I have been lurking on here for a couple years now, learning what I could about Tigers along the way. I have wanted one for quite sometime now, I just needed to wait for the right bike to come along. Thankfully, it did and at a time I had the money to pull the trigger.
I am now the owner of a black 1996 Tiger with only 9800 miles on it. I am very pleased and look forward to many enjoyable miles of riding.
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/D-Fuzz/IMG_1017.jpg)
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll60/D-Fuzz/IMG_1020.jpg)
Congratulations on the new purchase. That is one fine looking steamer.
Nice! Welcome to the gang.
Congratuations :) Black is the fastest colour of course and you are to be commended. A couple years lurking and you bought one anyway. Now that is class. Top man!
This looks conspicusly like a recent bike posted on advrider....if so i'm waiting on my plane ticket :D If not, congrats either way
The plan is for me to bring the bike home this coming Tuesday. I will be meeting the transporter in Montana and then bringing it home from there.
When I start it for the first time, what do I need to be weary of so I don't screw something up? I have read about the sprag clutch issue and such, so I want to be ultra cautious the first time, until I get used to the bike.
A couple buddies and I have a short overnighter planned for next weekend so I can test the bike out. About 1500km roundtrip with a night of camping. I am looking forward to it. I rode my DR650 on an 11,000km trip this summer and thought it was plenty comfortable, so I am looking forward to what "real" comfort feels like. I have a set of Andystrapz bags to use on the Tiger and at some point I will look for a topcase, but for next weekend, I will be roughing it.
put the choke lever at about 1/2 to 3/4 , turn on gas , hit starter button .
If everything is as it should be ....she will light right up and idle at around 2k or higher rpm use the choke to control the idle speed . let it idle at 2 k rpm for a minute or so then shut the choke off . she should settle down to a nice 1300 to 1500 rpm idle . She won't like any throttle input until it starts to warm up some .
If it's a typical steamer it will start hard as hell in the springtime after sitting dormant all winter , this is when you will kill the sprag clutch .
Constant cranking will make even a new battery start turning the motor over slower and slower . Don't keep trying it as this is the point when it will eat the sprag .
Well, the Tiger is sitting safe & sound in my garage. What a beautiful bike! It only has 9313 miles on it and looks like it is practically new. I am hard-pressed to find even a scratch or scuff on it. I was going to start it up this morning, but I decided to throw the battery charger on for a couple hours just to make sure the battery is fully juiced up. I am super happy with the bike, can't wait to ride it.
It fired up, no problem. It is certainly a different sounding engine than I am used to (my other bike is a DR650), but it does sound sweet. Now to get it insured so I can go for a ride. :D
you are going to be looking like a fool with a big shit eating grin for the first 100 miles . :lol:
you should have many trouble free miles before it even needs service
these three have combined mileages of 175,000 miles for the three bikes
and they HAVE scuffs and scratches on em :ImaPoser
(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee47/2uoykcuf/tigger%203/101_1793.jpg)
The great thing about this bike is it came with all the service records from new, including the original bill of sale, so I know exactly what was done for maintenance and such. I know what you mean about the sh!t-eating grin though. I haven't been able to wipe it off since I got the bike home. I am functioning on 2 hrs sleep but can't help going out to the garage to look at it. :D :D
Wow that's some awfully low miles on that thing! You're very lucky. Never seen a white / silver engine guard like that.
I have the same color, same year but I got it with 28k on it end of the season last year (now has 31k). Runs great but I need to check valve clearances and do the DAR this winter.
I know, I couldn't believe how low the miles were on it either. I certainly lucked out.
I had the bike out for a bit of a ride tonight. It started a little bit tough, but seemed to idle fine. I let it idle with the choke on for a few minutes, but it seemed to bog when you tried to give it some gas, then it would take off. I put a bottle of fuel conditioner in the tank and filled it with fresh gas. I took it out for about a 1/2 ride on the highway and it seemed to help, so I am thinking maybe some stale gas. One thing I did notice is the temp gauge never really got above cold. Now it was cold out tonight ~+4C, and riding on the highway likely didn't help matters.
