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Was helping out someone on another forum who had a stumbling and staling after the 1st cold start. Would hit the starter and the bike would slowly chug to life and then stumble and stall or idle like crap and then stall unless some throttle was given. The second start after the stall the bike would run normally as if nothing had happened. Would idle fine.
Turns out mine starting doing it also on the last couple of weeks so had a working example in my garage. People were telling him to remove or bypass the stepper but as usual I didn't buy that as you should have to remove or bypass something to get a bike to run like is used to. I suspected that the stepper was just gummy and would stick on that first start. Once the second start would happen immediately after the stepper would release and work normally. My suspicions proved to be correct.
I pulled the battery and battery bucket and drain to access the stepper hose from the air box. It is a "U" shaped hose from the back top of the air box to the inlet of the stepper. That is where it is on the 2012 +. Not sure on the previous years. It has a clamp on the air box side. Removed the hose and blew some carb cleaner using the long straw from SeaFoam spray in the stepper valve I then replaced the battery without the bucket leaving the straw in the stepper inlet. I then sprayed some seafoam in the stepper while the bike was running. Not much, maybe a couple of 3 second sprays, just enough to hear the motor idle go down. I then turned it off and put everything back together. Started it up to burn off the seafoam and let it idle for about 5 minutes while the seafoam cleared out. Then shut it down. Started no problem.
Started the bike this morning from sitting all night and fire right up with no stumble or stalling on the first attempt. Started right away and settled into a steady idle. Issue resolved.
I have preached for a long time that most apparent issues on this bike have simple solutions. If something does not run the way as it once did then hit it, clean it, repair it, or replace it. In that order. You should never have to permanently remove or bypass a part on a bike to get it to work as it once did. Bandaid solutions just cover up the root of the problem.
Was helping out someone on another forum who had a stumbling and staling after the 1st cold start. Would hit the starter and the bike would slowly chug to life and then stumble and stall or idle like crap and then stall unless some throttle was given. The second start after the stall the bike would run normally as if nothing had happened. Would idle fine.
Turns out mine starting doing it also on the last couple of weeks so had a working example in my garage. People were telling him to remove or bypass the stepper but as usual I didn't buy that as you should have to remove or bypass something to get a bike to run like is used to. I suspected that the stepper was just gummy and would stick on that first start. Once the second start would happen immediately after the stepper would release and work normally. My suspicions proved to be correct.
I pulled the battery and battery bucket and drain to access the stepper hose from the air box. It is a "U" shaped hose from the back top of the air box to the inlet of the stepper. That is where it is on the 2012 +. Not sure on the previous years. It has a clamp on the air box side. Removed the hose and blew some carb cleaner using the long straw from SeaFoam spray in the stepper valve I then replaced the battery without the bucket leaving the straw in the stepper inlet. I then sprayed some seafoam in the stepper while the bike was running. Not much, maybe a couple of 3 second sprays, just enough to hear the motor idle go down. I then turned it off and put everything back together. Started it up to burn off the seafoam and let it idle for about 5 minutes while the seafoam cleared out. Then shut it down. Started no problem.
Started the bike this morning from sitting all night and fire right up with no stumble or stalling on the first attempt. Started right away and settled into a steady idle. Issue resolved.
I have preached for a long time that most apparent issues on this bike have simple solutions. If something does not run the way as it once did then hit it, clean it, repair it, or replace it. In that order. You should never have to permanently remove or bypass a part on a bike to get it to work as it once did. Bandaid solutions just cover up the root of the problem.
