Yesterday, I was riding my bike down the freeway. After about ten miles of riding, I started losing power. I knew it wasn't my fuel, because I just filled up, though it felt that way. I pulled over and the bike died. I waited 5 mins, and started the bike. I rode to gas station and looked at my fuel filter and checked the oil. I noticed that my choke was in aboult halfway. I guess when I started out, didn't push the lever far enough back.
Does riding with the choke (on the freeway no less) permanently damage the engine? WHat should I do? I pulled one of the spark plugs out this morning to have a look. Heres what it looks like:
(http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~pauls/tmp/plugtopview.jpg)
I don't know how to read plugs, but the tip looks pretty white. Does it need replacing?
Plug til should be dark brown/grey in color... this looks white. But that didn't happen when the choke was pulled 1/2 way did it...
Anyway choke 1/2 way or all the way dont harm the bike. It may make less power, turn plugs black, and use more gas but its not bad for motor in long term at all...
However yours looks lean. You may want to richen it a little. The only way to get a plug reading at a particular instant is to hit the engine kill switch and read it right then.
Cool.
Srinath.