Steamer starting query

[diggerT]

My 93 normally starts first time but if it doesn't fire up straight away, that's it and it seems like the battery goes flat immediately but it will jump start no problem. So I went and bought a new battery thinking would solve the problem. If I ride the bike everyday it is fine, however leave it for a couple of days it is not happy. I am not an accomplished mechanic so have a mate who does most of the major work.

Could anyone give me a list of items he should check on the electrics to see why it does this and are there any particular components it would be would worth upgrading to give a more reliable machine?

Many thanks for any input

DiggerT

[JetdocX]

Well, I would start by unplugging any aftermarket electrics you may have on the bike.  

Do you have a VOM?  With everything turned off, the total current flow should be only enough to run the digital clock.  Any current flow in excess of a few milliamps means you have something on still.  Or a high resistance short to ground.

[nightrunner]

You might want to read over all the threads about the coils, and about jetting.    Steamers are notoriously cold blooded.   Personally I would advise anyone with a steamer to rejet (recipe posted on this forum) and to either get the Nology coils or set of TT600 on-the-plug coils.   Since yours starts easily with jump starting, I would say the coils should be your first upgrade.

Cheers

[JetdocX]

Coils and re-jets are nice to have but they do not address his primary problem-drained battery.

[Mustang]

Coils and re-jets are nice to have but they do not address his primary problem-drained battery.

I took the post to mean that the batt starts out great but takes so much cranking to start he kills it .

I know that rejetted my 98 starts a lot easier in cold weather than it did before "I fucked with it "as the wife accuses me of  

also could be valve clearances

[JetdocX]

I guess we need some clarification from the OP.  

Mine needed coils and valve clearance adjustments and it would not start worth a damn on cold days, but I could crank and crank and crank with my battery until it was almost dead.  The OP said if it did not start first try, then the battery was immediately flat.  That is a dead battery to me.

[nightrunner]

I took the post to mean that the batt starts out great but takes so much cranking to start he kills it .

I know that rejetted my 98 starts a lot easier in cold weather than it did before "I fucked with it "as the wife accuses me of  

also could be valve clearances

Me too.   Sounds like it either catches right away, and if not he has to crank a long time and then jump.  Also he said he bought a new batt.  

By the way, we who have upgraded coils have reported improvements, but do the old coils actually fail some test he could do?  I mean something we can measure with ohm-meter or???   My bike would start up OK but sputter and hesitate after warm-up.  But even warmed up the coils had resistance in the correct range (i.e. passed the test).   I don't fully understand exacty what is failing in the stock coil.  I guess a short in the windings would bypass some windings and create lower voltage spark.  Makes sense anyway.   Anyway I suppose the OP could check the coil resistance against factory spec.   Seems like the winding spec was 1.2 ohms and I don't recall the other.

You're right, valves should be checked anyway.

[diggerT]

Thanks for all the input, I am not over technical but the coils and re-jetting seem a popular solution as it is the cold weather it doesn't like. Basically if it doesn't fire first time, that's it until you jump start. I don't know if the battery is flat as I have no measuring devices but a short run seems to top it up for the next day.

Are the coils expensive/difficult to fit and what's involved in re-jetting?
Excuse my lack of technical expertise, I would just like to get the bike more reliable as I need it everyday, have even considering trading in for a Girly but the old steamer has a certain charm!!

Cheers

DiggerT

[JetdocX]

Still sounds to me like your battery is flat.  How long do you crank before the battery gives up?

[Mustang]

Basically if it doesn't fire first time, that's it until you jump start. I don't know if the battery is flat as I have no measuring devices but a short run seems to top it up for the next day.

That is what a JUNK battery acts like ! It will start the bike every day in warmer weather but doesn't like to be left for more than a few days , add in the colder temps and it drains power in the cold , then when you hit the starter it draws all the life (amperage wise) it has left . and won't spin motor for long .

SIMPLE FIX Buy a New battery !

Are the coils expensive/difficult to fit and what's involved in re-jetting?
Excuse my lack of technical expertise, I would just like to get the bike more reliable as I need it everyday, have even considering trading in for a Girly but the old steamer has a certain charm!!

Cheers

DiggerT

The nology coils are plug and play but if you are having no misfires I would not worry about them .
Rejetting is mainly a benefit on the US models with the Keihin carbs . going bigger on the mains by 1 or two sizes really helps , but this is for US models which come with the CO2 settings for 1% the english bikes were always richer from the factory .
And the mikuni carbed tigers are pretty spot on unless you have altered something ie. cams , airbox , header , you get the idea .

I would be more concerned with the BATTERY

[nightrunner]

SIMPLE FIX Buy a New battery !

If I understand the OP correctly he did buy a new battery.  No change.

[diggerT]

It's a brand new battery fitted a couple of weeks ago, I will get the guy who supplied it to check it's holding it's charge and outputting the correct voltage or whatever it's meant to output!

Cheers

Digger

[JetdocX]

Another thing that has been mentioned before directly related to starting is valve clearances.  When was your last valve check?