There is an update for cold weather starting. Check with your dealer to see if you've had it applied.

 

I can see you sitting on it in the garage and saying VROOOOOMMMM...

 

Not a good idea to just start it up unless you are going to ride it and get it up to full operating temp. I would also suggest that you keep something like a Battery Tender Jr. hooked up to your battery thru a fused link while your bike is sitting all winter.

These two suggestions will save you some grief in the future.

 

I did spring for the BMW battery tender when I purchased the bike and have it connected until I ride it. Not sure if it was worth the $80 bucks though. Works the same as my current battery tender. I will keep the starts very limited until I ride it.

Thanks for the advice.

 

do yourself a favor and when you go into the garage to sit on the bike and pretend that you are riding, make sure you don't lock yourself out like i just did and then have to wait for your wife to come home from work to get back in

 

do yourself a favor and when you go into the garage to sit on the bike and pretend that you are riding, make sure you don't lock yourself out like i just did and then have to wait for your wife to come home from work to get back in

Hope I don't. Might be a little chilly here at 5 degrees outside. I wll keep that in mind, thanks.

 

You also might want to put some stabil in the gas.
But you know that living where you do.
It was 71 here today.. Sorry..

 

I am riding to work and the temps are upper 20's f when I go home. Bike always starts well, but has slight hesitation the first few hundred feet. Runs well the rest of the time. It's garaged at night and doesn't get below 50 f, so mornings don't count. Your engine may just need to be run in a little to loosen up.


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app

 

it's been 30-35 F overnight here and bike's in a detached garage and it's been starting right up no problem, and no hesitation that I've noticed. I've been commuting on it 5 days a week plus a weekend ride so it never really sits long. I think Dean's right, better to let her rest now and she'll be happier when you can really let her run for a while.

 

Battery Tender jr's are only about $30.00. I recommend the Jr for long term maintaince since its maintaince charge is so small that it can't possiblw boil or over charge the battery. I recommend linking directly to the battery thru a fused link as it becomes the perfect hook up for things like heated riding gear and anything else you might need but even more importantly in my mind at least, it can in no way harm or interfear with the bikes canbus and related systems.

As they say, "It works for me".

 

I have not hade time to get the update done to mine yet and it is verry hard to start and keep running whene it is cold.
I have found that if i twist the throttle wide open at least 3 times before i start cranking it starts and runs fine.
Hope that helps.

slade

 

It has been unusually cool (for the SF Bay area) recently. Morning temperatures have been into the mid 30's. It takes approximately two - three attempts to get the GTL going, and once going she may stutter maybe thirty seconds. However; after that all is well.
Having said that, it would appear my experience mirrors yours.

 

Have you had the cold start update installed? This software update significantly improved starting at all temps on my GT. After sitting unused in a cold garage for over a month, my bike started instantly (literally) when I took it out for a ride in good weather this past week.

 

I am at 6,000 feet in elevation in SW Utah. My GT has not had any problems starting on cold mornings. She starts first time every time so far. Based on when I picked her up, I am pretty sure she has been updated with the cold start software improvement. Good luck.

 

1) As Dean said - battery charger, one which has the proper voltage for GEL batteries.

2) Software Update

3) I plan to get a lithium battery this year. One with more amps than the stock 19 amp battery.

4) Don't start and idle your bike without it running long enough to completely warm to burn out all the moisture created by the cold running. I ride mine around the block a few times.

 

i want to post and ask a question about this. my GT is grand new and has all the updates before delivery. every time ive started the bike after it sits more than a day in the cold garage it takes 2-5 times to start.

with that being said, i also have been turning the key on without starting the bike several times in the middle of rides and i notice that i cant tell when the system primes the engine to start. on my old bikes, you had to turn the bike on and then flip the start switch to RUN before it primes. then you pushed the starter.

here it seems like even if the run switch is all the way off, that just turning on the key might be priming the engine??? and subsequently making a nice RICH condition for when you actually try and start???

just a thought....unless someone can elaborate as to when to system will prime the engine.

 

turning on the key might be priming the engine??? .

No. Fuel pump pressurizing the injection supply? Yes. Instant though.

My K16 starts immediately, regardless of altitude. When at Lake Tahoe and the morning temperatures were at freezing the turn over did last a moment longer than warm morning starting.

Not all gasoline is the same. So much of it includes ethanol, which offers a number of ill effects. I add RXP to every tank fill. As opposed to the Chevron Techron, which is a great detergent based injector cleaner, RXP modifies the gasoline.

 

ok. i guess thats what i meant my priming.

interesting thing i just read in the owners manual. in the section for how to start the bike it actually says for the user to open the throttle slightly on starting the bike in low ambient temperatures.

kind of interesting considering that i havent added throttle to start anything ive owned since about 1985 hahahaha.

im going to try this and see if it makes a difference.

 

interesting thing i just read in the owners manual.

Wait... what? There's a manual? And you read it? My advice is throw that stuff in the trash and go ride the snot out of it and teach it who's boss. Then it'll start every time out of respect for your mastery over it.

Worked for me...

:k16:

 

bthuss, when you have your 600 mile service, your dealer will, should, put your bike on the computer. The read out and any updates are specific to the VIN of your exact bike. At the time of your 600 miler mention to the service mgr any possible cold start issues. My early K16GT had the cold start ECU update, starts instantly now even after sitting outside overnite at a Nevada motel with nite time temps of 27F.

 

When I picked up the bike at the dealer, they told me all the updates had been completed and the radiator cap recall had been performed. So I am assuming all had been taken care of. Didn't know about asking anything else. Do they not complete any additional "programming" unless you say so?
The ST I traded in for this bike didn't care if it was 10 degrees out or 110 degrees, it started the first time with nothing other than turning on the key and hitting the start button and boom. Just sayin.......

 

My guess is that the engine hasn't been rodded yet and is still to tight, Once you've done your 600 miles /12000Km here, it should solve your problem. I was ridding and starting my bike in the morning close to zero celcius and started no problem Had to crank maybe one full revolution more that in the summer

 

yeah mine supposedly has all the updates already too. its weird because it turns over like a full battery and it actually starts completely every time, but then dies about 1/2 second later. 3-5 times later it starts. once its warm, its right on the money. im going to keep an eye on it and have them check it on my 600 mile service

 

unfortunately, the only thing i'm riding the snot out of right now is my desk at work :/

and now its supposed to rain this weekend

 

Warm riding days are just around the corner my friend. By then we'll be all broken in and ready to romp.