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I still love her....but a cold start on these bikes are pathetic : /

13K views 187 replies 38 participants last post by  VK56DEHAN 
#1 · (Edited)
Just realized that my thread title has horrible grammar.

Ok so after having the bike for a few months this is really getting super annoying. My battery is brand new and is not the issue. The motor takes forever (6-7 cranks ~ 4 seconds) to crank over when cold...and when it does crank over, it limps up and doesn't even attempt to cold choke! She limps up to 1000-12 then 1300rpm-ish and just stays there barely running. No cold choke no nothing. Bike just doesn't feel "strong" starting AT ALL...to top it off, these bikes make a lot of chatter upon cold start. To top THAT off, all the talk about these motors having notoriously, dangerously low oil psi at start and idle makes me wonder why I switched from a bomb-proof honda motor to a Yamaha. Weak start, no cold choke, chatter along side low psi all equals :confused::thumbdown Now don't get me wrong, once the bike is warmed and at operating temp she runs and starts great! (Despite the stock low idle of 1200...which needs to be more like 1800) but cold start the motor just feels like it's limping along from a long nap. My 08 CBR RR would fire up like a bat out of hell and cold choke itself down from 2200rpm until it was happy and warmed...not this R6.

Please don't say that there is something mechanically "wrong" because there simply isn't. I've read people noticing this exact characteristic of other 08+'s.

This bothers me for two reasons.
1) The bike cold cranks for 4+ seconds, embarrassing. Feels and sounds like a beater bike that can't start.

2) There's obviously not oil/lubrication in all of the moving parts in cold motor. Cranking this long with 0 psi as well as all the chatter I hear coupled with the motor's characteristic of having low oil psi really doesn't sit well with me.

Any words of wisdom? Does your 08+ do this? Any education on what I've said here would be greatly appreciated!
 
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#3 · (Edited)
So you admit that you notice this too? What the hell happened to cold choking? Especially on a motor notorious for having low oil psi at start-up and idle :eek5:throwup I do hold the starter until she turns over. And it is a non-issue for me as I love the bike regardless and when she's warmed...it's just disheartening to know that every morning I start the bike, it feels terrible and makes me think that internally, wear is being caused bc of poor design.
 
#5 ·
Mine starts on a dime..1-2sec but it does everything else you mentioned. My idle has been tipped I think though cause she idles at around 15-1600rpm...but she still idles cold like I installed some lobby cams or something. Dont get me started on the clatter...everytime I think something is wrong. It literally sounds like there is no oil in it at all. I always check to make sure the oil is good before I ride. When all warmed up she runs like a bad*ss though.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Yours start right up eh?:curse And ya the idle must have had been tinkered with if you're at 15-1600rpm. The cold bouncy idle and chatter really chaps my a$$ too, just makes one feel like the motor is not running correctly. It DOES sound like there's no oil in it I AGREE! I hate that feeling...coupled with hearing/reading things about these motors having low psi at start and at idle grrrrr:flex::mad:
 
#6 ·
Haha!:yuk::jacked

And I ride DAILY! I commute. And I'm complaining about less than 24 hour start periods :throwup I wonder how I'm gonna feel when I come back from Xmas break In SoCal and the bike has sat for 6 days!:eek5 It is sitting in Arizona though, no winter weather really
 
#8 ·
Got any mods?
 
#11 ·
Mileage?

Try charging your battery to full.
 
#12 ·
7,000 miles. The bike is practically brand new, clean fluids yadda yadda. Brand new battery. Seems like this is just a characteristic of the bike/motor. Which is a terrible characteristic I might add. When warmed, the bike fires right up.
 
#15 ·
I'll post a video tomorrow morning for sure, after it's sat over night. I plan to get a flash from Anthony at BAUCE within the next few months so ya, I'm looking forward to that raised idle for numerous reasons! (easier clutch take-off, better oil pressure at idle) :boob
 
#18 ·
Maybe you got mild case of R6 OCD.
 
