Whats wrong with my bike? :(

[AlCab]

Hi Chuck. I bought my 2011 FZ8 brand new with 0 miles and had the same exact issue with starting it as you are having. I expected it to fire right up with just a quick dab of the starter like my previous bike but the reality of it is, it doesn't always. So like others have said, I have learned to keep the starter button pushed until it actually fires up and by doing that, it starts right up the first time every time. Sometimes it will fire within a split second, sometimes it takes a full second or so. It took a little practice so be patient.

It if doesn't start the first time, it helps to turn the key to the off position then to the on position again and let the tach needle complete it's sweep before trying it again. Also, once it starts, don't blip the throttle right away - mine will also stall if I do that. It will idle fast at first so wait until the idle settles down to normal then blip away.

I was also curious about that button I took the left throttle assembly apart and that button is not used on our bike. Like someone said, I think in other parts of the world, that is used as a hazard light button but it has no function on US models.

Hope that helps.

Al

 

[ChuckPeazy]

Hi Chuck. I bought my 2011 FZ8 brand new with 0 miles and had the same exact issue with starting it as you are having. I expected it to fire right up with just a quick dab of the starter like my previous bike but the reality of it is, it doesn't always. So like others have said, I have learned to keep the starter button pushed until it actually fires up and by doing that, it starts right up the first time every time. Sometimes it will fire within a split second, sometimes it takes a full second or so. It took a little practice so be patient.

It if doesn't start the first time, it helps to turn the key to the off position then to the on position again and let the tach needle complete it's sweep before trying it again. Also, once it starts, don't blip the throttle right away - mine will also stall if I do that. It will idle fast at first so wait until the idle settles down to normal then blip away.

I was also curious about that button I took the left throttle assembly apart and that button is not used on our bike. Like someone said, I think in other parts of the world, that is used as a hazard light button but it has no function on US models.

Hope that helps.

Al

Thanks Al. I'll try it out and see if that helps. I'll also fill up with 87 octane next time instead of the 91 and see if that helps.

 

[charris247]

A few points:

1) I bought my 2011 FZ8 brand spanking new with 0 miles and have never had any of the issues described above. Like I said my starter works almost instantaneously and I can literally start revving the bike without worrying about it stalling.
2) It not a misconception that premium gasoline is of higher quality and better for your bike. I have had conversations with multiple motorcycle mechanics and they all say go with premium ALWAYS. (I too read the manual cover to cover and saw that they say Regular gasoline is fine).
3) Why do certain manufacturers say you can use regular gas? - Cost of ownership: its cheaper to put regular gas in the bike, Increased Maintenance: Since regular gas is not as clean or of the same quality as premium it is common sense that your bike will eventually require more trips to the dealership.(Driving money to both parts and labor)
4) I agree that the gas you use has a effect on compression, but using premium gasoline is not going to destroy your bike or throw off the compression ratio to a degree that will cause negative side effect. (I have been using premium since my second tank of gas and my bike runs like a dream).
5)Sorry if my post offends anyone but I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist.

*One more thing- try running some Seafoam through it, could be a carb issue. I add some of this to my tank in the winter and its great. (I have seen it bring a 10 year old dirt bike back from the grave)

 

[JSP]

A few points:

1) I bought my 2011 FZ8 brand spanking new with 0 miles and have never had any of the issues described above. Like I said my starter works almost instantaneously and I can literally start revving the bike without worrying about it stalling.
2) It not a misconception that premium gasoline is of higher quality and better for your bike. I have had conversations with multiple motorcycle mechanics and they all say go with premium ALWAYS. (I too read the manual cover to cover and saw that they say Regular gasoline is fine).
3) Why do certain manufacturers say you can use regular gas - cost of ownership: its cheaper to put regular gas in the bike, Maintenance: Since regular gas is not a clean or of the same quality as premium it is common sense that your bike will require more trips to the dealership.
4) I agree that the gas you use has a effect on compression, but using premium gasoline is not going to destroy your bike or throw off the compression ratio to a degree that will cause negative side effect. (I have been using premium since my second tank of gas and my bike runs like a dream).
5)Sorry if my post offends anyone but I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist.

