I started bike about this past Friday and let it run to for 15+ to keep battery charged.

I tried to start i again today and I can't get choke lever fully pulled. The seems like it wants to start but choke is only about 1/4 engaged.

I don't want to pull too hard and break lever..anything I should check to figure where it is stuck?

thanks

Quote from: alabrasaThe [bike] seems like it wants to start but choke is only about 1/4 engaged.

But, will it start with only 1/4 choke?

The choke lever pivots on the handlebar, which may be dry, it also has a ledge on the side that's facing you that may hang-up on the bolt for the clutch perch. The choke slide could get pinched between the carb boots. Maybe one of the little plastic retainers is coming out of its housing and wedging the choke slide when you pull the lever? Maybe squirt a little lube on the choke plunger shafts?

It's also possible that the choke is partially on all the time now.  Look at the picture in the Help!!! thread.  If the curved metal end of the cable has come out and gotten hung up on the lip of the housing it will behave as if the cable is tight - by the same amount that the cable normally sticks into the housing.

If you have a pre-'01 you can check this assembly visually by kneeling down on the right side of the bike.  If that's not the problem (or you have an '01+) check the stuff that scratch mentioned up at the handlebar end of the cable first, then remove the tank to get to the rest of it.

Nope, doesn't start. I was thinking that a little more choke would get it started but I can't move lever.

scratch, I'll check the things you mentioned.

This and another "choking" thread remind me of the choke cable on my project bike. I removed the sucker and it wouldn't slide more than 1/4 inch either way. Lubrication, flexing, twising, cussing, pounding, nothing.

The brand new one I received in the mail slides great. If both ends are free of their attachments, it should slide easily. If not, I'd pitch it and get another.

Now I just gotta get some time to install it and all the other parts I have received in the last three weeks.

Deconstruction and analysis is always faster than construction and fine tuning.  

I finally got lever beyond 1/4 choke to full choke and bike started. I checked everything and nothing was loose (at least on both ends..I didn't remove tank to check entire route of wire).

To get it to move beyond 1/4 I lubed the plunger and lever area first just in case they were sticking then started pulling lever and pushing on plunger at same time to get it to go in. This did the trick. The only other difference today is that the temperature in my garage and outside is much warmer than yesterday.

Only problem now is that it doesn't want to unchoke/disengage all they way. I have to grab plunger with pliers and pull out.

I'm thinking the spring that causes the plunger to pull out after unchoking doesn't have proper force along with plunger and the wire is not moving inside cable.

Any ideas on what else to do? I don't want to replace cable.

(I still plan to remove tank and check cable route...I wanted to do this anyway for valve and carb work...so no biggie).

Detach the cable at the lever and lube the snot out of it. Get some good cable lube and work the cable back and forth in the sheath to get the lube down to where I'll bet the cable is rusting together with the sheath.

I think I found the issue. The cable melted where it was touching the valve cover.

Path of wire below. See how it is touches/runs over valve cover.



I think when I ran bike to keep battery charged it burned cable and probably leaked melted plastic into sheathing. Not sure if this one actually all happened this time around or if this was the "straw that broke the camel's back" and finally burned all the way to metal sheathing. (Oops..air cooled bike...NEWBIE probem won't happen again)

Burns marks on valve cover where cable was touching cover.



Melted part of cable. I think cable is still usuable I just need to lube and really well and make sure it is routed better if possible.



I went back and looked at Kerry valve video and his cable seems to take same path. I assume this is standard Suzuki path for choke cable...and IMHO not the best way since it can happen again if cover gets too hot.

As I mentioned, the '01+ layout is a little different.  Here's the view from behind Manjul's bike:



I wonder if they moved the linkage from the right carb to the left one for this very reason...?

PS - How is the hinder part of your front fender?  Did it melt / warp / ripple at all from the heat of 15 minutes ( ) of running at 0 mph?

I was thinking of using similar route (i.e. not stretched over valve cover) like it was before.

Fender is fine. I know I had the garage open on a very cold windy day with front facing towards opening and maybe even sticking out...maybe that helped.