Hard starting

If it was ignition, which is entirely solid state it would go first cycle the same as it goes second or third. Can’t see it being that. Maybe it’s just as simple as where the engine happens to start from in its 4 stroke cycle that it needs to churn around to the first full power stroke? i still think cheap petrol is a bad idea and won’t use it.
 
If it was ignition, which is entirely solid state it would go first cycle the same as it goes second or third. Can’t see it being that. Maybe it’s just as simple as where the engine happens to start from in its 4 stroke cycle that it needs to churn around to the first full power stroke? i still think cheap petrol is a bad idea and won’t use it.
Ethanol is horrible.
 
I think our R18’s are designed to accept 15% corn ethanol but the energy content per gallon is far less than gas with no ethanol.
 
Today when gassing up, the no alcohol gas was 87 octane and the 15% alcohol was 93 octane.
I think our bikes are to have 90+ octane.
Which is best?
 
I'm on my second R18. I had the first one to about 1500 miles, no problems.

This second one, now at around 1500 miles, at cold starts, it'll crank over and over and over and won't start the first time. I have to stop the starter motor. Then try to start again. At which point it starts right up.

I've been meaning to take it in to the dealer to have it checked out.
Mine has started doing the same thing at around 1600 miles. Oddly enough, my Triumph sometimes does the same thing.
 
If it was ignition, which is entirely solid state it would go first cycle the same as it goes second or third. Can’t see it being that. Maybe it’s just as simple as where the engine happens to start from in its 4 stroke cycle that it needs to churn around to the first full power stroke? i still think cheap petrol is a bad idea and won’t use it.
Electronic ignition is consistent with the observation. Give me the firmware and I most certainly can cause such a thing.

Again, in my case, you can crank as long as you want on the first try and it won't fire. Not even a nibble. Many multiples of revolutions. The second try it fires immediately. I'm not saying that others aren't having fuel issues, but that in this case it does not need to be fuel. I'm also not saying that there it can't be a "fuel" issue, but if so, it is not the quality of the fuel. For all we know the firmware fix to the fuel pump whine somehow doesn't turn on the fuel pump on the first hit of the starter.
 
Electronic ignition is consistent with the observation. Give me the firmware and I most certainly can cause such a thing.

Again, in my case, you can crank as long as you want on the first try and it won't fire. Not even a nibble. Many multiples of revolutions. The second try it fires immediately. I'm not saying that others aren't having fuel issues, but that in this case it does not need to be fuel. I'm also not saying that there it can't be a "fuel" issue, but if so, it is not the quality of the fuel. For all we know the firmware fix to the fuel pump whine somehow doesn't turn on the fuel pump on the first hit of the starter.

This was exactly how my base models were. The first one was one of the first in the US, the second one was a few months newer than that. I'm not familiar with the fuel pump whine firmware fix but across three bikes built at different stages in production I've had the same issue. When I tuned the second bike (BT) it went away. I've had my TC for 11 days now and it is experiencing the same issue. I'm contemplating tuning this one as well.
 
My 2022 TC has been having this same issue recently. Always fires up on the second start, never the first when the engine is cold.
 
As I said, people are describing separate issues. Fuel is definitely not responsible for the issue of needing to do two start tries. It'll crank but not start on the first push, but start immediately every time on the second. So long it stays consistent, I don't really care, but it's definitely an ignition issue, not a fuel issue. Others of course may be having separate issues, but this one isn't fuel.
Curious if this problem got worse with time - ever left you stranded - or stayed the same with a crank/no start on the first push and then an immediate start on the 2nd. I recently bought a 2021 First Edition R18 with 1500 miles. I have put 1000 miles on it and had no problems - but about a week ago this problem started. Seems to happen when I first start the bike - once warm it isn't an issue.
 
I'm on my second R18. I had the first one to about 1500 miles, no problems.

This second one, now at around 1500 miles, at cold starts, it'll crank over and over and over and won't start the first time. I have to stop the starter motor. Then try to start again. At which point it starts right up.

I've been meaning to take it in to the dealer to have it checked out.
Curious if you ever resolved it. As of a week ago at 2500 miles I have the exact same problem.
 
Curious if this problem got worse with time - ever left you stranded - or stayed the same with a crank/no start on the first push and then an immediate start on the 2nd. I recently bought a 2021 First Edition R18 with 1500 miles. I have put 1000 miles on it and had no problems - but about a week ago this problem started. Seems to happen when I first start the bike - once warm it isn't an issue.
Ironically, it hasn't happened in ages. I can't really attribute it to anything. It never left me stranded in any case.
 
Definitely wasn't a fluke. It behaved that way for about a year. It wasn't a big deal. I just accepted that it took a couple of hits on the starter. I don't think it stopped doing that suddenly...but eventually I realized that it was starting on the first try.
 
No, I lived with it. Then traded it in for a TC.
I see you solved the problem with a new TC. :ROFLMAO:

Seriously though, for the future, try checking:

Spark plug gap (all FOUR of the plugs),
valve clearance, and
air filter.

YEARS ago I bought a E36 3-series BMW vehicle for dirt cheap because it was rough running. Turns out that the previous owner didn't bother checking the spark plugs, which were simply worn out and out of gap. A new set of plugs and the engine ran like a top the rest of time I owned her.

Moral of the story?

Always start with the basics.

Or...if your TC starts to turn over after several revolutions, just send me a DM and I'll be sure to buy it off you for a steal! :LOL::LOL::LOL:

Mike
 
I see you solved the problem with a new TC. :ROFLMAO:

Seriously though, for the future, try checking:

Spark plug gap (all FOUR of the plugs),
valve clearance, and
air filter.

YEARS ago I bought a E36 3-series BMW vehicle for dirt cheap because it was rough running. Turns out that the previous owner didn't bother checking the spark plugs, which were simply worn out and out of gap. A new set of plugs and the engine ran like a top the rest of time I owned her.

Moral of the story?

Always start with the basics.

Or...if your TC starts to turn over after several revolutions, just send me a DM and I'll be sure to buy it off you for a steal! :LOL::LOL::LOL:

Mike
I also traded in the TC for a new Road Glide Special 🤣
 
Hubby had the same thing with his TC. It started after about 1000KM. He took it back to the dealer for a software update and that didn't resolve the issue.

He talked to an auto mechanic that found in some new vehicles that if you don't turn off in the right sequence, they are hard to restart. So he tried this sequence on his TC: First hit the kill switch (red button), THEN the power button, he never had a problem again.
 
Very curious solution but I like helpful tidbits like this.
 
I am glad in any case that it stopped ... did you by any chance change anything? Software update, type of fuel ... etc?
Now you have me thinking... I did the software modification to fix the fuel pump whine.... I never correlated it with that, but I suppose it's possible..
 
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