After my short ride, one thing I will say is what a great piece of machinery. It pulls like a truck and at 80mph it was smooth as silk. The rear shock seemed a little soft, so I will need to adjust it a little, but WOW! Riding my DR650 is like riding a bicycle compared to the Tiger.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"I had the bike out for a bit of a ride tonight. It started a little bit tough, but seemed to idle fine. I let it idle with the choke on for a few minutes, but it seemed to bog when you tried to give it some gas, then it would take off. I put a bottle of fuel conditioner in the tank and filled it with fresh gas. I took it out for about a 1/2 ride on the highway and it seemed to help, so I am thinking maybe some stale gas.
Mine was worse than that when I got it. Turns out one carb the needle was worn badly and all the jets were clogged. It had no power until you got it over 2800 RPM then the power would kick in. I had a pro rebuild the carbs and re-sync them. If something like that happens again I will try and do it myself.
Mine is hesitant for the first 30-45 seconds or so. After that it's fine.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"One thing I did notice is the temp gauge never really got above cold. Now it was cold out tonight ~+4C, and riding on the highway likely didn't help matters.
Mine is always like that unless it's over 67-70 degrees Fahrenheit or if I'm idling for long periods of time. Both my 1st generation Trumpets do that.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"The rear shock seemed a little soft, so I will need to adjust it a little.
Mine was completely shot. I had Suspensions by Sasquatch rebuild it. It's completely awesome now. Like a different bike. Fact is the original shock is not that great and VERY soft.
Quote from: "Mustang"(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee47/2uoykcuf/tigger%203/101_1793.jpg)
Mustang the middle puss looks like she needs a new front shoe pretty bad, eh?
The owner I bought it from said he had the carbs cleaned and rebuilt a year ago, rode it once and then put the bike away. I know gas is nasty stuff and gums up pretty easily, but I am just hoping it is stale gas and it will work its way through. If not, I will take the carbs off and give them a good cleaning.
Quote from: "Colonel Nikolai"Mustang the middle puss looks like she needs a new front shoe pretty bad, eh?
Pheh that's nothing we use em up round these parts .......... :ImaPoser :ImaPoser :ImaPoser
and all three get new tires every year , I've done 7 tires on the three tiggers already this summer :wink:
Quote from: "Mustang"I've done 7 tires on the three tiggers already this summer :wink:
:shock:
That's a lotta tires. How long does it take you to do one?
Haven't done my own tires yet, but I will: the 96 Sprint needs a new rear, prolly tackle that this winter.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"The owner I bought it from said he had the carbs cleaned and rebuilt a year ago, rode it once and then put the bike away.
If what you're saying is true, the carbs might not need an overhaul.
Try this running off a bottle or with an empty gas tank. Fill the carbs with gas then put an entire can of seafoam in the tank / bottle and run the bike until it coughs out (running on pure seafoam it will die). Let it sit overnight. Next morning shut off the petcock and drain the carbs. Put normal gas in and crank until she starts. Mix in some seafoam as per the instructions on the seafoam can and take the bike out for a long ride at (relatively) high RPMS.
This is the poor-man's carb overhaul. Sometimes it brings them back from the dead (has a chance of working only if all the parts aren't worn or anything).
I'm sure Mustang could tell you a more thoroughgoing way to do this than I can.
First off, I have to find the seafoam stuff you talk about. I have checked several automotive stores but have yet to find it. I do need to get this resolved though.
On Friday I took the Tiger to work so I could ride it a bit and try and work this problem out. When I came out after work, it was very difficult to get started, and once it started, again it didn't idle well. I started riding it and it was great, ran smoothly, no misses and stuttering. I too it for a ride on the highway for about 1/2 hr and brought it home. A few hours later I went back outside and again it was tough to start.
I was leaving Saturday morning for a 1500km, year-end camping trip and had really wanted to take the Tiger, but I didn't want to fight with it, so I took my DR650. I guess that was a blessing in disguise though. We rode yesterday into a 60km/h headwind and my DR really struggled to keep up the my buddies who were both on bigger bikes. The fuel consumption really took a hit too. I rode my DR 11,000km this summer to Alaska, but managed to avoid any significant winds. Yesterday just re-inforced that it is time for me to move up to a bigger bike. My DR served me well in its use as a touring bike, and when you are traveling with a group of KLRs, it is right at home, but this weekend it was outmatched both by the weather and the bikes I was travelling with.
Seafoam is a fuel system treatment / cleaner. Products like it are EverWear and Gunk. Ever Wear is pretty high end and spendy. Never used it though.
