I have a 2012 Kawasaki W800. On cold mornings it is difficult to start - it turns over quite a few times before it catches. This is compared to my old carburettor bike which started instantly with the choke on.
Would anyone know if this is a bad thing or why it is occurring? Thanks!
This essentially the same answer as your other question related to poor running, thee are instructions on how to pull your Kawasaki error codes. This procedure works for all Kawasaki EFI systems from 2001 to 2015
There multiple possible answers as to why your FI light is on but this is a bit of a guessing game unless you pull codes using the following procedure.
This is a workaround from using the official Kawasaki dealer tool to get your fuel injection related error codes.
Once you have collected the error codes you can now begin to troubleshoot your issue.
Here is the procedure to get Kawasaki fuel injection system error codes
Step 1
Pull off your seat and near the battery negative terminal there will be a self diagnosis lead coming out of a connector. The wire is yellow. It looks like this.
Step 2 Get a wire, one with alligator clips on either side is what I use. Makes things a bit easier.
Attach the alligator clip to the yellow wire.
Step 3 Turn the ignition switch to the 'ON' position and wait a few seconds for the start procedure to complete.
Step 4 Attach the lead to the batter negative (ground)
Step 5 Watch your FI light. It will begin to blink long and short flashes.
Step 6 You will now interpret the flashes into a numerical value using the following table.
Interpreting Error Codes
The FI light will be flashing long and short blinks.
The long blinks represent 10 through 90.
The short blinks represent 1-9
If you get three long flashes followed by 4 short the error code would 34 and you can reference on the table.
If this is a new problem I would look for a vacum leak. Typically cold start idle issues are the result of a lean mixture. Most fuel injected engines utilize a cold start circuit inorder to maintain idle when the engine is cold. This circuit allows for a rich mixture while cold, think of it as a computer controlled choke. Rather than restricting air like a conventioal choke it increases the fuel. Since this is an air cooled motor the normal coolant sensor isn't avaiable. I am only guessing, but I would assume the oil temperature is used to determine if the engine is warm. Another possibility is leaking injectors. They may not hold pressure overnight. When trying to start it in the morning you have to wait for the fuel rail to pressurize before the engine will fire. Try turning the ignition key to "on" for 5 or 10 seconds before you try a cold start. The fuel pump should run long enough to pressurize the fuel rail if this is what is keeping it from starting. As motorcycles have become more complicated diagnosing problems has also become more complicated. You may need a scan tool to get to the bottom of the problem.
Usually cold start issues come from battery not having adequate charge. Try throwing a battery charger on it overnight.
Apparently this bike has manufacturer issues with FI (Fuel Injection) lights coming on? Has your's come on? You may need to have the throttle body and O2 sensors checked as well. If your intake is being leaned out or it is not reading air charge properly you might not get proper ignition.
Also maybe check your plugs.
