2002 8k miles. Cold startup with full choke idle is around 4k... as she warms and not touching choke rpms go up to 6k or so. Reduce choke and let it sit around 3k... as she warms up more goes back up into high 5, 6k rpm. I slowly decrease choke until completely off. If I give it gas before she really warms up she bogs and falls on her face.
So my startup routine is a combo of reducing choke every so often as rpm's start to increase really high and giving her gas until I can get consistent rpm rise.
Thoughts?
Sounds similar to something I do. :D
Quote from: codajastal on February 19, 2012, 10:41:50 PM
Sounds similar to something I do. :D
Thats good to hear, was just curious if that type of behavior is normal... this is my first experience with a carbureted motor.
Completely normal.
1997 doing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbfKrAm_tMw&feature=youtu.be
My 2007 with 24 000km does something similar. It rises to about 4k or 5k RPM with the choke on full and I just set it mid way until it climbs again. Repeat as necessary.
I also have the issue where it bogs down when given throttle until it's completely warmed up. It didn't do this when I first bought it as far as I can remember. I'm thinking that cleaning the carbs might fix it.
Thanks for responses. So now that we've established this is normal... is it safe to ride with choke on? Being the bike wants to climb in rpm on it's own would it be dangerous to ride the bike with some choke during warm up?
Also, anyone who has cleaned/rebuilt carb on a GS500 before how difficult would this be for a guy who is not a mechanic and has never worked on a carburetor before?
I don't normally use the choke to start. In winter when it gets below freezing I do. Riding with the choke on is fine.
Mine is a 02 with 92k miles on it and my approx 33-34F cold startup today was as usual. Went into garage started bike on full choke and it reved to about 2500 where it holds while I walk over to a chair behind the bike to pickup my helmet and put it on as I walk back to the bike and climb on. If I do this fairly quickly it is still running about 2500 and if I take too long it is starting to slowing down and flood out and will die if still on full choke and I don't give it some throttle. Either way I then cut back the choke while blipping the throttle a bit to make sure it will still take a quick blip and restore a bit of choke if it won't. I then pull out and get off and close the garage door and get back on and ride off with the choke set as it was when I pulled out and a couple blocks down the street or maybe a couple more if it's really cold I close the choke completely and keep on going.
My old 97 GS that I put 80k miles on was more like you and dmartins describe, the just started bike would rev quickly to 4-5k rpm as I put my helmet on and I would hurry back to cut the choke and after pulling out of the garage it needed cut again and after closing the garage it would need a final adjustment to as low as possible but still enough choke to take a quick throttle blip so I could ride off without balking, about 15-1600 rpm I think. I do recall needing to cut back the choke again sometimes when coming to a stop a bit further down the road but it was no problem. The old 97 was jetted quite a bit leaner than my current 02 is and both remained factory stock, never touched the carbs on either.
With both GSs over 13 years and 170k miles I never waited for either to warm up and get off choke before starting off so I'd say you won't have any problem riding off with the choke on. :icon_lol: