any advice for Falco thats hard to start

[Falco9]

Sounds like the battery to me as well. I also fitted Iridium plugs to my Falco and I swore it improved the starting (to be fair though, I never really had a problem to solve)

Good Battery (mine was always kept on an Optimate) Closed Throttle and full cold start (choke) with the clutch pulled in and then hit the button. voila!

My Falco started on the button (using this technique) like a good un for the 5yrs I had her and was still on the same battery as I bought it with.

F9

[back_marker]

If you're happy that's it's a reasonably good battery then the next thing is to check that no voltage is being lost in the starter system.

Check the two terminals on the bottom of the starter relay and then, the most likely, the connection onto the starter motor itself. If any of those connections is corroded then there may be a resistance across it and subsequently a volts drop so although the battery is giving out a full 12v, only 10 or 11 could be getting to the starter motor.

The said terminals may also be a bit burnt or melted, this is where there is insufficient voltage going to the starter motor and it is dragging more current as a result causing heat build up. As the terminlas will oxidise when they get hot this will in turn raise the resistance of that connection and gradually make the problem worse.

[joecrx]

mine started after 5 weeks sitting in the garage ,full choke , hit the button ,turned over a couple of times but i felt it needed a wee twist on the throttle and it fired up , i did have the datatool on sleep mode this helped alot, as i just found out how to do it
and as for another thread of these bikes corroding mine is 10 years old and i did / do ride it in salty roads , good coating of ac50 , it still looks good , not like my bro.in laws honda dullvill, wich the wheels are coroded and shift gear /break pedal rusted and a few other parts includind the metal subframe , i was shooked when he striped the plasticks off

[ibicker]

I never use the choke even on a cold winters day. Find that it floods really easily and thats big trouble.

[fastasfcuk]

I never use the choke even on a cold winters day. Find that it floods really easily and thats big trouble.

might be worth you checking your mixture,thats a sign of running rich.

[Falcopops]

thanks for all the replies,
update time:
left work at 7 tonight, and it would not start at all,
after a few attempts, a few coughs and splutters, then.......
click click click
click click click
only solenoid clicks, the clocks did eventually start resetting etc, took a lot of tries before that happened.
so, call the AA , he says the battery is Ok, (fitted in March 09, also has the extra wire mod) and he tried booster on it,
I was not too sure about that, but beyond caring,
still only solenoid clicks, the engine is not turning at all, so we loaded it on the back and off we went.
got in at 11:00 and had a 'last try'
when i press the starter, i hear the solenoid click, but there is also a whirr while I am holding the button,
I am assuming this is the sprag not gripping the fly wheel,
so there we go, off to the local Aprilia dealers for a fly wheel puller,
ebay for a ducati sprag-probably, SP

Unfortunately it does sound like the sprag. The click and whir suggests that the solenoid is connecting (click) and the starter is running (whir), but the sprag isn't engaging. I'd suspect that you just couldn't hear the whirring when jumping it with the AA.

As you know Pierre has done this as have others so have a good read of their experiences and alternative parts that work. Good luck and let us know the outcome.