#20 ·
Oh Don't we all....:*tongue no seriously...we all do :eek5 that's why we are on a forum to talk about our obsessions! Think of it as a therapy group!

But really, does anybody know WHY this happens though? The mechanics behind it! Maybe when they did the 2006 revision with the new engine management system (YCC-T ride by wire throttle) it altered the way the bike cranks over? Then in 2008, they incorporated the YCC-I variable-length intake system along with new pistons for increased compression 13:1 from 12.8:1, in addition to placing a lot of emphasis on friction reducing refinements in which Yamaha came up with over fifty of those items in addition to several engine parts being strengthened, such as connecting rod bearing, plain bearings, cam chain and tensioner and so on.

Wow I'm a nerd
 
#22 ·
Doesn't sound like it would...from what all these 06+ R6 owners/forum members are saying...we can't all be having this cold starting characteristic if it wasn't just "the way the bike is"
 
#21 ·
I don't remember mine being a problem at all but had the ecu reflashed in the summer and made cold start idle to 2000rpms then down to 1250rpm after the bike warmed up.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I do...daily...I commute...daily....did I mention that I ride every single day? Next. :secret

And btw, if hearing chatter at start up along with reading that this motor makes dangerously low oil psi at start up and idle is insignificant, then I'm not sure what to tell you.
 
#130 · (Edited)
This dude above is right...the colder it gets, the more my 09 starts and sounds like a huge turd :throwup

It dipped into the 40's last night here in Arizona (from the 80's last week ugh) which may the coldest it has gotten this year, and upon cold start today, she took about 5 seconds to turn over and then just sounded/looked pathetic. The bike fires right up after it's been initially started for the first time. She just doesn't like getting out of bed I guess :eek5

In addition to that, for the first time ever, I noticed a "sticky throttle" in which I'm assuming was attributed to the cold. I know since 06, Yamaha has been using the cable-less "fly by wire" throttle (YCC-T = Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) so there is no direct physical connection between the throttle at your hand and the throttle bodies. What I experienced was that upon letting off the throttle to clutch in and shift, the throttle/tube would either stick or even jump forward/up but not snap/roll back as it should. This happened for the first 15 minutes of the ride (letting off the throttle between shifts would rev/shoot up the rpms) and then eventually it started rolling back/functioning properly as it should. It was just a little scary to see that this chit happens...I don't feel like doing a wheelie into a curb when I'm merely trying to shift all because the throttle tube is sticky from the cold (WTF?) :sing
 
#27 ·
Install a PCV with stock setting.
 
#44 ·
what color is your 08 600rr ?

I have a 08 R6 yellow with flames... 8k miles on the clock.

wanna trade ?

mines starts right up as well.. I just checked ... I had not started up my bike for over 2 weeks and its 30's to 40's weather here in NYC. turned the key to the on position and hit the start button and within 2 secs..bike starts right up.
 
#31 ·
You douche bags are so mean.
 
#33 ·
Buncha e-thugs on here eh?:hump

And no thanks Sammy Bono, like I said, I love this R6...heck I still love the 08 RR as well...they both have their pro's and con's.

And thanks ridick_bowen..."douche bags" is definitely a fitting term for at least cheefar6. Run along little doggie :poke
 
#36 ·
Oh jeeze!:drink I can only imagine what the Duc sounds like on start up....I can hear that tick a mile away!

For the record (Tribalic One), the only things I posted about being peeved or annoyed about were the kickstand, the low idle and the cold start....guess that means I should go back to Honda eh? :idhitit
 
#37 ·
yea Blade i wouldnt over think it. plenty of people here beat the hell out of their bikes with many more miles then yours has and have no problems. what ever the reason why it may take half a second longer to start the bike then what you may desire evidently isnt a big problem and is nothing to lose sleep over.

every bike has its quirks, welcome to the joy of the r6
 
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