Difficult starting

[coaster]

Just finished putting my Avanti back together after changing rings, bearings and seals. It's been a pig to start to the point that the amount of kicking over revealed weaknesses in the kick start mechanism. Now with that all sorted and a new mid weight flywheel it still doesn't want to fire up with or without the choke. The only thing that seems to work is pouring neat fuel into the carb mouth, then it will fire up if the throttle is held fully open. Once started it revs up ok and will tickover and re-start ok. I took it for a blat up the road and all seem fine but it still doesn't want to start from cold. There is LOADS od compression, much better than before I stripped it down and it was a 2 or 3 kick starter before that even with a worn kick start mechanism

Before I start pulling it apart, is it possible for fuel to go off in 6 or 7 months? I think the last time I fired it up was in October or November last year and it is kept in the house although not in a heated area. I did drain some out last week to fill my strimmer and that runs ok on it but then I think they are very tolerant of what fuel you put in them.
Any thoughts?

Colin

[Ian Hepworth]

Fuel. Treat yourself to a fresh tank full.

[storkfoot]

Have you redone the timing after fitting the new flywheel? If you have, and after pulling the carb apart to clean it all and check it, then I would change the fuel. Personally, I have never left fuel quite that long so can't comment as to whether it does go off in the time. Good luck

[coaster]

Yes, I managed to strobe it, 23 degrees at fast tickover and drops nicely to 17 when I rev it. Carb strip next although it is just as it came off just before Christmas, been knocking about in a crate with the other bits since then mind. I've always been a bit sceptical about stale fuel but with the ethanol issue I guess it could have absorbed water. Looks like the strimmer will be sorted for fuel anyway

[coaster]

The nipple had popped out at the choke lever end, I didn't bother checking as I just left the top of the carb connected to the cables and assumed it was all still ok

Started first kick with the cable connected Then took it for a spin round a 3 mile loop, it was pulling really strongly but had a slight misfire at mid throttle. Problem got steadily worse and only managed to limp home at 30mph with it missing very badly. That's it for this week, got to go back to London soon, I'll investigate next weekend, it's probably carb related as the rev counter was pretty steady and I would have expected it to have been erratic if the ignition was at fault

[coaster]

Update, stripped the carb and took it for a 2 mile blast and all seemed good so panels on and rode off to the supermarket 8 miles away. After about 3 miles it misfired a couple of times and then died completely Checked fuel, low but not empty, took plug out and checked spark and......nothing. Now the only other thing I'd changed on the ignition was a new Ducatti CDI to replace the ebay indian one that's been on there for a few years. Furtunately I'd chucked it in the tool box and was able to put it back on....happy days, started first kick. Panels back on and on to the supermarket with the scoot running great, up to 68 mph into a fairly stiff headwind. Parked up at the supermarket but when I started it to leave, it died as soon at I put it in gear Plug out again and no spark from the end of the lead. I'm now thinking AA recovery but thought I'd just try by-passing the Augusto in the vain chance that it might have failed. It only takes a few seconds to swap the wires round and I'd done it numerous times in the past but the fault had always been something else.....but not this time, the spark was back and a LOT stronger than when I'd checked it for the poor starting. I kept it down to around 35 mph for the ride home which was completely uneventful, I just have to reset the timing to 17 degrees static now.