smoke @ startup and misc questions

Hi all,

This is a 98 VFR with 6000 miles that I have had for a week. Supposedly stock except for the chopped off exhaust.






I have a few questions so I figured I would put them all in one post:

1. It never starts on the first try when cold. But always on the second push of the button. Is there something else I should be doing other than turning the key, pulling the choke full on and pushing the button? (Temps this week have been 32 - 45 degrees.)

2. It smokes a bit a first startup. After about 10 seconds you start to see white smoke, it lasts about a minute then is gone. Usually about the time the idle starts to rise and you start closing the choke, that is when it quits smoking. Not sure if this is normal hot exhaust into cold air or something else like running rich because of the short pipe? Other potential sources of trouble?

3. Idle settles in at about 1,800 instead of the 1,200 RPMs recommended. I plan to adjust it today, but could this be indicative of some other issue or do they just need periodic adjustment?

4. The oil level (after warmed up and let sit per the manual) is at the top line while on the sidestand, meaning it is too full. Should I drain some out?

video below shows the smoke at startup. The smoke from the rest of the bike is because I just washed it. Temp was high 40s.

for those who just want to hear it revved up skip ahead to bout 1:45:

[video]http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p271/bernsidecycles/vfr/?action=view&current=vfrexhaust1.flv[/video]

Thanks in advance for replies,

Cliff

 

Anyone?

I know these may be stupid questions but bare with me. I have a manual on order and plan on ordering pipes with my next paycheck.

Until then I was hoping for some advice. Never had a fuel injected bike before and I don't want to do any damage to it with this hacked off exhaust.

thanks

 

The white smoke coming out of the pipe is just condensation or rain water that is trapped in your exaust boiling off (normal) I dont think you are going to do any harm with that exaust but I would get a propor slipon for it if it were mine. Not sure what the deal is with the stalling.

 

The idle occasionally needs adjustment but it should never be that far off. Get it set right and see if your problem goes away. The initial puff that you see I think is from excess fuel in the cylinders/exhaust due to the first start failure. The rest of the smoke coming in at about 30 seconds in appears to be normal condensation, especially since once it warms up it goes away. Mine does it too and the longer it takes to warm up, the longer it will take for that to stop. Your car probably does the same thing, you just don't notice it since you aren't staring at your exhaust. Set your idle correctly and see if that helps with starting. I also bet that since the bike is stock minus that muffler, it probably doesn't have a power commander with a proper tune etc etc. Once you go back to the stock muffler, it may help quite a bit. You will probably have to re-set your idle after changing mufflers. If you set the idle at 1200 and the bike stalls when shifting gears or is a little hesitant, raise the idle to 1300-1350 RPM and that should take care of that problem.

The oil is most certainly too full. Rule #1 when buying a new vehicle of any kind is to change the oil unless you have service records from a shop (not the owner) that it has been done. It is too full right now and trying to drain just a little will be a mess. Drain it all, replace the filter, and give her some new oil. Make sure it is between the lines when the bike is standing up straight. If I remember, you are currently looking for a center stand. The bike should be checked while on the center stand. Since you don't have one and probably don't have a rear stand for the bike, have a buddy help you so that one can stand the bike up while the other checks oil level.

If your starting issues do not straighten up after filling the oil to the proper level, setting the correct idle, and replacing the muffler, you might be in need of syncronizing the starter valves. Not a hard procedure, just time consuming and you need a manometer (I think that is what it is...the correct term for a vacuum gauge) that will simultaneously do 4 connections.

Damn that slipon sounds sexy. I almost want to buy it from you.

 

Thanks Meatloaf. That is good advice. I will pick up the oil and filter tomorrow and change it. I found a centerstand cheap on ebay and am just waiting for a few pieces of the mounting hardware that I had to order separately to show up so I can put it on.

The short pipe does sound good and making one would be easy if you have a stock muffler or midpipe to chop up.