Hard Starting

Intermittently I have a very hard time starting my SW when it's off the center stand. No matter how hard I pull in the left brake handle it won't start. I kick the side stand to ensure it's up properly, still no help. Sometimes I roll it around, but to no avail. I have sprayed the left handlebar control switch with electronic cleaner, makes no difference. Any ideas?

Hello,

What year is your scooter?

Some people have a problem with the Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR) on the older bikes. Worth looking into.

Try bypassing side stand switch you might have a dirty connection ,broken wire in the brake switch they are known to fail listen for 2 clicks on the lever.

Is it that it cranks but won't fire up, or that it won't even crank?

If it cranks but wont fire, try holding the throttle wide open when cranking. That will help clear a 'flooded' engine. And as Dennis mentioned a faulty FPR could easily contribute to that problem.

If the side stand switch were the problem then the engine wouldn't crank IIRC.

Tim

No matter how hard I pull in the left brake handle it won't start.

That statement suggests its not turning over.

How often does the side stand switch go bad?

If the side stand switch was bad, the engine would tend to cut out once running.

Try blipping the throttle ever so slightly before firing. I was having similar issues, then tried this trick. It worked for me. I don't have any technical savvy so I don't know exactly what it does. I just tried because it works in fuel injected cars. Just a touch of throttle, not a full crank-up.

DennisB wrote:

What year is your scooter?

it is a 2008. To clarify this problem when side stand and center are up and I am sitting on it, ignition on, left brake lever pulled in hard, hit starter button no response.

Is the brake light coming on when the left brake lever is pulled in?
Do you hear two clicks when left brake lever is pulled in?

Just got a 2004 Silverwing Wed and I have the same problem. I have to squeeze both front and rear brakes and then it starts.

Faulty starter switch ...or lose wire connections? Go for the simple solution first. Both brake levers have an effect? The rear lever is the only one linked in the starting sequence.

Well as long as it starts by doing what I mentioned above I'll leave it at that. If that one day doesn't work I'll have to get it to a garage I guess.

"Sod's Law" states that it will completely fail one cold, rainy night, when you are in the middle of nowhere!

  

I have the same issue (see post about left handle bar micro-switch). I helped mine by "tweeking" the switch action bar a bit with needle nose pliers. Now a hard squeeze will almost always bring it to life.

Even when new the Silverwing takes a hard squeeze on the left lever to start.