Bikes: Why do they do that?

[a101960]

First thing this morning I took my RGS for its MOT. Happily it passed the test with no problem. However, when I tried to start the bike to go home after the test it was having none of it. There I was in full leathers getting hotter, and hotter, kicking away, without success, and then after eight or nine kicks it started. I have had no problems with it starting for the rest of the day I might add. Strangely enough it did the same thing last year, and thinking about it , the same thing happened the year before that too. In the normal course of events the bike is a very reliable starter. Hot or cold it is a first or second kick starter (first kick more often than not). I can offer no logical explanation for this behaviour at MOT time. Incidentally there were was no audience watching all of this going on (the usual reason for a bike to get stroppy about starting). Maybe the bike just resents having its mechanical integrity questioned. Who knows? Ah well, I will just have to wait and see what happens next year!

John

[Topdad]

John, this raised a grin when i read it , a tempremental RGS but for 1 day of the year only ,( bet some on the forum would settle for only that problem ) never heard of that before , I did have a flash once upon a time  that NO ONE else could ever start ,to the point where the normally docile machine nearly broke another guys ankle when he persisted to try and start her.  Regards Bobh.

[A10 JWO]

I still give mine a good old tickle even in this extreme heat. You could look at the plug threads for different heat ranges as well.

Regards Colin

[Butch (cb)]

Conversely, if mine doesn't start in about three or four kicks when hot then I reckon it to be flooded and give a couple of swings with the throttle open to clear it.