Frozen in Michigan

Hello from Michigan. Dang it is cold up here right now.

We have a couple bikes, a 2003 Yamaha XT225 and a 2013 Honda CB500X.
We're struggling with the XT right now as it has had problems starting. Looking to this forum for help and considering conversion to EFI to make it more reliable.

Welcome

Here's a warm welcome to the site as a new USER. Enjoy and ride safely. You'll find tips on richening up the mixture to improve starts.

We rode a bit in the UP which was very sandy but fun.

Welcome. Stay safe, and enjoy life on 2 wheels.

Welcome.

And it's cold here too.

Today was 77. Next 9 days are suppose to be between 77 & 80. Birds are returning and fruit trees are blooming. (downside weeds are starting to come up) Has been a great winter in Arizona.

rocmoc n AZ

^ Oh sure, just rub it in.

Thanks all. The snow is coming down pretty heavy right now. Summers here are pretty fabulous though.

I found mine starts much easier if I shut the fuel off and run it out of fuel then when starting a day or two later turn on the fuel and starts a lot better than not running it out
Person I bought it from said it was a very hard starter when he let it set a day or two tis seemed to cure it

This is a fairly common problem and the standard solution. No real need to let the bowl run dry, just close the petcock and let the bike run for a minute or two. Then open the valve right before starting. I do this routinely. The splash of fresh gas seems to make a huge difference in how easily it starts. Using 100% gas is also a significant factor.

The best explanation I have for why this happens is related to the "open" fuel system. The carb is vented to the atmosphere. When it sits for a long time, the more volatile constituents of the fuel evaporate off leaving behind a fuel mix that's difficult to ignite.