Topic: Won't start when 'cool'

[reshippie]

By 'cool' I mean 50F.  Yesterday I spent about 30 minutes trying to kickstart the #$%* because I had happened to park in the shade.  If I leave the bike in the sun, the electric starter works fine.  Even in the morning the starter motor just turns and turns.  Fortunately I live on a hill, but this is still sub-optimal.

In a few weeks I'm moving to a house with a garage, so I can keep the battery on a charger over night, but that still doesn't solve the problem when I'm out.  Any ideas where to start looking?  It burbles each time I kick it, but even 30 kicks later it's still just burbles.

I've got a DynaS point system in there, new plugs, and they're definitely sparking.

[TwoTired]

Gee, totally stock bikes in fair tune start pretty easily?  What's different about yours?

[Duke McDukiedook]

What year/model bike?

You sure your battery is still good?

[reshippie]

It's a 1977 550k.  Battery is just over a year old.  Engine is stock I'm pretty sure, aside from the Dyna points.  Exhaust is some kind of "custom" 4 -> 2 with ugly welds at the Y joints. 

I've had the bike for a year and it just started having this issue recently, though I didn't ride it much the past few months, damn rain.  It's my first bike and I'm really unsure what steps to diagnose or try and clean up.  Runs great once she's going, though.

[Duke McDukiedook]

If you have a bad regulator that year old battery could be fried.

Get it running and check your bettery readings with a voltmeter.

[TwoTired]

I guess you have the stock air box and paper filter, too?  How old is the filter?

When was the last tune up? (every 6000 miles/3 months)

What kind of deposits are on the spark plugs?

Are you certain that the choke knob fully closes the choke butterflies?

Would be nice to know the battery voltage... and if the headlight was stock ...and if the starter switch was original and working.

[reshippie]

Air box has a foam filter.  Came with the bike, so it's at least a year old.  Haven't had the time or facilities to do a full tune up (hard to do on the sidewalk).  No deposits on the plugs.  No idea how to check the choke butterflies, but it twists all the way.   I'll check the voltage soon.  (currently the battery is charging on my desk, so it will be fine today).

[bistromath]

Yo, ask me and I'll come look at it. Or ride it on over, you know where I live.

My first guess is those janky plug wire splices you have on there are shorting to the frame or the head. My second guess is it just really needs a tune up. I've got everything you need to do that over here, too... 

[Frostyboy]

I've made this statement a few times now about troubles with cold start & of course I'm not discounting ignition & fuel issues either.
With such minimal valve clearances, these engines can lose their breath if the valves are too tight. They are at the minimum when cold.
Check your tappets, when cold, particularly the inlets.
Just my .02c.

[reshippie]

Just to put in the solution, for posterity and archiving.  The choke cable wasn't properly adjusted.  Was only getting 1/4 or 1/8 of a turn on the shaft.  Now I get the full rotation and it will kickstart cold with just 1 try.  Big thanks to bistromath for helping out, and doing half the work.

[scottly]

It's always nice to hear when someone gets a problem solved!!

PS add "solved" to the tread title.