Hitchcocks Forum

Hey guys.

Proud owner of an 06 Bullet Electra..

On the last couple of mornings it's been very cold even in London.

Bike has started (elec) fine first time.

But once the choke is taken off the engine dies regardless of how much I tweak the idling speed.

Is this just the bike telling me it wants the choke on?

Should I ride with the choke on for half a mile?

Any clues great fully appreciated.

Thanks

Henry

Hi MATINEE IDLE, --- assuming that all else is as per usual then it's probably just as you say ie The choke required to be left on for longer. Remember , these are air-cooled engines so react to temp. changes more readily than a water-cooled one....Once the engine is running, take off about 1/4 choke-----set-off on your journey and progressively remove the remainder of choke (judging by the feed-back from the engine) until running normally....If that DOESN'T work then you may have a fuelling problem starting to show itself ??...Is this your first Winter with this bike ?? If not ---how did it perform last year ?? It might be a good idea just to remove and check/clean the air filter and the plug as well.....In these early morning freezing conditions it's }--- lower gears, throttle-off and rear brake. Suddenly that powerful disc front brake is not a good idea.........Ride safe, especially in that there London !!

Half a mile on choke is not out of the way in cold weather. It's not really a choke but an enrichment device which makes quite a difference.

Thanks for the replies.

Had it last winter as well, bike definitely didn't react like this but maybe I wasn't riding it in quite such cold temps.
There was frost on my bike cover this morning.

Will try riding with the choke for a bit tomorrow of I get time and see how I get on.

Thanks

Henry

I'd normally be needing my choke on for two miles or so at the moment. Always been like that.
Both bikes 500cc Classics.

Just to back up the others here: Yes, you probably need to run with the choke on for a longer time in very cold weather. Living in a country where cold weather is the norm 6 months a year, I have experienced this. E.g. my BMW R80/7 needed full choke to start and the first 300 m or so in 0 degrees C, then 1/2 choke for the next 500 m or more. In +20 degrees I could start at 1/2 choke and then turn it off immediately, and in +25 it would start without use of the choke at all. Or not a choke actually, but a separate enrichment device as Pete F. says, on the Bing CV carbs on this bike. Regards, Anders F. R.

Sorry for all the silence I've been in winter hibernation!

So long story short, it's not the cold weather, as it's happening now in warmer temps.

I can start her up with choke on totally fine, but no matter how much I tweak the idling speed, unless I've got the throttle revving the engine wont idle once the choke comes off...

Is this a problem with the throttle or some other underlying issue?

Should I try and ride around a bit with the choke on? Im wary of sounding like hairdryer?!

Any clues welcome.


Thanks

Hi matey !!----------- if it runs better at idling/low revs with the choke applied than it does without it applied then you would appear to have a weak mixture (for whatever reason)in that region viz--the slow running jet etc..

06, the rubbers filter-carb-engine perished?, air leak?.