cold hearted Valk, doesn't like to stay lit

[Hellcat]

Got a Valk recently, a 97. 26K miles.

Runs fine once it's good and warm, but I can't keep it lit when starting up and leaving it to idle. I have to sit on the throttle to keep it running, full choke won't do it. Basically I have to ride it before it's warm enough to sit at idle, so I can't start it up then get settled (put on the helmet, etc). Boo!

Actually, the choke doesn't seem to make much of a difference. How can I check to see if it's working properly?

The guy who sold it to me started it up dead cold on two separate occasions with no problems, so something must have changed.

[hubcapsc]

A lot of new Valk owners don't mash the choke lever down far enough.... it feels like it has bottomed
out right at the place where it is, in actuality, about to start.

It is easy to see it moving right above your carb tops on each side...

-Mike

[Hellcat]

You win, that helped. Definitely feels like that little plastic choke would break if you didn't know better.

My next question is that the bike smells a little gassy at idle. Should I expect that from this machine or should I look for some adjustments?

My first two bikes were newer models, one carburaeted and one fuel injected. Never smelled any gas with either of them.

[Dumptruck]

Mine never smells gassy off choke (and I ride it cold in Edmonton). Do you have an after market trigger and needles?

[Hellcat]

Do you have an after market trigger and needles?

Bought it used so not sure, but I doubt it.

[Patrick]

As soon as the engine starts you need to progressively ease off on the choke.. It'll run without the choke very quickly depending on the air temperature.. These do tend to run a bit rich at idle..

[Hellcat]

As soon as the engine starts you need to progressively ease off on the choke.. It'll run without the choke very quickly depending on the air temperature.. These do tend to run a bit rich at idle..

Thanks. I actually mean that it smells gassy anytime I'm at low speed. I'll get home and pull into the driveway and I'll smell gas. Maybe it smells gassy all the time but I outrun the smell at street speed.

[JScott]

On the right and left sets of carbs you have a choke link. On the back side of the carbs is a choke link cable. It's that small metal tube, inside of that is the cable, it probably needs to be lubed. If you push your choke lever all the way down you should be able to see the choke links move equally on both sides. and it shouldn't be hard to bottom out the choke lever on your handle bars. had the same problem, and found out that if that choke link cable gets rusty inside that tube it stops letting the choke links move. And makes the choke lever hard to move into full choke position. I'm thinking alot of valks have that prob. to some degree.