Problem Starting My 96 Sportster

[7on7off]

Hello,

I am somewhat of a newbie at the forums and boating in general and have a question regarding my 1996 Sportster. The boat ran fine last year when I put it up for the winter. Due to a busy summer, I am just getting it out for the first time.

To start with, the battery was dead. I have replaced that with a brand new battery. Now, when I try to start, I get the double beep, the engine turns over, but it does not start. Sometimes, it gives me a single beep (about half a second long) when I press the start button. I am not that mechanically inclined and the only thing I did was check the battery. Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[kustomkarl]

Is it getting fuel? Is it getting spark? pull the spark plugs and set them on the cylinder heads to see if it's getting spark. The carbs might need to be cleaned if it isn't getting fuel. If it does get spark, take a small amount of oil and mix it with a small amount of fuel and add it to the spark plug holes. Install the spark plugs. It should fire up.

Karl

 

[7on7off]

I will go try this and let you know if it worked. Thank you very much for your help!

 

[kustomkarl]

Let us know how you make out.

Karl