Thanks Dennis and Graham. It stayed on after 2 tries this morning with minimal and no throttle - full choke. I let her warm up a couple minutes and she ran fine.
After about 6 mins I had my second red light and with no choke or throttle she stalled. The idle just kept going lower and lower.... As usual the warm restart was just one push of the button and I made sure to give a little gas at idle for the rest of my commute. Perhaps this Seafoam everyone talks about will help. Charles Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: Dennis Hammerl <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:59:37 To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] starting problems They have an accelerator pump. Every time you do, you spray gas in. Not a great idea. Choke is better. Unless I knew they were done recently, I'd clean the carbs just for piece of mind. Maybe run some Seafoam through it instead. ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, February 17, 2010 12:54:36 AM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] starting problems Thanks for your help. Do you have any ideas why I'd need to repeatedly and quickly roll throttle on and off? Charles Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device ________________________________ From: Dennis Hammerl <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:36:52 -0800 (PST) To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] starting problems Other than a warm restart, you don't have a problem. Change in light output ? yes, they do. I will not ride a bike out into the street that's engine is not hot to the touch. I don't need a stall when an SUV with some dimwit talking on a cell phone is bearing down on me. Each bike is different, you'll have to find out what yours likes to start every time. Above 60 degrees, mine start without choke or throttle, hot or cold. Try some choke, no choke, light throttle, whatever. Pose this question to AHM and they would answer that starting is an individual situation and give suggestions (as I did) and disregard any transitional conditions. They will address only problems that occur at full operating temperature. In other words, warm-up takes how long ? Deal with it, it's a temporary situation. EFI eliminates this sort of thing, shame that the Nighthawk family didn't have it. ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, February 16, 2010 11:22:50 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] starting problems The bike runs grrrreat - after about 4 or 5 minutes - no problems at all. Great pick up nice power all through the revs, good brakes and handling. My only problem is the start. It starts fine after only a few minutes off, but an hour or longer and I've had problems. It takes about three to four tries - I've tried full choke with no throttle too. It seems to need just a bit of extra gas at the beginning to fire up. By the way the lights DO get brighter with throttle. ;). But they always dim with no throttle even at the end of a half hour ride and I was wondering if they are supposed to - I don't recall my 450 doing that. Thanks for your patience. This is only my second bike and I'm no mechanic but can try to learn. Charles Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device ________________________________ From: Dennis Hammerl <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:09:35 -0800 (PST) To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] starting problems A lot of unrelated symptoms without parameters. First off, your lights dim at idle... how about saying they get brighter when you increase the engine speed ? gee, that means the charging system works. Surprising after beating up the battery to get it started. The 450 had choke butterflies and the 550 has enricheners. Both start better with full choke and NO throttle. Now, is all this difficulty only at start up or all the time ? The brake light is a huge drain on the battery and after giving the battery a good thrashing to get it started, applying the brake might be just enough to drop the voltage below what it takes to run. Again, all the time or just after starting ? IN OTHER WORDS, does this bike ever run right ? ________________________________ From: Charles <[email protected]> To: Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers! <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, February 16, 2010 10:18:19 PM Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] starting problems Hi, my 83 550nh doesn't start as easily as my first bike - an 83 450. The battery seems fine, although the lights dim when not on throttle, the starter definitely is working, but I seem to have to try a couple times with choke, then without choke, then with choke etc.. I have to give quick roll on/off throttle or it will stall (either with no throttle, or steady throttle). I can ride within a minute but then it stalls as soon as I use front brake (ie. no throttle) which is obviously unsafe. Do I need to keep babying this bike, or is there a better way? I'm guessing idle needs to be adjusted higher (it idles nicely at 1000 when warmed up)? If this is the case, as a newbie can I do this myself or make a mechanic call? Bye the way I ride in Vancouver (rain) year round about twice a week if that makes a difference. Bike is garaged but I have the same problem each time I start it after only an hour of sitting after a 15 minute ride or even longer ride or whether it is in the garage after 5 days. Thanks -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
