2008 daily driver getting hard to start... sometimes

[Scott45]

I have a bone stock 2008 VFR800 that, in the last few months, has been experiencing periodic hard starts.  Sometimes, maybe one or twice a week, I'll hold down the starter for 3-4 seconds with zero coughs or sputters.  I'll reprime (while leaving the key in the run position), try again and nothing.  I'll try giving it some throttle - doesn't seem to make a difference.  After a couple tries and sometimes after more than a few tries she'll start up and run beautifully.  Sometimes if I just hold the starter for half a second she'll catch and start that way.  I don't recall her ever having trouble with a warm start - breath on the starter and away she goes.

 

The battery is new.  I replaced the plugs and found the rear two coil bolts flopping loose from back in March, 2024 when I had the valves done.  Thanks local shop.  Everything tightened down to spec there.  I put in a fuel pump rebuild kit with new pump, in-tank filter, and fuel intake filter.  I thought there may be water in the lines so I added a bit of HEET a couple weeks ago.  Unrelated I guess but I also recently replaced the cooling fan sensor and did a coolant flush due to the sensor failing and the bike boiling off more than a little coolant.  That issue happened after the hard starting began and is fixed now.

 

I ride almost daily, year round, in western NC so the bike never sits unless a do a work trip for usually not more than a week.

 

Any thoughts on what could be going wrong on this thing to cause the periodic hard starts?  Like most, I'd prefer not to throw parts, time, and money at this without really knowing what the issue is.

 

Thanks!

[Terry]

Not saying this is a sure fire fix but my 2005 ST1300 was doing something similar. Eventually the starter solenoid decided not to click over and I knew it was an electrical fault, and Grum helped me track that one down to the diode, which we thought may be faulty but tested out just fine. The thing that made a difference was cleaning up the connectors on the neutral diode. They weren't obviously dirty but the issue just went away.

[Scott45]

Thanks for the feedback Terry.  So your issue was just a dirty connection on the starter solenoid?  Also, what (or who) is "Grum"?

[Presson]

Grum is an electrics ' god' who seems to have departed this firmament 

 

[Terry]

Actually I am concerned about Grum/Graham. We exchanged quite a few messages over many years and I know he was having some health issues. I haven't heard from him since March this year. If there's anyone around Sunbury/Victoria/Australia that knows more, please let me know. 

[Terry]

5 hours ago, Scott45 said:

Thanks for the feedback Terry.  So your issue was just a dirty connection on the starter solenoid?  Also, what (or who) is "Grum"?

No not at the solenoid; the diode lives in the fuse box, similar size to a fuse but black and with three terminal posts.

[VFR78]

I have just learned, via the Australian Ulysses Club Riding On magazine, that we have lost Grum, after a battle with cancer. I only ever knew him through VFRDiscusion, but he seemed to be a real gentleman, ever ready help, wherever possible. A sad time.

[VFR78]

7 minutes ago, VFR78 said:

I have just learned, via the Australian Ulysses Club Riding On magazine, that we have lost Grum, after a battle with cancer. I only ever knew him through VFRDiscusion, but he seemed to be a real gentleman, ever ready help, wherever possible. A sad time.

 

[St. Stephen]

Damn.

 

Thank you for posting VFR78. Like you I only knew him through VFRD, but he was obviously a gentleman, full of knowledge, and always willing to help. I think he would smile to know that I purchased a multimeter because of him.

[VFR78]

So did I!

[jim v]

Very sad news. Not only are the VFRs getting older, the riders are as well. Life for the living as the Greeks say

[Thumbs]

Another loss to the community 

[mello dude]

Very terrible news. Was wondering lately why we hadnt heard from him. He will be missed. 

RIP Grum..

[Captain 80s]

Shit.  Fuck cancer.  :-(

 

He was an amazing source of knowledge and seemed to be a genuinely pleasant and helpful person.

 

I will be lifting one to Grum this evening.

 

 

[vfrcapn]

Sorry to hear this. RIP Grum and thanks for all the knowledge you provided over the years.

[Terry]

Well damn. I had feared that this would be the case, as I know he was undergoing treatment (I think for prostate cancer) and that had been putting quite a kink in his riding. He also reckoned it was making him a bit moody as some noob electro-questioners may have noted last year. I never met Graham in person but we had corresponded regulalrly over at least 10 years through this site. He was always a  gentleman and I'd like to think a good mate. I believe he had had retired from a career as an electronics technician, hence the depth of his knowledge around autoelectrical stuff. Graham was always unfailingly helpful and surprisingly patient, even when people failed to take his well-informed, FREE advice and step-by-step fault finding suggestions. I too will be raising a toast to his memory. We've lost a true champion. 

 

Thanks to VFR78 for sharing this sad news. RIP Cousin Graham.

[eastbowl2]

RIP Grum.  Sad news indeed.   

[V4 Rosso]

Very sad to hear Grum has passed away. I always enjoyed his methodical way in helping others troubleshoot their (mostly) electrical troubles. He will be missed.

[squirrelman]

On 7/13/2025 at 3:53 PM, Presson said:

Grum is an electrics ' god' who seems to have departed this firmament 

om.

 

 

sad and sorry 

i consider him our #1 ultimate electrick expert among our members who knew everything we'd need to know about keeping our old bikes running and alot more.  were going to miss his knowledge fund.

[Wald]

Sad news. RIP Grum!

[Tirso]

Huge loss, always eager to provide detail info/solutions. Excellent teacher.

[FromMaine]

Thank you VFR78 for bringing this to our attention. Sad news indeed.

 

Grum was a wealth of practical information delivered with precision and occasional wit.

 

He was particularly helpful when I was stumbling along after I bought my 2001 last year.

 

He will be missed here.

 

8 Bells Grum.