Originally Posted by
Endopotential
WOOHOO!!! Solved for the most part I think.
The prize goes to njloco. Thank you sir! I owe you a virtual beer.
I took out the IAC (idle air control) under the airbox. It wasn't filthy or stuck, but I cleaned it out with some mass air flow sensor fluid I had lying around.
While I was fiddling around, I also added a 4 gauge earthing wire from my negative battery terminal to that braided cable up front. Though I'm not sure this was the major culprit.
The bike now starts with 1-2 hits of the starter button, which I can totally live with. The IAC kinda makes sense, with the hard start on a cold engine but not a warm one. Fuel pump didn't seem to be the issue, as the bike otherwise rides fine.
Best part... cost of repair? Zero!!!
I'm sure I have fuel pump repair somewhere in the future, but not for now. Time to ride!