Cold start stalling

[Grumpy Goat]

I can't believe that I did some searches for starting issues and came up empty especially since my bike has had these issues in the past. Maybe I never mentioned them on this Forum Community.

Anyway, with my bike it is not the cold start that is the problem ... it's starting in the summertime, and others have reported this issue as well. What happens in my case is that the engine requires two pushes on the starter button before it starts, and many times the start on the second try is almost "lazy" but then it does not cut out. In the winter time I just have to look at the bike crossways and it starts! The colder the better it seems. Others who have had this problem (and I) guess that it is the summer blend of gasoline that we get that causes the problem. Makes sense as the winter blend has a higher Reid vapour pressure which makes for easier ignition, and my 1200 seems to be tuned better to the winter blend. The Yamaha does not care and starts the same throughout the year.

Sounds like your bike is starting and then stalling, as opposed to never catching on the first press of the starter button. Some sort of fuel starvation issue perhaps. How long have you had the bike, i.e. is this the first winter its being used? Does it happen with different grades of gas? I take it that the bike has been serviced regularly and all the usual suspects (plugs, air filter etc.) are in good order ...? These RSes are pretty solid when it comes to the engine so something must be going on that may not be typical ...