GUNK :shock:
In UK Gunk is a degreasing product that smells like creosote and is used for cleaning engines etc... :lol:
I found a place in town that carries Seafoam, so I pick up a can this morning. I put about 2/3 of the bottle into the tank, fired it up and let it run for about 15 minutes. It made a huge difference. It idles fine now and there is just a small hesitation when you first give it a little throttle. I think it just needs a nice long ride to get the rest of the crap cleaned out. So guess what I am doing tomorrow? :P
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"I put about 2/3 of the bottle into the tank, fired it up and let it run for about 15 minutes. It made a huge difference.
Cool! Let us know if it continues to improve or not. My '96 Tiger has a very, very slight stumble down at the very bottom until the needle gets out of cold. It's been this way since I had the carbs rebuilt. Prior to this my carbs were in VERY bad shape: worn very badly on #3 with a stuck plunger/piston.
What kind of anti-freeze should I be using for the Tiger? I read a 50/50 mixture, but is Prestone fine or is there something else I need to get? Before I put the bike away for the winter, I want to make sure the anti-freeze is up to snuff. The bike came from a bit warmer climate, so I'm not sure what is in it.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"I read a 50/50 mixture, but is Prestone fine or ............. make sure the anti-freeze is up to snuff. The bike came from a bit warmer climate, so I'm not sure what is in it.
It's probably got what came from the factory in it ! :shock:
50/50 prestone is fine even the pre mixed stuff with autozone or walmart labels etc etc
I had the bike out for about a 150 mile ride today. It was really windy on the highway (again) but I was amazed how smooth the bike was. I rode my DR on the weekend in a similar wind and it was like riding a wild boar for 7 hours...not fun. The Tiger blasted through the wind with no issues. I was also a bit worried about the small wind screen prior to the ride, but it worked good. I have an Arai XD3 and I usually get buffetting from the visor, but with the Tiger it was great. The Seafoam seems to be doing its job as the bike is running really nice now and starts like it should. It idles a little rough when it is cold, but once it is up to temp., it runs great.
It sounds pretty much like it's normal: you may have brought your carbs back from the brink. It seems like my Tiger runs better after a long ride than a bunch of short ones anyway.
The Seafoam stuff worked to a certain point but after a number of rides things weren't quite 100%. the bike was great out on the open roads, but it was a bit of a bear to ride in town as there was no low-end power for starting out. So, I took the bike in to get the carbs properly cleaned up. I thought about doing it myself, but I know just enough about carbs to be dangerous, so I thought this time I would leave it to someone who knows what they are doing. The mechanic told me the middle carb was the worst with the pilot and mains being clogged, and the slide was pretty gummed causing it to stick when coming off throttle. I noticed that when I was riding. While he was in there, he did some servicing as well, checked the compression, changed the plugs, changed the fluids, fogged the cylinders since the bike hadn't been ridden much in the past number of years. He did comment that the bike was in excellent condition, it just needs some TLC and some riding. The TLC is done, and I am hoping to get a few more rides in yet beofre the snow flies. We have had warmer temps this past week than we had most of the summer. I love the bike, I am just looking forward to it running properly so I can really enjoy it.
What's that saying about if something seems too good to be true?
I stopped by the shop today to check on the status of my bike. The carbs were all cleaned up and back on thre bike. He replaced a bunch of o-rings and such and said they were A-OK. The mechanic asked me if I wanted him to check the bike over which I thought would be a good idea given I had just got it and knew it hadn't been driven much in the past number of years.
One of the things I asked him to check was the coolant. Well, for some unknown reason, the PO had basically put straight water in the radiator. The stuff coming out was a little brown, so the mechanic flushed the rad out before putting anything new in. Once we had done that, he did a pressure test on the system, and it appears there is a leak in the head gasket. It didn't really show up before, likely because the corrosion was blocking stuff up. Since there is only a couple weeks of riding left for the season, he said we should try some Irontite to see if it would temporarily seal the head gasket leak until it can be replaced, likely over the winter. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will work for the short term. I am just pissed that a bike with 9000 miles has a bad head gasket.
I rode the bike home tonight and it was a bittersweet experience, for sure. With the carbs cleaned, syncronized and working properly, it was a completely different bike. It sounded different, it was responsive and had lots of low-end power. The mechanic told me to watch the temp gauge to see if the Irontite stuff was working or not. The gauge moved to the line just above the cold mark and stayed there. When I got home, I turned the bike off at home, I heard what sounded like a big burp from the expansion tank and it pushed some coolant out of the tube onto the ground. I started the bike up again and let it run a bit, but I couldn't get it to repeat the burping again. I have a feeling it might be fooked, but I am just hoping to catch a break and have that stuff work.
