Cold Weather Starting

[Ghostv2]

I push started a few trikes. Everyone says you cannot do it. My 200s recoil rope broke while i was hauling camping gear. I gave it a running start and put it in gear and bam. Did it again when i got it off the truck when i was home to put it away.

[Name Brand]

Cold, thick oil will increase the difficulty of any engine to start. Internal motor parts meet increased resistance from the slick stuff when temperatures are frigid, and there are a lot of parts that need to move inside our Trike engines.

I try to keep my SX inside if at all possible. Doing so takes most all the trouble of getting started in the cold away. If the machine has been cold soaked outside I avoid using the electric start. The starter will just be overworked trying to turn the engine and the cold oil, the battery will lose its charge and even the solenoid will suffer wear from all the false starts. I try mechanical means for starting in the cold first. On my SX that is the kick start. On other machines like my 125m, that is of course the pull start. The first kick I do slow; just to get parts moving and oil spreading. I use the choke and kick as I regularly would in any weather. When I can hear the engine begin to combust I add a touch of throttle and the engine will begin running slowly on its own. I will use the throttle to keep the engine running, but I will allow the engine to warm and reach idle speed as much as it can on its own. Once it idles without throttle input, I slide the choke back till it runs smooth without. After the machine runs as it should I will let it sit and idle on its own for at least five minutes. Doing so allows the oil to heat and move freely throughout the engine. Never race a cold engine to warm it up.

Adding external heat speeds up or can eliminate this whole process. If you use a light use one that is caged. Even a 60watt bulb will melt rubber and plastic if in close contact or start a fire if a tarp or cloth is placed too close. The same applies to space heaters, heat guns, hair dryers, etc.

I do have an SX project coming up that will likely be a year round rider for me. In addition to heated handgrips and maybe even seat, a small automotive style oil pan heater may find its way onto the bottom of the engine.

There are those times when electricity is not available to run those heating devices. To heat the engine I have several times before started up my truck and placed the SX right next to the truck exhuast. Lots of hot air and just a few minutes have always helped the engine start. Of course exhuast is dirty and not to be breathed in, so be mindful of that hazard. I'm sure that carbon and other exhuast nastyness is being deposited on my machine. I am also sure that snow is way fun to tear around in, and by the end of my ride my SX is completely been cleaned by the powder. I would hesitate to do this with my diesel truck though; but that ride needs some tune up.

I will not go anywhere else to ride if I cannot get my machine running at home first.

[muthey]

Also I want to remind you that with any carberated motor they run lean in the winter so be careful when running it as I would hate to see you seize it from a lean condition, and to put you all to rest I was -30 F. two days ago with a high of -25 during the day. HA

[generallee2005]

My wife & I complain to each other about the weather when it got into the 20's here a few weeks ago, I can only imagine how brutal a -25 degree day is. I'm going to pull the carb off & clean it, I'm sure my neighbor has an air compressor I can use. Rookie question here, when I do blow out the passages, just get the attachment pressed to the carb & blow, should I do a pre-soak in carb cleaner? I cleaned the carb last a little over a year ago, but didn't blow it out, I just soaked. Made a big positive difference, so I just let it roll.

Usually I can get to school in 30 minutes depending on traffic, but tomorrow I'll probably go thru North Philly, instead of the back roads, since they'll more likely be cleared. I'm going to leave at least 2 hours early probably, I can't miss this final!

We weren't in the 8-10 inch area, I think I heard my wife say we had gotten about 5 inches today here. We're in the Roxborough/Manayunk area of Philly.

[muthey]

if you do soak it in carb cleaner pull every part out of the carb especially the rubber and soak it over night I have boiled in white vinegar before and prefer to soak for two days in gasoline, seems to work ok with out damaging the rubber, also help mixed with PBlaster to loosen corroded screwed in jets. after it has soaked use a thin piece of wire and go through each pathway, and then blow through with compressed air, and yes use the rubber tip attachment and press it to the opening.

[fallguy666]

Was 27° here a few weeks ago.my 350 started second kick with the choke on.it helps to up the size of the slow jet in cold weather

[barnett468]

We recently moved to PA, so today is our first time really seeing it snow. I tried to get my YT125 started. Anyone have any suggestions to make it easier in the cold? It is pull start, & I did choke it, the choke does work.
I know back south, if I ever did have to choke it, it would start on the 2nd or 3rd pull always.

OK AS YOU SAID, IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE YOUR CARB IS PLUGGED BUT CLEAN THE CARB IF YOU WANT, BETTER TO BE SAFE THEN SORRY BESIDES YOU SHOULD CHANGE YOUR JETS AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY SUGGESTED.
JETTING - Go to pg 374 in the link below, find your stock jetting spec, if your bike is stock then I would go up 1 - 2 sizes on the pilot, 1 size on the main and raise the needle up 1 position from the stock recommendations. If your jetting is not stock then if it ran perfectly in the south i would just increase the siveas from what they currently are and move the needle up.

http://www.oscarmayer.net/atc/manual...rvice-data.pdf

SPARK PLUG - The stock plug is a champion N10Y, this is the same as an NGK 7. I would buy an NGK 6 and 5 and see if the 5 starts easier than the 6. You need the hotter plug to increase combustion chamber temps when you are running 20 degree air into your engine.

