Cranking but not firing

[Silverrider53]

Thought I might share my experence with my beloved 2018 vstom 1000 (17k kms), about 4 weeks ago my bike did not start on the button after 10 days in the garage unused but fired up when using old way of holding in the clutch and pressing the start button. I took note that the battery might be on the way out ( 3 years old).
So yesterday I pressed the button but no start, tried pulling in clutch and it turned away but no start, charged up battery but still cranking with no start.
Off I went in the car and bought myself a new battery which I then installed with great confidence thinking I had just to press the button and engine would roar into life alas no still the same. I trickle charged the new battery over night but still the same this morning - I was now starting to read up on what could be wrong.
I was going to strip down all the panels to see if I could see any thing wrong but instead I took out the left front plug and earthed it with a bit of wire and turned over the engine - it was sparking away - also it had a smell of petrol ?? After a bit of head scratching I cleaned the the plug seen as I had it out and reinstalled. I again tried the button only start and it just cranked over still no start. I then pulled in the clutch and pressed the start button while open throttle up full - engine roared into life Ah happy days. Now before anyone says I should have tried throttle open first I did a few times but maybe a bit timid.

[porter]

My brother's 08 fireblade is a bit like that. If the battery is not 100% it turns it over enough to wet the plugs but not fire up, then it won't start at all till the plugs are dry. It does have a stupid 7ah battery though.
Glad you got it going. Why does the 2017 on vstrom seem to have more battery problems than the 2014, I've heard of a few 17's having battery issues. Mine is still on the original at 8 years old and 41k miles.

[The Doctor 46]

This all reads very strange to me. I don't understand why opening the throttle would help, I would have expected it to be flooded?

The longest I have had from a motorbike battery was 6 years on a BMW 1150GSA kept in the garage on a trickle charge when not in use. I thought that was good until I read that porter got 8 years out of his. 

[V-Twin]

Doc, sometimes the engine needs more air & less fuel.

[Rookie]

After Christmas I feel like that, Mr V-Twin. 

[The Doctor 46]

I had a Honda, kick start only. It would start first time, tick over and ride wonderfully but when I stopped it, it wouldn't start again until a while after it was cold to the touch. I took it to a recommended mechanic in Bude, Cornwall (nobody local would touch it) where he put it on a rolling road and took some details. He then took the carb off and changed the jets and tinkered. Back on the rolling road and it not only started first kick every time but it gained 4 bhp too, not that it needed those extra horses, it was already a wild bike.