Quick/easy fix for choke plunger that won't say put

[tkent02]

Don't forget airplanes...

Hey if it holds Nascars, Sprintcars and Indy cars together it can do anything.

They all have some duct tape somewhere.

[Dark Jedi]

I made the mistake of spraying lube on my choke plunger a while ago because I thought the action was too sticky. After that, it wouldn't stay put when I pulled it out -- always slowly sliding back down. That made starting the bike when cold a hairy task requiring three hands. ;-)

So the other day I randomly decided to put a couple of drops of blue loctite on the plunger shaft, and worked it in and out a few times. After the stuff dried the action is now perfect. Stays where I put it but not too much stiction either.

Thought I'd pass it on for any other lube-happy GSers out there. ;-)

I sprayed mine with brake cleaner and worked it in and out while wet. That got the oil off.
(My bike belched oil all over the place when it decided the head gasket was too old.)

[hp1000s]

I have a soft sponge key float on the ignition key...pull choke up, shove sponge under choke knob, squeeze clutch, push starter button....I guess I'm worried about dropping my bike key in the water?!

[jayz]

I made the mistake of spraying lube on my choke plunger a while ago because I thought the action was too sticky. After that, it wouldn't stay put when I pulled it out -- always slowly sliding back down. That made starting the bike when cold a hairy task requiring three hands. ;-)

So the other day I randomly decided to put a couple of drops of blue loctite on the plunger shaft, and worked it in and out a few times. After the stuff dried the action is now perfect. Stays where I put it but not too much stiction either.

Thought I'd pass it on for any other lube-happy GSers out there. ;-)

I did the exact same thing. That's quite a Homer-Simpsonish moment when you're watching that knob go right back in over and over and you realize, "Hey, there's a spring at the other end!" I carried a small binder clip (the kind made for holding a stack of paper together) attached to my key fob for a year. I used the clip to hold the choke while I started the bike. The good news is the next spring the problem fixed itself. I didn't do anything, the lube just wore off I guess.

[Steve]

It is so nice with a couple of '82 L models here. The 850 has had the clutch switch disabled, the 650 has not.
Both of them have a choke that is under the left handgrip housing and is activated by the thumb.
It is entirely possible to hold the clutch and manipulate the choke while using the other thumb on the starter button.

Fortunately, though, both bikes start with partial choke, idle nicely and warm up very quickly to where choke is not needed. \\/


.

[txironhead]

I'm actually toying with the idea of trying to adapt an L left control to my E so I can have the thumb-activated choke.....since my choke cable was broken when I got the bike I need a new one anyway. Anyone know if the wiring's different or what it would entail? Would I run into the self-cancelling turn signal issue?

Oh, and the clutch safety switch was one of the first things I checked when I got my bike but the PO had already performed the bypass mod. I remember trying to diagnose my Shadow for a week (during beautiful riding weather!) because it wouldn't start, turned out that damn switch had failed. Some solder, heat shrink and cursing and the bike was fixed, and I make sure to cut that switch out of every bike I own now.

[t3rmin]

On my new 750 I've noticed that if I pull out the choke and twist it a bit to the left (counter-clockwise) it stays put. Dunno if that's by design or not, but it works great!

[GaThumper]

hmmmm... that's wierd, on my '79 1000 I twist the knob to the right and it stays out. (course I never tried to twist it to the left...) I had the cable out lubing it this weekend and noticed that there is a flat side on the sleeve below the knob. I guess that's why twisting it (right or left) works!

I am going to have to look into the adjustment of the tension as mentioned earlier, who knew there was an adjustment.

[t3rmin]

So far I've owned two through-the-steering-stem-choke GSs and neither of them made a bit of difference when you messed with the plastic knurled nut tension thingies.

[GaThumper]

So far I've owned two through-the-steering-stem-choke GSs and neither of them made a bit of difference when you messed with the plastic knurled nut tension thingies.

I was thinking that just held the cable in the steering stem. I'm going to have to remove it again to check it over and see if it was intended to tension the choke knob...

[duaneage]

I just bought a brand new cable from bikebandit for 16.00, that seemed to work better than anything else I tried

[mixongw]

I just tightened the screw. Did I miss something here?

[duaneage]

As long as your assembly is not broken tightening is the correct way to go. Most are either rusted shut or broken these days.