Hi
Have been overseas for 5 weeks and went to start the bike today but it just wouldnt fire up. Tired choke in and out with no luck. So i charged the battery up as it was down to 12.1 volts but still would not fire up.
I turned the fuel tap off and drain the carb then open the tap again and it fired up straight away. Would expect fuel in the carb to go bad that quickly?? My bike is garaged the whole time but it is winter here now. The fuel looked pretty clean that came out. Any thoughts

 

Fuel goes off. That's why you have a fuel tap.
The Hydrocarbons evaporate, this causes the fuel to ignite poorly and can foul the plug, ( a common problem on 2 bangers.)

 

Mines hard to start if it's left for more than 2 days (09 model).Nearly flatten the battery trying.

 

WTF?
Have you done any carb' mods?
Is you air filter clean & oiled?

 

IMHO it's nothing to do with the fuel going off.
There is a lot on this problem elsewhere on this forum but the best way to avoid it is to run the carb dry after riding it.
That's how I got around it until I installed a pumper.
Now the problem has gone.

I have never had this issue on any other bike.
That's why i don't think it's the fuel going off.

 

+1 with neilaction.
Common problem with (some of) these bikes, some people find that if they lean the bike over on its side it starts easier.

 

Cheers for the tip pretty easy to try. Do you see any problem in in leaving the carb dry for extended periods? I work month on month off overseas so it could be left dry for 4 to 5 weeks at a time.

 

dry is good-
after a week mine starts hard so I just lay it down let it sit there (like I dropped it) for 10 sec or so..... pick it up and it starts (yes a little gas leaks out)

I'm sure its just dumping the bowl and getting rid of any airlocks that may have formed due to poor design.

 

I was so sure it was the gas going bad. I was the biggest proponent of gas changing in the carb, but you know what I'm not so sure anymore. Whatever the reason though, running the gas out if you know the bike is going to sit for a week or months at a time is the sure "fire" way to get the bike to start...everytime.

 

Remember me preaching this all the time? Now I am realizing that there just might be another answer. I'm always willing to learn a new idea or theory and to admit when I'm not 100% right. 60% of the time, it works every time.

Shut down procedure.

1. After riding as you are pulling into your driveway, or to speed things up you can do this a block from your house, turn off the gas.
2. Let the bike run until it actually dies from gas starvation, (this may take 2-5 minutes) But that's ok it will give you time to put away your gear.
3. Park it and now you're ready for the next time you ride whether that be in a day, or a month.

Start up procedure.

1. Turn on the gas
2. Wait for 10 seconds
3. Start the bike as you always do

It doesn't get any simpler than this.