Hitchcocks Forum

Hi, Getting back on the bike for the good weather, I am compltly confused as to the position of the choke leaver? Its an Amal carb with the leaver on the same side as the twist grip. Is it toward me or away from me to turn the choke off, and towards me to put it on. Getting confused. Please help. Thanks

On pre-Monobloc (276, 289 etc.) and Concentric carbs the choke is on when you pull the wire and off when you release it. Don't know if this is the case on Monoblocs too, but if I had to guess I would guess it is so.


To be sure, you can just take the air filter off and look into the carb to see what happens when you move the lever.


Regards, Anders F. R.

CORRECTION! New error to follow:


It should of course be: "... OFF when you pull the wire and ON when you release it".


The wire lifts the choke slide out of the air passage. This is just opposite of every other carb I have seen. That's why I mixed it up again when I wrote about it. Sorry!


There should be a way of editing a reply here, to make corrections like this.....


Regards, Anders F. R.

So it is off when the wire is tight?? And looking into the carb, filter off its when whatever moves moves up?? Is that right.

Yes! That is correct.


This is about as counter-intuitive as can be to me. I had no idea when I bought my Model G, got it home and tried to start it. I followed my ordinary starting procedure that used to work on BMW and Tempo (Sachs 2-stroke). I really took a lot of effort to get it going, and when I finally got it going, it didn't run well. Poor idle, smoking etc. No wonder it behaved like that. I was starting it with the choke off and running with it on..... Situation improved instandly when I figured that out! Getting the compression back in place also helped.


afr.

Just to back up Anders, on my 389 monoblock the choke is 'on' with the handlebar leaver alligned with the handlbars. With the level pulled toward the rider at a right angle to the bars and the cable taught, the choke is 'off' Hope that hasn't confused things.

Just to add, with the leaver toward you, the air slide is up and out of the way, therefore not 'choking' the carb.

And always try getting into the habit of closing the lever after you switch it off to take pressure off the spring

Hi guys----------- aren't we forgetting our American cousins who use the "strangler" ?   But then too much use of your "wrist pin" could leave you, well----------------- blind ??  Hmm.