Just curious, Do you choke it?

[arveejay]

I've always, for 35 years choked the bike I was attempting to start. 2 weeks ago I hopped on the 1100 and still don't know why I didn't pull the choke, it was 70 degrees and bike had sat for 2 days. I tweaked the throttle at the same time I hit the starter button and it fired up instantly. I have since then been starting it in this fashion and it always fires right up. Everything I can think of says it's too rich but the plugs are light tan and look great according the pics in the book. I just bought 2.2 gallons for 98.7 miles so it's doing great at about 45MPG, that's pushing a Cyclear windshield and mostly highway driving. I'm not worried, just curious. It's not a problem and it will probably require choke again when it gets cold, but it just seems like it should need a little choke first start of the day.

[earlfor]

Re: Just curious, Do you choke it?

Nope, I set my carbs so I dont normally need to use the choke. Both my 1100 and 1150 will start in one revolution of the engine if sitting for a week. It doesnt matter. I have light tan plug burns and gas milage is in the 45 mpg range. My feeling is if you have to use choke, your idle circuits are set too lean.

Earl

I've always, for 35 years choked the bike I was attempting to start. 2 weeks ago I hopped on the 1100 and still don't know why I didn't pull the choke, it was 70 degrees and bike had sat for 2 days. I tweaked the throttle at the same time I hit the starter button and it fired up instantly. I have since then been starting it in this fashion and it always fires right up. Everything I can think of says it's too rich but the plugs are light tan and look great according the pics in the book. I just bought 2.2 gallons for 98.7 miles so it's doing great at about 45MPG, that's pushing a Cyclear windshield and mostly highway driving. I'm not worried, just curious. It's not a problem and it will probably require choke again when it gets cold, but it just seems like it should need a little choke first start of the day.

[GSJoe]

Everytime I ride...

[rphillips]

Like Earl said, I don't use the choke till cooler weather. These bikes were pretty cold natured, from the factory. Use the choke a lot. But richen the idle circuit just a bit, & forget the choke till late fall. This little change in idle settings will not affect the jetting enough you won't notice any difference at above idle operation.

[arveejay]

I must have mine set pretty close to others here. I just didn't think they should fire without the choke.

[ZacharyB]

I use the choke to go inside as the bike warms up, because it won't run without the choke when stone cold. Can't find any intake leaks either. So I continue to use the choke. My Honda was very good about not having to use the choke, but something changed recently and now it will stall out more in the first minute of being on, so now, I use the choke for that as well.

I have a Dodge Dart from '73 with a new Weber carburetor, that does not need the choke in warm weather.

[crag antler]

I use choke for about a minute and then she warms right up. If I don't use the choke, it will start but lope pretty much.
I changed the plugs last week and they were tan and on my trip this past weekend of 920 miles, I averaged around 60mpg, thru mountains and at speed 8) 8)

[chuckycheese]

What

I don't think one necessarily has anything to do with the other. My bike runs about as well as I think it possibly could........Here, in nothern California, I pull out my choke when it's "cold" and let it run for a minute or so. Now that it's summer, I usually don't use it at all; if I do, it's for 15 seconds or so.

So what???? Is that some kind of indication of how well my bike runs?? I think not. I think it means nothing.......nothing at all. 8)

[GSJoe]

If anyone was wondering, my above post was a joke...

[fgh]

My 1983 GS750ES has always needed to be choked except when its been run in the last couples of hours on a warm day. You'd think Florida would be warm enough for it. It requires a couple of minutes when stone cold and about a minute if its not the first start of the day.

[jlmoulto]

Choke to start and for about a minute or two to settle into a good idle before releasing the choke.