Topic: Have to choke to start (cold or warm)

[kach_me]

Any ideas as to why I have to choke the bike to start it? 

This is equal for both cold and warm starts... like, if I stall then go to re-start 3 seconds later... I gotta choke it...

[Pinhead]

Are you running the stock airbox and exhaust? If not, you may be running a bit lean and the choke is needed to richen it out at low RPM to keep it running. How does it idle after it's started? Any hesitation around 1/4 throttle?

[RyanLilly]

had the same problem when I bought My bike 2 weeks ago. wouldn't start or even stay running without choke. Popped all of the carb bowls off and gave everything a Good spray with carb and choke cleaner. Jets were clogged with dirt and crap and it was not getting fuel at idle.

clean the carbs

Check the screen filter in the petcock, could be covered in dirt and blocking fuel flow.

-Ryan

[Bob Wessner]

Any ideas as to why I have to choke the bike to start it? 

This is equal for both cold and warm starts... like, if I stall then go to re-start 3 seconds later... I gotta choke it...

If you are talking about cold starts only, I have to use the choke regardless of the season to start, but in summer it is on only very briefly then off. In cool, or colder weather I might have to leave it at half choke for a while longer after it kicks over, but off completely pretty quickly.

If you are talking about a restart with the engine warm, that's another story.

[aptech77]

When mine is cold during any season, I also need to choke it. She is cold blooded. Once warm, never. Both my Honda's are cold blooded.

[kach_me]

Are you running the stock airbox and exhaust? If not, you may be running a bit lean and the choke is needed to richen it out at low RPM to keep it running. How does it idle after it's started? Any hesitation around 1/4 throttle?

Am running stock everything.  It runs great once warmed up (minute or two), but even warm I still have to use choke to start.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

I had similar problems with my '77 CB550K but after changing plugs, cleaning/gapping points and clipping back my plug wires to rid them of corrosion, it's much better now.  The three fixes may be unrelated to my hot start problems, but I suspect the change in plugs had the biggest impact as I was running resister plugs.  Since my plug caps are already resistive, I was getting a double hit (resister speaking).