Hard to start in cooler weather?

[WDAN]

Previous owner told me when I bought my 2001 Standard in April, that he seldom has to use choke. Said if I do need to choke, never push choke lever over half way or it will flood out for sure.
I have been lucky as I have never had to choke at all.
Yesterday, being cooler I suppose, it would not start. I thought I flooded it and waited 10 minutes and got it started; still no choking. Today, same thing. Would not start so I waited a few minutes and came back and it still would not start. I gave it half choke and it started. Temp. was about 70 degrees.
Bike has always ran great.
Does this seem normal from your experience?

Thanks in advance,
WDAN

[Daniel Meyer]

In cooler weather, push the choke as far as it will go, then a little further...it only really engages in that last 1/4" or so...feels like you are pushing too hard, but nope, keep pushing.

Very common problem. Most folks aren't really using the choke as they are not pushing far enough.

Then, no throttle. She'll fire right up.

[Quicksilver]

Your cooler weather is as warm as it gets on average here in the summer. Right now I'm riding with temps about 40 . Just push the choke all the way down and ease it up once it starts. There are times when I do give it some throttle though once she's fired a bit.

[franco6]

The secret is TWIST THE THROTLE AND COUNT TO SIX. this will irrigate the carbs and prep the ingine ,no need to throtle up, no choke.When its real cold then choke. only when its absolutly necessary. it always scared the crap when i hear an engine raved -up to 3or 4 ks within a milly second after sitting for who knows how long!? (magic oil)

[Red Diamond]

Guess I'll enter my horse in this race. Truth is, some require choking and some don't, different characteristics my guess. There are those that wil fire up all summer without a choke, soon as weather gets a little cool (60-70deg), they need a little choking. One other thing, if you have pushed it as far as it will go, that's as far as it will go, the next push, if hard enough, will break something.

[Hoser]

The secret is TWIST THE THROTLE AND COUNT TO SIX. this will irrigate the carbs and prep the ingine ,no need to throtle up, no choke.When its real cold then choke. only when its absolutly necessary. it always scared the crap when i hear an engine raved -up to 3or 4 ks within a milly second after sitting for who knows how long!? (magic oil)

Don't see how that could happen, as the Valkyrie carbs do not have an accelerater pump.  Please explain..... Mine warms up at about 1500 rpm when started with the choke full on, I ease it back to 1000 rpm after a brief warm up. I'll try it, though.  Hoser  ???

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

If it is cold I always use full choke. The bike will fire up and in a couple of seconds it'll idle about 2 grand that is when I back the choke off a little at a time.
   If bike is warm never had to use the choke.

[RainMaker]

Agree with others.  The choke ain't on if you don't push it down all the way.

Don't use the choke often.  If it's only been a day since riding, it will normally start right up without choke no matter how cold (it's in the garage).  But if I don't push id down all the way, it is ineffective.

RainMaker

[franco6]

Hoser  , beats me but it works on mine anyhow!

[Disco]

Hey Danny,

My choke (actually, it's an enrichener) didn't actuate at all until I opened up the housing on the bar and gave it a good dose of white lithium grease.  The thumb lever moved, but all it was doing was taking up slack.  After working it in for a while, it moves smoothly throughout it's full throw.  If you look closely, you can see the cable try to move the enricheners under the long, narrow rectangular chrome piece between the round carb covers and the intake runners. 

My bike needs a bit of "choke" when it gets cold outside. 

DFG

[Rocketman]

The secret is TWIST THE THROTLE AND COUNT TO SIX. this will irrigate the carbs and prep the ingine ,no need to throtle up, no choke.When its real cold then choke. only when its absolutly necessary. it always scared the crap when i hear an engine raved -up to 3or 4 ks within a milly second after sitting for who knows how long!? (magic oil)

Don't see how that could happen, as the Valkyrie carbs do not have an accelerater pump.  Please explain..... Mine warms up at about 1500 rpm when started with the choke full on, I ease it back to 1000 rpm after a brief warm up. I'll try it, though.  Hoser  ???

Concur.  Cranking the throttle while the engine is off does nothing to the fuel delivery at all.  I think that you'll find that it will start up just as well without that step.

One other thing, if you have pushed it as far as it will go, that's as far as it will go, the next push, if hard enough, will break something.

While you are correct, I think he was using some poetic license.  By "as far as it will go", he meant "when you think it's as far as it will go, it actually can go farther".  Anyone who wants to investigate whether the choke (enricher, whatever) is engaging or not should pull the trim pieces off the carbs and watch the actuation while playing with the lever.