I love the bike, I just don't want it to turn into a money pit. If I wanted hassles, I'd have bought a Beemer. :P
I think it'd still be worth it even if it needs a new head gasket.
Ok, I'm a little sceptical here. If I pressure tested my coolant system and there was a leak I wouldn't immediately assume head gasket unless there's some other compelling evidence that you've not yet mentioned. I'd be looking for leaks at hose joints, thermostat housing, rad cap, and radiator first.
In my experience, the first evidence of a head gasket leak is pressure in the cooling system accompanied by oil in the coolant, or water in the oil. And as you've just filled the coolant system, I wouldn't be jumping to conclusions over the burp you mentioned. These bikes are difficult to burp (just search for threads on the subject - you'll see...) If she needs topping up, just top her up and then keep an eye on her.
Your temp gauge reads about right, so, as I said, unless you have evidence you've not posted yet, I'd be holding back on ripping the head off.
^^^^^
What he said, don't jump the gun, just ride it. How far from shop to home? If it doesn't overheat which you haven't said it does, leave it alone.
Quote from: "Bixxer Bob"Ok, I'm a little sceptical here. If I pressure tested my coolant system and there was a leak I wouldn't immediately assume head gasket unless there's some other compelling evidence that you've not yet mentioned. I'd be looking for leaks at hose joints, thermostat housing, rad cap, and radiator first.
In my experience, the first evidence of a head gasket leak is pressure in the cooling system accompanied by oil in the coolant, or water in the oil. And as you've just filled the coolant system, I wouldn't be jumping to conclusions over the burp you mentioned. These bikes are difficult to burp (just search for threads on the subject - you'll see...) If she needs topping up, just top her up and then keep an eye on her.
Your temp gauge reads about right, so, as I said, unless you have evidence you've not posted yet, I'd be holding back on ripping the head off.
:iagree
the puking coolant was due to a trapped air bubble in the system which is what also made it fail the pressure test .
if you had a blown head gasket your temp would have gone up to high
I personally don't think you have a problem ...........
Quote from: "Mustang":iagree
the puking coolant was due to a trapped air bubble in the system which is what also made it fail the pressure test .
if you had a blown head gasket your temp would have gone up to high
I personally don't think you have a problem ...........
:P Is there much point in saying Hear! Hear! after you've spoken? :roll:
:lol: :lol:
OK. Hear! Hear!
Quote from: "Mustang"the puking coolant was due to a trapped air bubble in the system which is what also made it fail the pressure test .
if you had a blown head gasket your temp would have gone up to high
I personally don't think you have a problem ...........
After an anxious couple of moments this morning, I think either the heat gasket wasn't an issue or the Irontite stuff has worked at sealing it up. I started the bike up this morning (it was only +2C outside) and let it idle for a few minutes. There seemed to be a bit more white exhaust coming out of the tailpipes than I was expecting and there seemed to be quite a bit of moisture at the end of the tailpipes. Panic was starting to set in. I took off the seat and there weren't any bubbles coming into the expansion tank, and as the bike warmed up, the temp gauge came up to the line above cold and stayed there. But there was still the white exhaust. I turned the bike off and checked the oil, still black, no white milky stuff. I put my gear on, started the bike and went for a ride. The white exhaust remained for a few minutes, until the bike got nice and warmed up, then it went away. The bike ran great and the temp gauge stayed steady. I rode in town and on the highway for about an hour, came home and turned it off. No burping in the expansion tank, no moisture on the tailpipes, oil was still black. Needless to say, my panic level has gone down.
The only small issue that still needs addressing is the petcock. It is fine when in the ON or OFF position, but I switched to reserve today and it started leaking. Considering the o-rings in the carbs were all dried out, I assume the o-ring in the petcock is the same. I know there is info on here about this, so time to start searching.
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"The white exhaust remained for a few minutes, until the bike got nice and warmed up, then it went away. The bike ran great and the temp gauge stayed steady. I rode in town and on the highway for about an hour, came home and turned it off. No burping in the expansion tank, no moisture on the tailpipes, oil was still black. Needless to say, my panic level has gone down.
