Help Hard starting 2008 RS

[Rilcoat]

I recently bought a stock 2008 Road Star Silverado S. I seem to have an issue only on cold start. The bike cranks and usually by the second cranks it coughs like its carbed. If I keep cranking it just won’t start. Now if I give it about 3/4 throttle while cranking it does go but of course I get a hugh amount of black smoke out of the tail pipe and I can smell the gas. Once the bike is warm even a little warm it starts every time with no issues. I have put new gas with seafoam, charged the battery to full, checked the air filter. I do have spark because it will start but gotta pull that throttle and still cranks a bit until it starts

[Shores]

If you haven't changed the oil since you bought it, drain the oil by removing the two plugs. One plug is under the engine and the other is under the oil tank, fill it with two quarts, put the dipstick back in, run it for 20 seconds and put the other two quarts in. never check the oil again until you change it as these bikes do not use oil or drip oil and the dipstick is notoriously inaccurate resulting in lots of folks putting too much oil in. I have a 2008 also and have noticed that in the winter it starts better with 10-40 oil rather than 20-50 oil. Be sure to use motorcycle specific oil. Most folks here use either amsoil or Mobil 1 synthetic motorcycle oil. also just because you are charging the battery doesn't mean that the battery is good. Take it out and have it load tested at the store. Nothing ever goes wrong with these fuelies. If you haven't ridden it much, go for a nice long ride to run at least a tank of seafoam treated fuel through it. You might want to change all four spark plugs also.

[Lug Nut]

Put a volt meter on battery While your cranking.... See how far it drops... Much of anything under 9.5-10volts means battery needs replaced. If getting a new battery get the highest rated cca Yuasa that will fit.

[Rilcoat]

I have definitely been looking at getting a new battery for it. I have load tested it and my tester has come back that it is at about 70%. After the way it’s been starting cold i will be replacing the plugs but want to get it starting cold properly so I don’t foul another set

[davej]

if you charged it and after setting it load test at 70% the battery is junk.

[Rilcoat]

I have been pricing out a new battery

[Lug Nut]

I have been pricing out a new battery

Yuasa highest cca that fits .. Best you can get for your bike

[Rilcoat]

I put a battery charger on the battery after it was on a tender overnight. I gave it a couple of cranks and it fired right up. Gonna buy a new battery this week.

[Shores]

Remember to that many tenders will not fully charge a battery once it gets below a certain level. The only way to bring it up is with a real, serious battery charger.

[Bikerron]

After starting and a ride check the stator/regulator voltage at the battery while running. Should see 14 + at the terminals.

[Bikerron]

You may think it’s cranking over fast enough to start, but a low battery will rob the needed current to the injector nozzles they require for proper fuel delivery when the starter is hoarding it all. .

[Rilcoat]

Battery is definitely on its way out. Gonna get a new one before riding season

[Rilcoat]

Just an update. Replaced the battery and all is good for starting since. Thank you everyone.