Normal cold start

[TwoDogs]

I've had my fat lady since the day after Memorial Day this year. I ride to work every day it doesn't look like rain (most every day this year). The first start of the day usually takes place around 72-80 degrees F and goes like this : Crack throttle, crank 2-5 seconds slowly adding throttle until it fires. Throttle to idle, engine stumbles, acts like it wants to die, add throttle until it hits 1K RPM and hold it there. After about 5 seconds the RPMs increase gradually. I let it go to 3K, then back to idle and it's ready to go. Typical ?  Later in the day when temps are closer to 100 none of this happens.

[G-Man]

You don't mention anything about applying the choke!!!

Pull choke lever all the way down.  No need to hold it, it'll stay down.  Give throttle one quick twist and release.  Depress starter button and she should fire right up.  Let idle with choke until she is is running smooth (maybe 10 to 15 seconds) and lift choke lever all the way up.  Then, go for a ride.

[valkmc]

Make sure your choke is all the way down.  Mine stops and feels like it is on, but if I give it another push it will go down another half inch.

[Sodge]

Glad I read this post. Mine seems to act the same way. Didn't notice any difference with choke off or on. I guess I don't have it down all the way. Thanks guys, I'm learning every day. Can't wait for my accessories$$$ to get here.

[razor]

I have 3 valks and they all start differently.  They also ride differently, but that's another story.
All of mine require the choke to be on for more than 10 or 15 seconds.  More like one to two minutes before they give the proper throttle response. But like I said they are all diffferent.

[N0tac0p]

because I thought i would break the lever, the choke was so hard to push, i pulled the handgrip apart, clean the lever and slot, lubed and put back togheter.  works slicker tha s_t, but now doesn't stay down.  push all the way, when i remove my thumb, it comes backup around 1/4 and will not keep the bike running.  i need to sit there holding it for the 45 secs.

surprised there is so much push back on the choke, are there springs that do that?

[Jay]

because I thought i would break the lever, the choke was so hard to push, i pulled the handgrip apart, clean the lever and slot, lubed and put back togheter.  works slicker tha s_t, but now doesn't stay down.  push all the way, when i remove my thumb, it comes backup around 1/4 and will not keep the bike running.  i need to sit there holding it for the 45 secs.

surprised there is so much push back on the choke, are there springs that do that?

Yes.  If you take the chrome cover off of the slide rails you will see one small coil spring.  Not much tension on these, but I guess enough.  While the cover is off you can see that the choke is not activated until you get to the "hard part" of pushing the choke lever down.  I don't know why there is so much travel in the choke lever when only the final push activates the choke.

[franco6]

no choke needed here unless in the 50 s f .i stoped using it when i realized the bike started fine without it.just let it warm at iddle
the honda manual states to not twist the throttle when starting. it s been starting right up even when the carbs were way out of sinc and still now that big BF adjusted the carbs in Frisco.
is this unusual? maybe we could have a sort of poll on the forum, choke or no choke? ??? ???

[N0tac0p]

so if my choke is working, what would be suspect for the rich smell