1980 GS250 Choke lever doesn't stay out

[KenInSeattle]

Hey all. Installed the rebuilt carbs, gas tank, new battery, new spark plugs and about a gallon of gas to get her going. The one thing I noticed is that before I took the carbs in to get rebuilt the choke lever would stay pulled out when I pulled it out. Now it wants to spring back in. It started within 3 seconds but I have to hold the choke lever and then can give it a bit of throttle to keep it going. Is there a setting on the choke lever that I need to adjust? Also, I need to adjust the idle. Do I just turn the knob that is between the carbs towards the rear? I was pleased that it fired right up and runs great when I give it a bit of throttle. No exhaust smoke at all and runs smooth.

[Nessism]

Not sure about the 250 but on many models there is an adjustment knob at the top of the cable that can be cranked down to increase the friction.

Again, not sure about the 250 but from what you describe, you have found the idle adjustment. Hopefully you replaced the rubber carb runner boot O-rings; they are prone to leakage which leads to a high idle.

Good luck.

[KenInSeattle]

Not sure about the 250 but on many models there is an adjustment knob at the top of the cable that can be cranked down to increase the friction.

Again, not sure about the 250 but from what you describe, you have found the idle adjustment. Hopefully you replaced the rubber carb runner boot O-rings; they are prone to leakage which leads to a high idle.

Good luck.

Well, I'm not sure what the carb runner boot O-rings are but I spent $250 on a complete carb cleaning and rebuild. Hopefully the shop replaced those as well.

On the choke there isn't a "cable" that I can see. It's more like a plunger that slides out. There are two small screws on the plunger but I'm not sure what they do. I don't want to go tightening/losening things till I know for sure what it is I'm doing. I'll try turning that "stop screw" and see if that adjusts the idle rpm. Thanks.

[KenInSeattle]

Shop owner says it's supposed to spring back on it's own.

Well, I posted the same question on another forum where the shop owner is a member and he says that the choke lever is NOT supposed to stay out when you pull it out to start a cold bike. It's supposed to spring back on it's own. How the heck can that be? I don't have enough arms to start the bike then because I have to hold the choke lever open, pull in the clutch and then push the starter buttong. Could someone on here confirm on their GS if you have to hold the choke lever open manually or if it's supposed to stay out on it's own. Thanks.

[rphillips]

Not sure about the 250 set up, but I've never heard of a choke that had to be held in the on position.

[mriddle]

Our little GS300L has the choke on the carbs (no cable) and it stays were you put it.. no holding necessary.

Not sure about the 250 set up, but I've never heard of a choke that had to be held in the on position.

[KenInSeattle]

Yeah, every single bike I've ever seen that has a manual type choke near the carbs (wether it's on a dirt bike, lawn mower, go kart or motorcycle) you pull it out when cold and it stays there till you don't need it for the bike to idle on it's own and then you push it in. I'm totally confused now because the shop owner says that it's not supposed to stay in the out position.

[greg78gs750]

Well, I'm not sure what the carb runner boot O-rings are but I spent $250 on a complete carb cleaning and rebuild. Hopefully the shop replaced those as well.

On the choke there isn't a "cable" that I can see. It's more like a plunger that slides out. There are two small screws on the plunger but I'm not sure what they do. I don't want to go tightening/losening things till I know for sure what it is I'm doing. I'll try turning that "stop screw" and see if that adjusts the idle rpm. Thanks.

i gotta start a carb cleaning and "rebuild" service.....:-D\\/

[Karl]

Ehhh...I don't know about the 250, but I had a bike once (might have been a GS or not...can't remember) that the choke wouldn't stay out on. I discovered that the knurled cover that the choke plunger ran through actually applied the friction that kept the plunger out.

May not be the case with your bike, but I was surprised...it seemed like it was just a cover but it actually needed to be tight to keep the plunger out (cheap plastic, too, hard to tighten much).

I also learned the hard way that you shouldn't lubricate the cables on the choke. Apparently that defeats the friction that keeps the choke pulled.

[KenInSeattle]

I'm hoping someone with a GS25, GS400 or GS450 will chime in (the repair manual covers all of them) and let me know if their choke lever stays open or if it springs back and doesn't stay open on it's own. Doesn't make any sense to me since I don't have enough arms to start the stupid thing.

[Misterj1953]

On my 1980 GS 250, the choke appears to have two stops. There is a half choke position, and a full choke position.

On mine the know stays out all by itself.

I haven't had any trouble with it.

[buttonhook]

there are some little small steel "bb's" that set on top of a spring in the tubes that the choke bars rides in on each carb. If when cleaning the carbs they fell out (very easy to do) and you did not see them before putting the carbs back together then the choke will not stay out.