once the bike starts and its warmed up does it start easily and the issue is just when its cold?

 

Not really... It happens cold or warm, last time it happened it stranded me at a gas station

 

Pull the air box lid off and spray a bit of something flammable like gas or starting fluid. See if that fires it up easily. If yes then have your fuel pressure checked. If that's ok then look how the injectors are spraying. If the fluid doesn't help then you will look at spark or vacuum/compression. Start by checking all the cylinders are evenish on compression and above 120 at least. Then you can get a tool that goes inline and will show you spark. Of the spark is inconsistent on one cylinder then check that coil with a volt meter. If it's inconsistent on more then one then you will check the pickup coil at the end of the crankshaft. Procedures are in the service manual you can download in mechanical help section for free from a sticky. Usually it being hard to start when cold is valves but tight valves get better when the bike is warm, that's why I initially asked that. If it's happening to all the cylinders and then once it starts it runs fine I would guess it's a pickup not functioning correct when the engine is moving slow while starting. Do you have a tune on this?

 

I'll have a go at all this! Thank you!
I'm new to fixing bikes and so on, cars no problem. But I tried looking for the pickup coil in the manual, but I can only find pickup rotor?

And no, there is no tune on the bike.

 

On the end of the crankshaft. They might call it something else but it'll be on the same side as your generator usually.

 

check your crank voltage with a multimeter. 14.4 volts while cranking is ideal.

https://imp.i104546.net/c/404739/78...illa.com/common-tread/how-to-check-your-motorcycles-battery-and-charging-system

 

These bikes are also know for coming with a battery that does not provide enough amps for staring and ultimately ruins the starter as well, mine did similar hard starts and I replaced the battery with a 230 crank amp lithium battery and eventually replaced started and it has never done it since then, that was about 20-30 thousand miles ago

 

My used bike came with a battery that had 140 CCA. The bike struggled to start both cold and hot. I did the same mod, lithium battery with 200 CCA and it starts fine now.

For me, the AGM 195 CCA (I believe those are the factory specs) battery would cost the same as the lithium one, so I went with the lithium to save some weight and it was a good mod, imo.

 

Your starter is crap, and has crapped-out.

Yesterday I finished replacing the starter on my 2010 R1 for the SECOND TIME. The parts guy at the yamaha dealership told me that the OEM starter uses crap glue on the stator magnets, so they ooze out of place over time, thus demand more power to do less work. (I've killed many a battery with this bike.) This time, I got a starter from Rick's Motorsports Electronics, which is (hopefully) a better part (they tell me it is, of course).

In my experience, the OEM starter lasts about 4 years, that's it. Replacing it is kind of a PITA, but Sup's Garage has a great video on it. Drain your coolant first, though. And have silicone grease on hand for all of the rubber bits and boots. I suggest using some label tape to color match the connectors and ports. (Side note: on my bike, the tube on the right side of the airbox goes nowhere - it's just a stub, so removing it is pointless.) And I wouldn't pry on the throttle bodies; I just rocked them fore and aft a bit, and pulled them off.

If you still have the OEM Yuasa YTZ10-S battery with 190 CCA, replace it with a lithium battery. I have a Scorpion Stinger LiPO4 battery that weighs about 8 lb less, and has 387 CCA, IIRC.

 

Starter, battery, tight valves.

Gonna be one of those for sure.

Hard to start when hot might be starter going bad and/or tight valves.

Hard to start when cold is very common with the 09-14 R1. Keeping a strong battery helps. I use lithium with quick disconnects. I take the battery in the house once the bike is parked.