Sorry, but that is just plain wrong. Top tier gas stations Premium is of no better quality than regular. It is a myth and a marketing ploy. It has nothing to do with the quality of the gas. It has to do with detonation point. There is absolutely no reason to run higher octane (i wont call it premium because it isnt, other than price) if your vehicle compression does not require it. If you are getting pinging with regular, then you should bump up, but that usually means you have other issues you should figure out first or switch to better quality gas (tier/station).

 

[charris247]

Sorry, but that is just plain wrong. Top tier gas stations Premium is of no better quality than regular. It is a myth and a marketing ploy. It has nothing to do with the quality of the gas. It has to do with detonation point. There is absolutely no reason to run higher octane (i wont call it premium because it isnt, other than price) if your vehicle compression does not require it. If you are getting pinging with regular, then you should bump up, but that usually means you have other issues you should figure out first or switch to better quality gas (tier/station).

We may have to agree to disagree on this one Jay. (I have definitely read a number of articles that favor your opinion). However there are always two sides to every story.

In my mind two things stick out. The first is that regular gas has higher levels of ethanol than premium (that is fact). Also depending on the manufacturer, there are different levels of additives added to regular gas than premium. I will agree that it completely varies by gas station. I have read that in some cases gas stations will actually only have 2 tanks and mid grade is created by mixing regular and premium at the pump.

One true fact is gasolines with more additives help reduce carbon build up. Premium gas normally (at top tier gas stations), comes with more additives.

I definitely agree there is a ton of bulls**t when it comes to marketing gasoline, but there are differences between premium and regular other than octane level. Also higher octane technically leads to higher combustion and more power but it is usually not noticeable.

 

[alexk]

Gasoline tier choice... I think we've argued this before...

Here's what you need to know:

• Avoid E85 at all costs, even in a flexfuel vehicle
  
• Try to avoid E15 if you can. You may not have a choice.
  
• E10 is probably what you have. Try to stay away from that too if you can.
  
• Use the lowest octane gasoline that the manufacturer recommends. Don't go up unless it knocks on successive tanks from different vendors.
  
• If you live in a vapor recovery state (CA, lookin' at you!) don't ever buy generic or Arco gasoline - they buy the leftovers from top-tier-station tanks and sell you water and crap-laden gas at a discount.

In a nutshell, there's less power per mass of alcohol or higher tier gasoline. If the engine is tuned to require higher AKI gas, use it. Otherwise you're getting lower MPG, paying more per gallon, and causing deposits in the engine which in turn require the higher AKI to avoid detonation. Yes, using premium causes a catch-22.

I've cobbled this together by talking to petrochemical engineers, engine designers (at both BMW and Alpina), and fuel distributors. If anyone has actual training in this arena, PLEASE speak up and educate us! =)

I could go on for ages about how screwed up the fuel world is, but in the end do what you want - you probably already have your own opinion that you'll vehemently defend.

 

[diz]

Here in Europe you would have an issue to buy anything below 91, even 91 is rare, standard is 95 and 98, you can buy even 100, but it not so common. I've read that for compression higher than 10 you should use 95+ (we have 12:1)... obviously in US its pretty hard to do. Question is what is typical peak power of engine with <95 grade petrol. (Yamaha is not declaring anything about this on official page)

In video it looks like that you are not pushing it long enough. After that just wait until revs settle down on standard idle revs. I had some issues with starts (on brand new bike) but it was probably caused by not fully charged battery. I don't think that its your case, but you can try to recharge (especially if previous owner didn't ride on it for longer time)

 

[lyric911]

Here in Europe you would have an issue to buy anything below 91, even 91 is rare, standard is 95 and 98, you can buy even 100, but it not so common. I've read that for compression higher than 10 you should use 95+ (we have 12:1)... obviously in US its pretty hard to do. Question is what is typical peak power of engine with <95 grade petrol. (Yamaha is not declaring anything about this on official page)

In video it looks like that you are not pushing it long enough. After that just wait until revs settle down on standard idle revs. I had some issues with starts (on brand new bike) but it was probably caused by not fully charged battery. I don't think that its your case, but you can try to recharge (especially if previous owner didn't ride on it for longer time)

Europe measures octane differently. Our 87 is equivalent to 92 in Europe.

