Being in California and having a red sticker bike, I haven't touched my cannibal in about 6 months. I recently took it off the trailer and started getting it ready for the new riding season and it's just not running right. The bike is all stock, without any mapping and without any "cold-start" updates since I never had a problem starting it before.

1. Despite sitting so long, the headlights would still light up so I tried to start it. It didn't have enough juice to start so I recharged the battery. Did I mess something up by trying to start it on a weak battery?

2. With my battery all charged up, I turn the key to the "On" position but I don't hear a thing. I seem to recall that I used to hear a "whine" for a few seconds that I thought was the fuel pump pressurizing for the fuel injection. It's been months, so please correct me about the fuel pump whine if I'm remembering wrong.

3. To get my bike to start I have to crank the starter about 5 or 10 times ( a few seconds each) with the throttle slightly open. If I don't touch the throttle it doesn't seem to want to start. The bike used to start right away and I never gave it any gas, per the starting instructions.

4. If it starts just for a few seconds and dies, it'll backfire up through the air cleaner with it's last gasp. It also backfires when I ride it, but I can't tell where it's backfiring from or it that's possibly from a split muffler (I still have the stock round one).

5. Once started, it runs okay but if I let it idle it will die after about 20-30 seconds. After it dies, I'll hear the fuel pump whine for a few seconds, so the fuel pump is working.

Any guesses on what to test/replace first? I have more confidence in this forum than my local dealer. Last time I was in there, mine was the only Cannibal they had ever sold.

 

You should definitely here your fuel pump come on when you do the following:

turn key on
turn switch on
pull in clutch and hit the starter real quick - at this point, you should hear the fuel pump come on.

If you are not hearing it come on, that's part of your problem. But you say you eventually get it started after several attempts, so apparently the fuel pump is working to some degree. You might try a new plug, and definitely charge your battery. If your battery is not fully charged, the C'dales have a relay if I recall that prevents it from starting if the battery is not fully charged.

You are describing the exact thing my FX400 was doing, the dealer could not figure out the problem, C'dale shipped me a new Cannibal, no problems since.

 

I forgot to mention, do not touch that throttle when trying to start your quad!!! Here is the correct starting procedure:

turn key on
turn switch on
pull in clutch, quad in neutral, hit starter real quick and release, you should hear fuel pump pressurize
wait 5 seconds
now hit and hold starter, do not touch throttle, if after 3 seconds it does not start, release starter
let sit 5 seconds and repeat.

 

You may need to have the idle adjust as well.

Dealer can do this

 

I thought all the cannibals were green stickered in california???? Why is your a red sticker?
I have an 03 cannibal and have a green sticker!

 

I work in California (Bay Area) but live and ride in Washington state

What's the difference between a Red and a Green sticker? (other than the color [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img])

 

green stickered bikes can ride anytime during the year. Red stickered ones can only ride during the winter months.... I am not sure on the exact dates, though.... It's based on the "fact" that ATV's cause 99% of the pollution in California.....yeah, right....

 

What the HOLY HELL?!?!

Wow, only in california... so what is the deciding factor between green and red stickers? 2 strokes automatically red stickers?

Man, that is weak

 

Briansgi got the procedure, except you don't have to pull the clutch. Without the clutch, it doesn't turn the motor over, but still pressurizes the fuel system. After the fuel pump shuts off(about 3-4 seconds) pull the clutch and hit the start button. SHort bursts, as you know, about 5 seconds or so. Mine usually starts on the first or second shot, maybe third sometimes. Defintely wouldn't want to be hitting the gas while trying to start it. If I were you, I'd go ahead and replace the plug and follow the above procedure. Also, have you changed the fuel filter recently? I'd go ahead and replace that while swapping the plug- it's easier, but mines beside the tank. Got a voltmeter? If your up over about 11.75 volts, it ought to run. If under, charge it first. Charged it should read somewhere between about 12.5 & 12.75.

Report back with any progress!

 

Hitting the starter button without pulling in the clutch does absolutely nothing! Pulling in the clutch closes a normaly open switch (completes the circuit).