Choke or not to choke?

[ActionJax]

Hey everybodye! Looking forward to MD next weekend. Hope to meet many of you then.

 

Quick question...I've got an 83, and I've noticed that I have to use the choke from a cold start almost all the time. The bike always starts...but if its a "cold" start, or what I mean to say is that the bike has not been started in a day or two, I have to use that choke. At least 3/4 of the way on to full. Quite a bit I think. But like I said the bike starts right up, so I don't have any real complaints. After the engine is run at idle for 2 or 3 minutes, it runs just fine.

 

I'm just curious if this is pretty normal? Or should I be looking into fixing this some how?

 

Thanks all,

[etcswjoe]

Been awhile since I had a first gen, but that was pretty much the same on my 83.

[Snaggletooth]

Yep, pretty much the nature of the beast. The '84 drove me nuts when I first got it finding the magic trick to firing the old girl up. I talked to the folks here and got the word on what the deal was. About the same from all of them.

 

Cold first start of the day:

 

Full choke, NO throttle! Hit the button and fire it up, Drop the choke back to the detent and let cold idle warm it up.

 

After the bike is warmed up that first time it didn't need the choke again.

 

In the warmer weather I usually give it a half choke for that first cold start of the day.

 

The deal I think is the difference is that the choke is not a true choke, restricting the air flow to suck fuel into the throats but the Fuel Enhancements that open a direct flow to the carbs. What ever the differnence is it works.

 

I had a Kawi in the '80's that didn't have a "trick", it was more like a ritual. Came just short of incence burners, incoherant muttering in a unknown language, hold the lip in just the right position, small but meaning full offerings and a blessing. If I didn't get it right the first I'd have to go sit and do pentance for a while.

 

I'm getting off easy with this bike.

 

Mike

[ActionJax]

LOL!!

 

Well, it sounds like this is completely normal for the 83. I don't mind at all, though because it runs so good. Interesting about the fact that is not a "real" choke.

 

Thanks for the imput.

[friesman]

Perfectly normal on my 85 also.. esp the part about never touching the throttle until its runningg, it really doesnt like that....

 

 

Brian

[Squidley]

Every Yamaha I have owned, about 11 of them, have always been cold blooded in the fact that I have to use the choke to get them to start....it's the nature of the beast, your ok.