xtz 660 Cold Weather

[Pikehunter22]

XTZ 660 starts ok but idles with a horrific misfire , The bike allways starts and runs well but it is only in last 2 days when temperature has dropped to -4 that it is the problem . only when bike has got hot does it start to run well . starts ok and runs great at lunch time and in evening . will something be freezing ?

[Andy M]

Could be lots of things, but sounds electrical. I'd:

WD40 everything electrical and charge the battery. Damp HT leads and a battery discharged from stirring oil with icebergs in it won't give the greatest spark. Got a spare plug to try?

Take the air filter out and try a cold start without it. Oil or water on the filter can freeze and block it although this tends to be only common on bell mouth type set ups. If there is liquid in there it would be useful to know where it came from.

Is the bike kept inside? Is there a heavy frost on the carb? We have the right weather for carb icing although this tends to be more of a ride 5 miles and it dies type problem. Heating the carb by some means (cloth in hot water?) will prove this. The solution is a fuel additive.

How new is the fuel and does the filler cap fit? A warm engine will burn petrol with more water/rubbish in it than a cold one.

What oil have you got in there? I assume it's a normal bike multigrade, but if the history includes any blanks it could be worth dropping the oil to be sure it isn't some previous owners summer oil whim. From your description of starts ok I think this isn't the case?

Andy

[Pikehunter22]

Ill give it a blast with wd see if it makes a difference , its got k&n filter on which was put on in summer so only done about 4000 miles but ill check for fluid on it . Its gets a tank of fuel every 9 days or so and the cap fits tight , synthetic oil used but due an oil change in about a month ,oil changed every 6 months looks as if you could keep on using it when changed . Bike kept outside but this is the first really cold spell we have had in Edinburgh and was wondering if it was maybe a diagpram in the carb going solid , as i say bike superb when warm just takes about fifteen minutes to run sweet .

[SteveC#222]

It's probably carb icing, My GN250 that I use for work has run like a dog today. Ok at speed but misfires off idle and cuts out if the revs drop below 2-3k at standstill.. It sounds bad when you're sitting in traffic revving the nuts of it but it's been the only way to keep it running.  It's always suffered a bit in cold/foggy weather but today it's been terrible! Hopefully the weather may warm up a bit soon, otherwise, as andy says, the only way is to use additive.   

[bullet350]

it might be worth blocking off a section of the radiator to help the bike run at a decent temperature.

most of the jap bikes i've had run stone cold all the time, which i don't like. cold oil is not good oil!

they seem to set up the cooling for mid and southern europe, where its warmer and they don't tend to ride in the winter.

bullet350