Furry Little Fookers

[k_enn]

Last year, the bike was getting a little finicky when it came to starting.  I would have set the "choke" just right and it would take a couple of sputters to warm up the cylinder before it would catch.  Even then, the exhaust smelled it was running a little rich, but I had the carbs overhauled the previous year so I didn't mess with it.

Well, this year I found out what the problem was and why it was running rich.  Some furry little fookers had gotten into the air filter box and built a huge nest out of and on top of what was left of the air filter.  There was so much junk in there, it was a miracle the engine even got any air.  

After cleaning it up, she now starts like a charm.  

Lessons:
  1.  If hard starting, check the air filter.
  2.  put a mouse trap at the entrance to the air box
  3.  get a cat for the garage.

k_enn

[nhmaf]

>>3. get a cat for the garage
I vote a strong 'NO' on that as I've seen many cats mess up some lovely seat covers.   What I do in the winter is to make positive that there is no food source anywhere in the garage (bird seeds, etc.) so there is less attraction to the rodents.   I then pack a some steel wool into a leftover plastic bag and stuff them into the air snorkels.   The plastic helps prevent rust from getting anywhere if the wool does rust (copper or stainless steel work as well without rusting) and if the rodents do try to chew their way in, they quickly give up when they hit the steel wool and will look elsewhere to setup their condominium for the winter.

Of course, if you forget and leave the snorkels stuffed up with that stuff, you will also find it very hard starting and hard to keep running in the spring - the voice of experience here!

[Bob_Roller]

When I lived in Chicago, I started blocking off the air intakes on the R65 with small pieces of aluminum, after I found mouse droppings on top of the air filter of my car during the winter .

I guess I kind of 'invited' them, I had a block heater installed in the engine,  that kept things nice and warm on top of the engine during the night !!!!!

I also set out mouse traps and Decon mouse bait traps in the garage after that .

Never a problem afterwards .

[montmil]

D'oh! Deja Vu all over again...

Years ago, I parked the KTM at the end of the X-country season. Cleaned, oiled, lubed, drained, polished... all the good things. I even stuffed a clean shop towel into the air cleaner.

You guys can easily guess why I had a running problem at next season's first event. Oops. Big DNF.

And an Air Force buddy had a serious running issue with his vintage VW Beetle after its long winter's sleep. Squirrels had stashed pecans inside the air filter housing -how I'd never guess- and a few broken bits were sucked into the engine's cylinders. Critters and stoopid humans can mess up our toys.

Monte