Starting at -10 to -15 Farenheit, some notes

[Ben 500RR-S]

I had kept the battery on a smartcharger all last week. Pulled the bike out of the warm garage Friday night and drove 120 miles north and seeing -15 F by the time I arrived at my BIL's. Got on the bike, thumbed the starter and the bike, to my surprise, started right up but after a minute or so, died. It took me a good 5 minutes to get it to relight. Because the motor was not turning over, it was as if the starter gears or the bendix was stuck as that was the sound it was making every time I thumbed the starter. I had kicked the bike about 6-7 times to try and help the motor get moving and even the kickstarter was missing every now and then as it seemed that again, the gears and all the parts that need to slide were just getting stuck in place. I eventually got the bike going on the bike's battery with no other help though.

The next day, same thing but no light at all and eventually the battery got a little run-down. Once I put the truck's jumper cables on the battery, the bike fired right up as if it were a nice 75 degree day. The moral of the story?, it just takes amps in the cold to get my bike started. I have a Weego JS12 and forgot I had it so didn't get to try it out but I'm always going to make sure that it is charged up and bring it along as I now know that cold starts are tough on the battery.

Riding notes in the cold I was in yesterday. With only the PST engine jacket, and the cold weather panel, my bike, because it comes with a t-stat from the factory, has no problem keeping 180-210 F or so while riding on hardpack from 0-10 degrees F. Once I get O/T and the powder is packing up the motor and flying up into the rads, the temps will go to 140-170 F. As I've had a bunch of rides now, I am going to thaw the bike out in the garage sometime today and drop my oils to see if I have "added" any fuel to the motor oil and hopefully I have not as my bike has been running warm enough to not have the overfueling issue.

About the only issue that I do have is that it takes a while for my clutch plates to unstick themselves as when I go to snick into 1st or 2nd, the bike will stall as the clutch is not disengaging, probably from the oil that is so thick and causing the plates to stick. I do sit and work the clutch with both hands to try and help things out but I think that the only solution has been to wait till the motor gets to 145 F or so and heats things up enough to release the plates so I can drop into 1st and get things going without stalling. I'm going to see if new 5w-30 full syn. will help the clutch unstick faster next time out. If not, I may go to Mobil 1 0w030 and see if that is the solution.

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

I've got a 2014 450sxf and my first time out it really took a while to get it fired even with a booster pack helping the bike turn over.

I was wondering if any of you guys use ether (quick start) on your bikes. I would be afraid of engine damage or something like that, but thought I would ask.

 

[Norma Stitz]

Low temps drag down the voltage, as does the starter. Put a meter on it while cranking and I’d bet it falls below 10v. I wonder if putting a 6v battery in series with the 12v would, after the cold compensation and draw from starter, result in a nice 13-15v battery, just momentarily to get it started. Like a jump,pack but in series rather than parallel.

 

[M5-]

While you will see a voltage drop the root of the problem is a lack of current. CCA. The better the battery the better the CCAs. If you are going to boost it parallel is the action. You'd just be guessing as to what voltage you were actually supplying going in series, could end expensively.

M5

 

[jrlastofthebreed]

I've got a 2014 450sxf and my first time out it really took a while to get it fired even with a booster pack helping the bike turn over.

I was wondering if any of you guys use ether (quick start) on your bikes. I would be afraid of engine damage or something like that, but thought I would ask.

Ive been told by a few good auto mechanics that ether wont hurt a gas motor. I use a half shot occasionally but if i use a booster pack or us my truck exhaust to warm my bike up I rarely need to. its more of a emergency thing

 

[thnewell]

It's a snow bike if you are not running a 0-40 you are making a huge mistake. Switch your oil right away. Some advice from a 5 season timbersleder.

 

[capulin overdrive]

Wouldn't even consider using ether. Little bit of gas down the intake is fine.

 

[eric82930]

1 easy fix for the four strokes below zero is to carry a small propane torch stick it in the snow under the bike while you're getting dressed with the blue flame about 2 in from the crankcase and it'll start right up even with a crappy battery.
if you are lucky enough to have a carbureted 2 stroke use the choke to 2 stall the engine the night before and it will start first kick because the crankcase will be flooded with fuel. and even if it's not cold pull the choke anyway if it was a powder day because the choke might freeze in the down position and you won't be able to do anything about it the next morning.

 

[rigsy340]

I bought a 50watt stick on oil pan heater and its glued to the bottom of the engine. A small 200watt inverter off a batter keeps my engine warm from when i leave my shop till i get 2 hours north. Bike fires up nice and oil is warm. Works slick. The heater is 1 inch by 4 inches