dont want to do more than one thing at a time.

 

If you have the 8deg injectors I would put that on your to-do list even if its not the issue. Many poeple have had issues with those.