Can I choke carb with my fingers?

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a_dam

New Member
Feb 21, 2009
351
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Momence, IL
Can I use my hand to choke a carb; like when Homer Simpson has his hands around Bart's throat? Why you little....

Seriously though, I always thought of a choke as something built into the carb. Then I eventually came across a small 2-stroke where the choke was in the air filter housing. Just a plate that slides over to block the hole.

I never had a kit motor and after doing a little Googling I still couldn't see how most of these chinagirl motors are choked.

On the 2-stroke (weedeater) motors I've seen that have the choke in the air filter box, the choke plate is under the filter element, and covers the carb's air intake hole. But couldn't it be on the outside of the box?

All these air filter housings are just sealed boxes. Theres an intake hole or holes somewhere on the box and the air is forced to pass through the filter before going in the carb. Instead of using the choke lever to control the choke plate, what if you blocked the holes with your finger(s)?

When doing a DIY build with wacker motors, sometimes the choke lever is in an inconvenient place to operate while riding. On one carb, I cut off the end of the choke lever and modified it to be in a better position. Now I am thinking that I didn't have to do that. It would be much easier to leave the "factory" choke alone and make my own choke anywhere I want on the air filter box (or use my fingers - but that would be hard if you wanted to run "half-choke" for awhile).

Has anyone modded a choke on the outside of their filter box?

PS. If this topic belongs in DIY, please move it.
 

Theon

New Member
Jan 20, 2014
1,440
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FNQ Australia
How warm is it where you live?
Here in the tropics, maybe, but if your trying to drop the clutch while peddling, and 'adjusting how much choke' you need whilst also giving a little throttle with your other hand,...
 

a_dam

New Member
Feb 21, 2009
351
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0
Momence, IL
The digital choke method was one of those techniques most owners of fractious old motorcycles knew about back when I was in my twenties.
It's not polite to ask a woman their age, so I'm going to assume that was only a few years ago. You're right. Never owned any motorcycle.

Pedal, clutch, choke, throttle. No problem. With my build, the "clutch" is a lever that lifts the drive roller off the tire. So if I rode the bike recently, I pedal up a little speed, drop the clutch (while choke is on full), then it only takes a second or two before I go to half choke. Depending on temperature and how rich the idle screw is set, I might ride on half-choke for minute at most.

If I haven't ridden for awhile, it takes more choking, but riding one-handed while fiddling with the lever is no big deal.

As you mentioned, when the temperature gets near freezing the glove-covered fingers are less nimble.

I was just wondering if instead of using the choke lever, can you just block the intake holes with your hand and get the same result.