STARTING FLUID – a shot of this will help it to start.

GAS – Do not run corn gas [ethanol] it will make your vehicles harder to start because it does not burn well

[bkm]

I actually had to give the Big Red a shot of carb cleaner the other night. It wouldn't hit a lick without it.

[El Camexican]

I do have an SX project coming up that will likely be a year round rider for me. In addition to heated handgrips and maybe even seat, a small automotive style oil pan heater may find its way onto the bottom of the engine.

According to an old (like died 20 years ago at the age of 90) mechanic that lived down the road he said whenever they would go to rebuild an engine that had been equipped with an oil pan heater that the inner components were badly pitted. He said this was due to the acidic contaminates that were released from the dirty oil when it was heated. Told me that was why cars went to block heaters. I’ve never seen such things and maybe with modern oil the problem is solved, but you may want to keep good clean oil on the cases if you go that way.

[barnett468]

Cold, thick oil will increase the difficulty of any engine to start. Internal motor parts meet increased resistance from the slick stuff when temperatures are frigid, and there are a lot of parts that need to move inside our Trike engines.

I was bored so I spent an hour doing this. Here’s a list of cold weather wet clutch 4 stroke motorcycle oils. I prefer ones with zddp [with zinc akyl dithiophosphate]. For temps below around 20 deg f or less I might use the lucas 5w-20. I would definitely use it at temps below 0. Motul products are used by some factories in ultra high revving road race machines. I recommend against using regular automotive oil in a wet clutch system.

Motul

5w-30 synthetic has 1.4% zddp this is very good
5w-30 synthetic blend has 3% zddp that’s a ton

http://www.motul.com/us/en-us/products?f[engine_type]=26&f[range]=21&f[viscosity]=33


lucas

5w-20 synthetic has zddp in unknown levels call for info
5w-30 synthetic has zddp in unknown levels call for info

https://www.lucasoil.com/products/di...id=16&loc=show

lucas products msds list

http://www.lucasoil.ca/products/motorcycle-products.asp


motorex pro 4t

5w-30 ? synthetic zddp?
10w-30 synthetic zddp?

http://www.motorexusa.com/musa/offroad.asp

http://www.ktmpartsonline.com/accessories/motorex-oils


bel ray no zddp but uses other

10w-30 synthetic with antimony tris dipentylcarbamodithioato

http://www.belray.com/bel-ray-exp-sy...-4t-engine-oil

10w-30 std oil has 1 – 2.5% zddp [with zinc akyl dithiophosphate]

http://www.belray.com/bel-ray-atv-tr...-4t-engine-oil

[beets442]

Yes,Halogen
The reason I say warm it up is because of the fuel we have these days. Lots of water+freezing temps=ice.
Doesnt take much to settle in those jets or lines.
I've had it happen on my 350X many years ago.
Now I use Seafoam and a little 110 oct. Starts Like a champ
Good luck with the cold weather.
Oh yea heres a pic of some fuel that came from a 2 1/2 gal can of premium
that sat for 3 months.

[59GMC]

-45 degrees Celsius this morning here in Winnipeg, Canada. not sure what all of you are complaining about, haha! My sx always goes if its got full synthetic in it..

[barnett468]

Oh yea heres a pic of some fuel that came from a 2 1/2 gal can of premium
that sat for 3 months.

Is that ethanol corn gas or real gas. If it's ethanol what is the "blend" ie., E85?

[kb0nly]

Mine sit in a cold shed, the 200ES gets plugged into a battery maintainer just to keep that topped off in the cold. Other than that, i go out turn on the tank vent, petcock, pull on the choke, flip the ignition switch and hit start, usually three to four revolutions of the motor and she is up and running on her own. After a couple minutes you can tell she is running too rich on the choke and i push that off and then let her idle another 5 mins to warm up the oil. And away i go!

Been really cold here lately, thankfully we are up the single digits below zero, -5F right now, it was -17F the other morning. The windchills today are going to be a factor though, we have a windchill warning for -20 to -30F windchills.

The other day when i went out to plow the driveways with the 200ES the air temp was -14F, she started right up as normal. About the only tuning or adjustments i make in the winter is to adjust the idle speed a smidge. Make sure your oil is up to the task also, 5w-40 is recommended when its this cold. But i know some run 10w-40 all winter.

As for heating... I havent had to, but i do have a halogen worklight that is a 300w and it can literally heat the shed in an hour. Aimed right at the motor it will definitely warm it up. I always thought about a heater for the motor, but unfortunately since its an all aluminum case you can't stick one of those magnet ones on and get a good heat distribution. I have a small adhesive pad one on my lawn tractor, that makes a huge difference when thats plugged in. Its a 800w heater and brings the aluminum block up to temp in about 20 mins. Spins over nice then! Should do that with the 200ES also.

[El Camexican]

-45 degrees Celsius this morning here in Winnipeg, Canada. not sure what all of you are complaining about

Yea, but it's a dry cold!