 

[lyric911]

In my mind two things stick out. The first is that regular gas has higher levels of ethanol than premium (that is fact).

[citation needed]

 

[lyric911]

Also higher octane technically leads to higher combustion and more power but it is usually not noticeable.

[citation needed]

 

[iheart2drift]

mine doesn't do that. starts instantly. 2012 though.

 

[Banky2112]

Can we not have a fuel thread discussion inside of this guys thread..... Lets help him out lol
Btw, did I accidentally start that argument lol

 

[ChuckPeazy]

Can we not have a fuel thread discussion inside of this guys thread..... Lets help him out lol
Btw, did I accidentally start that argument lol

What he said. ^^

 

[alexk]

As far as the original post goes:

Definitely need to hold the starter a little longer. Mine (a 13) will do the same thing if I don't let it catch, though it's only a fraction of a second longer than you were holding the starter.

I think I have an idea on the throttle blip problem. The bike's stock fuel injection completely (or nearly so) kills the fuel use on engine braking. If you're being really abrupt on and off in the blip, it could be the engine braking. Mine does EXACTLY this fully warmed if I'm too quick with a blip, usually at slow speeds when putting on the clutch to come into the garage. It's never actually stalled from it though.

Also, please let the bike warm up a little before any revving - oils and gasoline thin out slightly when warm, so you aren't getting the normal lubrication and air/fuel mix until it's all warm.

As far as the fuel smell goes, it's possible your bike had its air injection system removed, and potentially its catalytic converter gutted. I wouldn't worry about it unless you're getting a very low gas mileage. When I'm gentle, I get 41mpg on a stock bike (and I'm a very big guy - I present a LOT of wind resistance).

The posters above were right about that "broken button" - it's for the emergency flashers on Euro and other models. We don't get it stateside.

Hope this helps, and welcome to the community!

 

[aj700]

Yes, hold it a bit longer.
I even apply clutch Always when starting up. I donno if It helps in any way, just a preventive measure incase its in gear. But hold it a bit more. It Works. Have fun....

 

[Bajaedition]

Personally I would stop using 91 octane. Start using the gas the manufacturer reccomends. Plus if the bbike sat a while you need to run some injector cleaner and possibly a new fuel filter. . If the filter is clogged the fuel pressure may be low coming from the pump which will cause a considerable decay in performance.

 

[AlCab]

Chuck,

I shot this video today of what my typical cold start looks like. As you can see, I need to hold the starter button pushed down for a full second or so. Bike is a 2011 with 850 miles that I bought new with 0 miles.

FZ8 starting - YouTube

 

[ChuckPeazy]

Chuck,

I shot this video today of what my typical cold start looks like. As you can see, I need to hold the starter button pushed down for a full second or so. Bike is a 2011 with 850 miles that I bought new with 0 miles.

FZ8 starting - YouTube

Thank you for that. It definitely is different than mine. I can't "blip" it at all right after I start it. And I tried holding the button longer. It helps sometimes and other times it does the same problem. I haven't ridden a tank of gas since I posted this but once I do that I'm gunna use the 87 octane gas.

On a side note, how do you have a gear display on your tachometer? Was that an option or aftermarket thing?

 

[AlCab]

On a side note, how do you have a gear display on your tachometer? Was that an option or aftermarket thing?

It's custom. Search "integrated gear indicator" and you will find my how to on it. Love it, most useful mod I've done.

 

[wildhog84]

Hi Guys,

I can't help too much on the starting as still a new owner myself but experience with other bikes in this case has often been the ECU / automatic choke.

I can tell you that it is a Hazard button on the left here on the UK model.

Sorry to hear of the issue, always annoying when this happens. Got rid of my Street Triple because i had various issues, tbh i got a good deal on it when i bought it and always felt it was too good to be true. especially when it had only done 2000miles. Anyway i'm a happy FZ8 owner now!!!!