It's never ran sour when the choke wasn't on

Nashville Kat · Mar 8, 2012

Geez- it got me again today. This time because I'd just put gas in it- I started out this morning on a five mile round trip and it started running poorly almost from the start-

I'm immediately thinking- bad gas, or wrong oil mix. Went the whole errand- the little 50 didn't want to go up the slightest rise.

Got home- added more oil- and left again later going the other way- this time I thought of it- THE CHOKE- it's got me a couple of other times- getting brushed on somehow-

Yep! Reached down, pushed it back 1/4 of the way to open-

and she ran like normal again-

felt so stupid having gone all that way earlier running bad.

dance1

SdCruizer · Mar 8, 2012

maybe chop down the handle a little so it wont catch
once I rode a few blocks like that and was wondering why it wanst a fast as before

NunyaBidness · Mar 8, 2012

Oh that's nothing. Last time I installed an engine on my bike my buddy and I tried for about an hour or so to get it started. Then he looked at the wires and asked if they were wired up correctly. That's when it hit me, the kill switch I had gotten from radio shack was in the off position. Switched it tot he on spot and it fired right up. Talk about feeling like a moron.

wayne z · Mar 8, 2012

LOL, I rode my '82 Shovelhead to the local pub the other afternoon for a beer.

Got ready to leave and it wouldn't start.
I thought the battery was weak and the electric start wasn't working. No prob, it's got a kickatarter too.

Well, I kicked it about 50 times (10 and a break lol) and never a pop. couldn't tell if it was flooded or lean or not enough juice after a while.

Got a ride home and came back with a tractor batt and jumpers. Guess what, elect start or kick still didn't work.
After a while I finaly figured out that the handlebar kill switch that I never usw was in the "off" positon. Flicked it on, and it started immediatly, without the jumper battery!

So, I left my truck and drove the Harley home about 7 miles.
I rode mt 2 speed FD/Preddy99cc build back and put it in the truck and went home.

Mebbe if I didn't have that beer I would have noticed the switch LOL.
.

2door · Mar 8, 2012

Bumped the petcock with my knee (didn't feel it) and 'ran out of gas'. Pedaled most of the way home before I noticed the petcock in the off position. Surprising how much better they run when they have fuel.

Tom

NunyaBidness · Mar 8, 2012

So glad I'm not the only one who has felt the sting of momentary idiocy.

The_Aleman · Mar 8, 2012

I think we all have had something like that happen at one time or another.

Back when the CNS carb came out I was so happy to have the remote choke, because I was sick of the screw on the choke lever of my NT getting loose and randomly choking my engine on a ride

Allen_Wrench · Mar 9, 2012

The_Aleman said:
I think we all have had something like that happen at one time or another.

Back when the CNS carb came out I was so happy to have the remote choke, because I was sick of the screw on the choke lever of my NT getting loose and randomly choking my engine on a ride

I know what you mean. A couple years ago, I had to put a Nyloc nut on back of my choke lever to keep it from doing that. I'd be riding along, hit a bump, & my engine would start gagging. Sometimes I could give it more throttle and reach across & around with my left hand to knock it back. Got real tired of doing that real quick.

GearNut · Mar 9, 2012

wayne z said:
LOL, I rode my '82 Shovelhead to the local pub the other afternoon for a beer.
View attachment 45715
Got ready to leave and it wouldn't start.
I thought the battery was weak and the electric start wasn't working. No prob, it's got a kickatarter too.

Well, I kicked it about 50 times (10 and a break lol) and never a pop. couldn't tell if it was flooded or lean or not enough juice after a while.

Got a ride home and came back with a tractor batt and jumpers. Guess what, elect start or kick still didn't work.
After a while I finaly figured out that the handlebar kill switch that I never usw was in the "off" positon. Flicked it on, and it started immediatly, without the jumper battery!

So, I left my truck and drove the Harley home about 7 miles.
I rode mt 2 speed FD/Preddy99cc build back and put it in the truck and went home.
View attachment 45720
Mebbe if I didn't have that beer I would have noticed the switch LOL.
.

If I am following what happened correctly, you cranked the electric start until the battery started loosing it's power.?

If so, something is wired goofy with your run/ stop/ start switch assembly then.
When the switch is in the off position there should be no power to the start button. I noticed that you seem to have 1996 and later hand controls. The wiring color code for that switch assembly should be as follows:
Grey to ign. circuit breaker +
White to ignition coil +
Black to starter relay.
If you wire up the grey and white backwards it allows the start button to work even though the run/ stop switch is in the off position.

KCvale · Mar 9, 2012

I rewire all my bikes and add a keyswitch to the CDI so sure enough I have been caught by it being off a few times.

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It's never ran sour when the choke wasn't on

Nashville Kat

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SdCruizer

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NunyaBidness

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wayne z

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2door

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NunyaBidness

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The_Aleman

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Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist

GearNut

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KCvale

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