won't start cold!!

[valkyalky]

Good morning, I have a 1999 tourer with a cold start problem. I just purchased this clean 30,000 mile beauty and She runs great after I finally get started. I start it and it will run for 1 -2 seconds and die. After a full battery of start attempts, it will run for  several seconds and then I can SLOWLY bring the throttle up. After that, no problem. Other symptoms are: lots of popping on decelleration(cobra 6-6 pipes), Black soot on my bags after a long ride. Please help!!

[sandy]

The cold start issue is the choke knob. When you pull the choke lever, it seems to come to a stop, but that's only taking the play out of the coke cable. Push the lever harder and you'll find it moves further. Now it should start just fine. The 6 into 6 Cobra's look and sound great but can be a problem. They reduce back pressure and muck up fuel/air mixtures. Look for an experienced Valk guy in your area and have him/her go through your carb settings. Also check the vacuum lines and intake runner O rings and the clamps on the carb mounts. Any loosness in these cause the popping on deceleration. There are gaskets in the exhaust headers which, if loose, will add to the popping too. Get a manual for the right torque specs. When all is well, these things run like a raped ape for years.

[Thunderbolt]

What Sandy said.  When you have all the slack out, push harder.  Check vacuum lines and caps on all cylinders for splits, leaking, tighten tube clamps on intake tubes both ends for popping.

[Zorba]

If you get black soot, your running too rich?!!!
Either your choke is stuck 1/2 on, which would give you poor MPG or your air/fuel mixter is off and needs adjusting with a pilot tool!
or with the Cobra pipes you need more air coming into the engine. like a K&N air filter minus the Pre-filter to even out th "Richness" !

Popping could be bad "Slow jets" or clogged up "Slow jets" or exhaust bolts etc?
I got rid of my major popping with a "Dyna Jet stage 1 kit" set on the 3rd notch!