choke adjustment instructions for an idiot

[nick]

OK guys - sometime ago i moaned about my choke not staying out and we (ie the forum) agreed that i should adjust my knob.

another suggestion was use a clothes peg; at the time i foolishly rejected this sage advice thinking that this was now the 21st century and surely my knob should stay out on its own.

so i unbolted the choke knob assembly and pratted about which seemed to make it all nice and lose and slidey so that the choke knob stays out on its own - how proud was I - proper hdrcgb member now, me

well i have buggered up the choke and i don't have enough choke to start on these chilly mornings. i also don't have a workshop manual, mainly because i know damn well that i shouldn't get involved in spannering.

but i don't want to go to the dealers to adjust it so i need to get out the spanners again. what do i do - whip off the air filter cover and go from there to get at the choke on the carb and adjust or what? can anyone instruct an idiot! assuming that it is easy. I don't know how to get to it or what bit to spanner.

by all means tell me just to get down to the indi repair shop and stop pi$$ing around if that is what i should do.

xl1200c by the way.

thanks a lot
nick

[Sportsterboy1974]

Thought i'd try and get the ball rolling for you mate. The choke(enricher) cable is a fairly simple device..the adjustments you made to it shouldn't alter how the bike is behaving now on these chilly mornings. As long as you can pull the knob all the way out(and it stays out), fuel is on (make sure the little vaccuum pipe behing the petcock is connected and not damaged) the bike should start when you hit the button(ignition on for any smartarses). In the winter i usually give the throttle 1 or 2 blips before i hit the starter button. Am i correct in thinking that the bike has been starting ok recently until the temperature dropped? Will the bike just not start..does it sound like its trying? Any clicking from the starter motor? The more details you can give us the more responses you'll get. Personally..i think it sounds like a battery problem..do you keep it on an optimate or trickle charger?

[Tiz]

Now that the colder wathwer is here, it could be time to start using a fuel addititive or super unleaded.

[BaZa®]

have a look on this page:

http://www.harley-davidson-hangout.c...earchid=814518

[Urrell]

You say you "Have buggered up the choke" what do you mean by that.

How far does the enricher knob move if at all?

Originally Posted by nick

so i unbolted the choke knob assembly and pratted about which seemed to make it all nice and lose and slidey so that the choke knob stays out on its own.

what do i do - whip off the air filter cover and go from there to get at the choke on the carb and adjust or what? can anyone instruct an idiot! assuming that it is easy. I don't know how to get to it or what bit to spanner.
nick

Can you give a better description of what you have done and are trying to do?
It almost sounds as if someone is taking the piss

[grbrown]

Originally Posted by nick

well i have buggered up the choke and i don't have enough choke to start on these chilly mornings. i also don't have a workshop manual, mainly because i know damn well that i shouldn't get involved in spannering.

nick

Nick,

Well you ARE spannering! A manual will help because you will be able to see what you are dealing with and how it should be set up. We are struggling to help, because these things really are very simple and it is difficult to understand how it could have gone wrong on you.....

Failing that an indie......

[nick]

had a closer look just before it gets dark. no not taking the piss urrell.

the plastic nut and thread holding the choke cable to the bracket on the LHS of the bike has cracked and is falling apart which may explain it a bit.

also nearly 1/3+ of the choke travel has no discernable effect on mixture which sort of suggested to me that i ought to get to the choke end of the cable and adjust there - like you would do on a car. assuming there is some adjustment available.

anyway i will have to replace the choke cable cox of the cracked thread which may solve the problem anyway. as i am doing hoggin the bridge with my nipper then i will just get it fixed as soon as possible (riders) - if the bike doesn't start next Sunday AM my life will not be worth living.

and yes fuel additive, and optimate. i often go off at 6 ish am and it has been quite cold and moist for a few weeks now hence the fuel additive.

nick

[1sportyrich]

You don't need spanners to adjust your choke, easy job to do.

The only thing I will say is do not, I repeat do not nip up the nut behind the bracket, with a spanner. I did this and the plastic just broke, then I had to use a plastic clothes peg to keep the bugga out. That metal nut only needs to be tight to hold it in place

The plastic knurled piece, on the outside of the bracket, is the tightener for the choke. Just adjust this bit with your fingers only, no pipe grips. It only needs to be tight enough for the choke to pushed & pulled with a light force.

Hope this helps.

[nick]

thanks ritchie - have replaced the whole cable and now the bike is a happy bunny -