Since fall is closing in and the temp is dropping down cool at night and early morning, im begining to have Starting/idol issues. So this morning was 4 deg C outside when I went to take my bike to work. Started the bike as usual. Turned the key, waited for the dash to reset plus a few more seconds. Hit the starter and it fires right up after about 2 revs. It then idols for about 5 seconds and shuts off, soon as it shuts off I hear a loud clank. Repeat the start procedure and it dosent do it anymore. Idols fine, rpms at about 2K for a few min then they drop to 1.5K ish once the engine warms up. Did the same thing the other morning. First start of the day close to 5 deg C outside and "clank" shuts off....weird huh. Then starts and idols fine. Never did this before. Fall hits pretty fast here in Canada. Last week we were high teens at night/ early morning, this week frost warnings.
From other motorcycle experiences some possibles...realizing I'm not an expert on these subjects: The change between summer and fuel blends. The U.S. (and possibly Canada) gets two flavors of fuel at the pump with different Reid Vapor Pressure (an index of how well they evaporate) and when the whether turns cool, but still using summer gas--what you describe can be the cause. I've noticed this in my FJR before....try and run a tank of summer-fuel in the middle of December and the bike doesn't start very well. See this link for more info including the note that the changeover started 2 days ago. Water in the fuel. As it cools off moisture in the tank may condense and form water that sinks to the bottom and being sucked up first. Maybe add some gas dryer or run the tank out and fill to the brim with fresh fuel. As for the clank...not sure about that one. Sometimes I'll hear the starter or dog gear spin if my bike stalls. I wouldn't describe that as a "clank", but it could be what you describe.
my 2 cents...riding a different rig but similar situation this morning...was getting a pre-work, yup chilly ride...probably 8 deg celcius..in and all geared up to meet up with another guy....took quite a bit of pushing the red button to fire up..she don't like the cold me thinks...back to the space heater on the bike pre-rides..
Ya I believe that clanking sound are the starter dogs. Mine does the same thing. Funny mine ran a bit rough when it was very cold out too 4-5°C but this morning 12°C it ran fine. Almost like it's a choke (to much fuel) issue.