Mark

[f-Stop]

Daniel's post is pretty much what the Good Book (owner's manual) says.  But, just to clarify here's some pictures explaining the choke (SE Valve Switch) positions:

Off...



Engaged?  Nope.  This is where it feels like it wants to stop...



Engaged.  This position requires a little more elbow...er...thumb grease to get to...


And for my $.02.  I use the choke even when it's 110 outside.  The optimum running water temp for the F6 motor around 203 F, so the engine is still "cold" when first starting even in the summer.  The difference between winter and summer starting is how long I leave the enricher switch engaged.

[franco6]

  if i try to start ,no choke no throtle movement it ll start and stall. (after at least a day off).
twist the throtle only a quarter,. count to 6 or 5, LOL ,let go the throtle ,turn the key and push start ,it ll iddle. no ifs and buts .

[Red Diamond]

Hey Danny,

My choke (actually, it's an enrichener) didn't actuate at all until I opened up the housing on the bar and gave it a good dose of white lithium grease.  The thumb lever moved, but all it was doing was taking up slack.  After working it in for a while, it moves smoothly throughout it's full throw.  If you look closely, you can see the cable try to move the enricheners under the long, narrow rectangular chrome piece between the round carb covers and the intake runners.  

My bike needs a bit of "choke" when it gets cold outside.  

DFG

Dang, my horse is falling behind. I agree, lubricate the cable and sliders, there is no spot where it stops or gets hard to push and you need to apply extra pressure to get the enrichers opened. When I do use the choke, in most cases only when it is really cold, it's just one stroke from top to bottom, no hard spot.

[squidbilly]

In cooler weather, push the choke as far as it will go, then a little further...it only really engages in that last 1/4" or so...feels like you are pushing too hard, but nope, keep pushing.

Very common problem. Most folks aren't really using the choke as they are not pushing far enough.

Then, no throttle. She'll fire right up.

Thanks! Mine has always been hard to start when cold. I just went out to the garage and sure enough, I have never been giving her full choke. Learn something new everyday  . 

[Rocketman]

if i try to start ,no choke no throtle movement it ll start and stall. (after at least a day off).
twist the throtle only a quarter,. count to 6 or 5, LOL ,let go the throtle ,turn the key and push start ,it ll iddle. no ifs and buts .

I don't understand this at all.  Anyone else want to give hints on how that could help?  My only guess is that actuating the butterflies lets them sit in their proper idle position, rather than in some stuck config that worked when warm, but not when cooled off again.  I know, it's a big stretch, but when I don't have any other ideas, I'm left with the stretches.

Mark

[Hoser]

It won't start at 30 degrees, I tried it this morning.  Used the choke properly and it fired right up.    hoser

[WDAN]

I started this thread after running into what I thought may be a problem due to weather starting to cool.
If I recall, the two main tips were to apply choke all of the way; the other suggestion was to twist the throttle a bit and hold for a few seconds.
Yesterday, I tried the throttle twist first after bike did not want to start by just hitting the ignition. It worked perfectly.
I have no doubt that I could have, instead, given it full choke. I will try that next.

My Road Star, as is common with all Road Stars, was very cold natured. You had to learn by trial and error how to use the choke and throttle together. Once it warmed a bit, it would run like a scalded dog.
It's just like that with gasoline engines. I have had old cars when I was a kid that, probably, I, only, could start. We have to learn the personality of our rides (or lawnmowers or whatever).

Thanks, everyone, for getting me headed correctly into the fall and winter.

[franco6]

Hoser, my original thread mentioned above 50 F at 30 F, choke no choice.
Mark, can t explain it iether but for a difference in atmospheric pressure or freh air in the cylinders

[Rocketman]

Hoser, my original thread mentioned above 50 F at 30 F, choke no choice.
Mark, can t explain it iether but for a difference in atmospheric pressure or freh air in the cylinders

There isn't any seal there that's opening up with the throttle, and twisting the throttle while the engine is off doesn't affect the cylinders at all.  I'm still confused.

[Hoser]

I can see it starting at 50, but it would take a longer warm up to roll.  With the choke on I can drive right out, take the choke off gradually for the first mile or two.  I use the choke most of the time, except when the engine is warm from previous riding. I keep the cables and slide well lubricated and the last quater inch is a lot easier to apply.  Hoser