Perfectly normal all steamers do that white smoke thing ............
(http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee47/2uoykcuf/sidecar/100_1998.jpg)
Quote from: "Mustang"the puking coolant was due to a trapped air bubble in the system which is what also made it fail the pressure test ...........
I'm struggling to keep up here Mustang. If the system is completely filled, the tiny air space in the thermostat housing will mean the pressure rises really quickly until the cap releases and then the pressure should hold steady (because we all know that for this purpose, you can't compress a liquid). If there's air in the system, it'll take longer to reach blow-off because you're compressing more air, but it will blow eventually. If there's a leak somewhere the pressure will slowly fall regardless of the amount of air in the system.
That's the theory out of the way; and it's more years than I care to count since I last did this (aircraft radiators were still made of brass...) so in practice, what did I miss???
Quote from: "Bixxer Bob"Quote from: "Mustang"the puking coolant was due to a trapped air bubble in the system which is what also made it fail the pressure test ...........
I'm struggling to keep up here Mustang. If the system is completely filled, the tiny air space in the thermostat housing will mean the pressure rises really quickly until the cap releases and then the pressure should hold steady (because we all know that for this purpose, you can't compress a liquid). If there's air in the system, it'll take longer to reach blow-off because you're compressing more air, but it will blow eventually. If there's a leak somewhere the pressure will slowly fall regardless of the amount of air in the system.
That's the theory out of the way; and it's more years than I care to count since I last did this (aircraft radiators were still made of brass...) so in practice, what did I miss???
It's a Steamer thing ! :ImaPoser
but seriously the puking coolant usually happens when you have overfilled the system and there is no room in the reservoir the min max lines on a steamer are a joke .
I know nothing of science and theory's .I just know steamers .
D-fuzz 's mechanic obviously does not .
My Steamer would be the first and only one within 300 miles of me, so it's kind of a learning endeavour for all involved. You are right about the puking coolant though. Since that happened, the overflow reservior has stayed at the MAX mark, so I guess it was just overfilled a bit. The bubbles appear to have been the air getting pushed past the cap as the system was pressurizing. I am just glad it wasn't gloom & doom. :D :oops:
Quote from: "Mustang"Quote from: "Bixxer Bob"Quote from: "Mustang"the puking coolant was due to a trapped air bubble in the system which is what also made it fail the pressure test ...........
I'm struggling to keep up here Mustang. If the system is completely filled, the tiny air space in the thermostat housing will mean the pressure rises really quickly until the cap releases and then the pressure should hold steady (because we all know that for this purpose, you can't compress a liquid). If there's air in the system, it'll take longer to reach blow-off because you're compressing more air, but it will blow eventually. If there's a leak somewhere the pressure will slowly fall regardless of the amount of air in the system.
That's the theory out of the way; and it's more years than I care to count since I last did this (aircraft radiators were still made of brass...) so in practice, what did I miss???
It's a Steamer thing ! :ImaPoser
but seriously the puking coolant usually happens when you have overfilled the system and there is no room in the reservoir the min max lines on a steamer are a joke .
I know nothing of science and theory's .I just know steamers .
D-fuzz 's mechanic obviously does not .
It's not just steamers. Just had the exact same issue with a Daytona. A few burps as described and she settled down. Had all the symptoms as described above including standing idle for 3 years. She settled in and is a dream now.
I wasn't struggling with the connection between puking and overfilling or air in the system - as the engine gets hot the air expands quicker that the fluid so she pukes the excess - but I'm struggling to understand why it would fail the pressure test, unless as Mustang says, the tech simply didn't understand what he was doing. Even if there was no fluid and only air in the system, it would still only fail a pressure test if there was a leak, otherwise the pressure would hold steady and it would pass. Even then, the time it takes to pressurise is a good indicator of whether there's air in there or just fluid.
Sadly, the end of the riding season came for me today. The forecast for later today is for snow so I figured it was time. I changed the oil, flushed the brakes and clutch with new fluid, put some stabilizer in the tank and ran it through the carbs, replaced the o-ring in the petcock and removed the battery to bring into the house. Tigger is now tucked into the corner of the garage, under a cover, until spring arrives....in 6 months!! Bummer!! :(
Well, I woke up to 5cm of snow today and a -10C windchill. Brutal!!
Now that the "off-season" has arrived, it is time to start preparing for next year. My list of improvements includes:
- SW Motech centrestand (on order)
- Heated grips, 12V outlet, GPS(?)
