TOPIC:

Hi the bike will not start after it has been standing for a few days, once it does start it will start every day straight away, I can leave it up to 4 days before it won't start. I did use a hair drier on the carbs as another owner suggested, it started on the button , why is this? It runs lovely once started. Generally to start I have to hook up a car battery eventually it does start. Please give me a clue. Thanks

I have a couple of early 80's Hondas that suffer from this. In the case of the Honda's, it's realted to the automatic fuel valve. It works on Vacuum so once the bike is off, the fuel valve closes. After a few days on not running the fuel in the bowls evaporates and there's not enough fuel for a quick start. A easy fix for the Hondas is to blow on the vent tube for the auto fuel valve which opens the valve and allows the fuel to fill the bowls.

The 1300 has an electric fuel valve (at least my 79 did) - does it open when the key is turned on or when the motor starts - I can't remember but if it opens with the key on, after a few days sitting maybe you just need to turn the key on and let is sit while the bowls fill up?

I used to have this issue, according to my experience there are multiple reason:
1: the battery is not powerful enough. The mighty zed needs a battery that is really fit and can provide the torque to get is running, few batteries really have had this which is why I have changed to a Hawker Odyssey PC680
2: the fuel in the carbs is cooked by the rest-heat of the engine once you come home, all the volatile additives are cooked off and you have the plain fuel left. I have modified the magnetic valve so I can switch if off before I come home, means I turn it off at a certain distance to home so the engine will run the carbs dry. Before starting the engine I turn the valve on so the engine gets fresh fuel from the tank.

best regards
Holger

Thanks, my 79 model just works from vacuum tap but when I start I turn the prime on first, after a run and I park it up it will start the next day fine, leave it two and three days the same. Get to about 4 or 5 days left without starting no good. I only use the best fuel, I have drained the carb bowls to make sure the prime is working with no blockages. The only thing I have found is it does nearly start for a split second without any choke but then just turns over no sign of starting. The carbs are balanced done a colour tune and compression is great in each cylinder.

When you park it, do you normally park it on the side stand?. That would explain why it might "just start" without choke and then nothing. What maybe happening is that one or all of the carb floats are binding open and draining the fuel from the fuel line down into the carb and flooding the engine. There have been numerous reports of bent conrods due to hydrolocking caused by engine flooding with fuel and because of this, I religously park my bike on the center stand and when I go to start the bike, blip the starter button to roll the engine over intermittently so that if it is hydro locked, it will suddenly stop turning over and not damage a conrod or two. Once I'm staisfied that it's clear of fuel in the cylinders, I set the choke and start the bike.

Yep I always park it on centre stand and petrol tap is always off, I always start it on centre stand because I'm worried about the main bearings with the small sump. Any ideas with the hair drier?