[ARK]

Haven't riden my duc (1999 M900S) since being out of town for the past month. When to start it the other day just to get the juices flowin' a bit and it started right up. Today, went to go for a ride, and she just wouldn't fire up ! I checked the usual suspects: got spark, got fuel, etc. but no go. A couple of times crankin' her over, she actually backfired - scared the sh*t out of the neighbors! It's probably something stupid I'm overlooking but I don't have a lot of mechanical experience with these Italian ponies. Any thoughts or suggestions? Much appreciated!

 

[ducaddiction]

I will just take a shot in the dark because there has been a few times that my S4 would take a little bit to start. If you coud give a little more info on te sounds the bike is making. Is the starter sounding o.k., does sound like it wants to catch but won't, those types of things. Your battery could be a little low, your plugs might have a little fouling on them and might be giving a weaker spark. The gas turns to crap after a couple of weeks and condensation can get into it, you might have to drain the tank and fill 'er up wid da guud stuff.
Also try putting the choke all the way full, and try starting her. Just hold the starter down for a few seconds (5 maybe) and give it gas if you think she will almost catch. I think that maybe the battery is low, or the gas is bad, or I am a complete retard and have no clue what I am saying :-X. But write back if there are weird sounds when you are starting it.

 

[ARK]

Thanks for the comments. As it turned out, I pulled the plugs and realized that they were severely fouled. After cleaning them up a bit, she started right up! Like I said, probably something stupid I overlooked.

 

[ScottRNelson]

It's generally not a good idea to start the motor when cold and not fully warm up the bike. Running it for a minute or two, then turning it off overnight or longer is the only thing that ever made my bike refuse to start.