- engine bars
- luggage(?)
I do have a couple questions.
It seems the choices are between the Thunderbike or H&B ones and it seems more choose the Thunderbike ones. Is there a reason for that? They seem quite pricey, but if they work and avoid wrecking a tank or something, then I guess it is money well spent. Is it necessary to have some type of rad guard to keep the rad from getting banged up with rocks and stuff?
I've asked this elsewhere, but what do other riders use for soft luggage systems on their Steamer? I priced out a set of H&B luggage racks and I am looking at nearly $500CDN by the time I pay shipping, taxes, etc. That is just for racks. Add on the cost of hard cases and I am looking at $1500 for luggage, which I know is the going rate if you are buying a Beemer or something, but I can't justify that for this bike, no matter how much I love it.
Luckily, the Tigger doesn't need a whole lot of improvements. It is pretty close to spot-on as it sits.
As far as storing my Tiger goes, it will be kept over the winter in an insulated but not heated garage. During the coldest temps of the winter, it will get down to -20C in the garage or so. Do I need to take any extra precautions with the plastics on the bike, namely the tank, to make sure nothing gets damaged? Would it be better to have fuel in the tank or keep it empty? Should I loosen off the fasteners attaching the bottom fairings to the tank?
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"During the coldest temps of the winter, it will get down to -20C in the garage or so. Do I need to take any extra precautions with the plastics on the bike, namely the tank, to make sure nothing gets damaged? Would it be better to have fuel in the tank or keep it empty? Should I loosen off the fasteners attaching the bottom fairings to the tank?
fill the tank and leave the plastics in place they will shrink too much in the cold otherwise
you need one of these
(http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3052/photoesa.jpg)
they work really well and won't break the bank, then you can have a man castle you can use all winter
That is on my wishlist for sure. I have 14ft ceilings in my garage, so lots of room to put it, just need to find the time.
Despite having over 3 feet of snow in my yard still, I decided Spring is close enough, so today was start up day for the 2011 season. I was tired of just staring at my Tiger parked in the corner of the garage.
A week ago, I decided to start installing some of the parts I had collected, so I installed a SW Motech centrestand, a set of Oxford heated grips and strung some extra wires so I don't have to tear the entire bike apart again if I want to hook up a GPS. I bought a fuse block and relay to hook up as well, just haven't decided if I want to do that or not. I don't know if I want a bunch of gadgets hooked up or not. I was thinking a 12V outlet to run a mini compressor off in case of a flat, but we will see.
Anyway, yesterday I hooked up my battery charger and left it charging overnight. I started it up this afternoon. It took a bit of persuasion to get it going. I think the gas in the tank is likely stale, as it was popping a bit and it didn't want to idle without the choke. I will drain the tank tomorrow and go get some fresh gas to see if it helps.
I still need to buy some new rubber and likely a new battery before I start riding but it sure was nice to hear it running again. :D
Quote from: "D-Fuzz"Anyway, yesterday I hooked up my battery charger and left it charging overnight. I started it up this afternoon. It took a bit of persuasion to get it going. I think the gas in the tank is likely stale, as it was popping a bit and it didn't want to idle without the choke. I will drain the tank tomorrow and go get some fresh gas to see if it helps.
:D
thats just typical steamer start up after being laid up for a few months
fill the tank (don't bother draining it ) and go wring it out for about ten miles and it will be good to go .
Good to know. It will be a bit before it sees the road, likely the beginning of April. I can hardly wait to get it out though.
Totally agree with Mustang. I use my Tigger very occasionally, and everytime I leave it for more than a week or two it does the same. Worse case last year took just under 30miles to settle,
you would think a valve is stuck, or ignitor is faulty or something expensive, but no, its just sulking!!
My 96 tigger starts right up but does need to stay choked for 2-3 minutes before it will idle. My Sprint starts like "bang!" and hardly needs choking after the first 10-15 seconds. I think the previous owner did a lot of mucking with the carbs, ie non-standard jets, et al, the thing runs like the clappers.
At the end of the season I put non-oxygenated, non-ethanol aviation-grade gas in it that clocks at 100 octane. I switch to that in late September. It can start snowing here as early as first week of October. It then goes into storage running that stuff. I think it helps keep the carbs and top of the engine clean. My plugs do turn a little yellow with it though.