Bad Manners

[Mick Taylor]

Yes, bad manners....not Buster Bloodvessel doing the Can Can, but my Classic doing something similar before it hits full temperature

I took a ride out today on the Classic in nice warm temperatures, 100 miles in total with an hours stop at the destination. For the first few miles, the bike bucks, stutters, hesitates, snatches and generally has more flat spots than a bowling green, it's horrible to ride . Once the gauge passes 100 degrees she smooths out almost completely with occasionally just the tiniest trace of hesitation as the throttle is rolled on...... Full choke is always required to start either from cold or if the bike has been left for more than about half an hour, even on a warm day.

I'm not unhappy that it requires choke, it tells me the enrichment device is working, she doesn't run hot, the highest temperature I generally see when I catch a bit of traffic in town is 150 degrees, on the open road it's a steady 110degrees; the idle speed once fully warm is 900 rpm, idle is totally reliable although I can feel a slight stumble.

I have very little to complain about in the great scheme of things, but if I can improve the poor running between cold and 100 degrees I'd like to have a go; any suggestions where to start?

Mick.

[johnbirchjar]

Hi Mike.I used to have this very same problem in the early days with my Classic 'cos the Choke was not "stiff" enough to stay open so I could push it back a bit at a time as the engine warmed up,the answer was a couple of clothes pegs ,two for the cold start,then remove one when the engine reached about 80o,then the other one after 100,this system served me admirably for 50odd thousand miles(and I still use the same method with the water cooled engine,but it's not quite as efective with the water cooled engine 'cos it takes a bamn sight longer to warm up )hope this helps,J.B.

[Mick Taylor]

Hi John, thanks for that, the choke control looks like it was borrowed from an Austin Allegro.......it certainly has the appearance of a standard car part and if so it shouldn't be too hard to find one. (does anyone know of a substitute?)

Mine is not too bad, it's still reasonably controllable; the enrichment device clearly works, but, as I reduce the choke the bike becomes less and less controllable......I've tried leaving it on longer but that brings its own issues.....I wondered if it was running a little lean, hence the tendency to run poorly until up to temperature.....float heights maybe?

I was hoping someone here may have had very much the same problem and found a cure for it.

Mick.

[Richard Negus]

JB's solution, clothes pegs, works very well; I used a short length of rubber petrol pipe, slotted along its length to fit over the stem of the choke knob.
When I lost that, I just bent the stem slightly to create a bit more friction.
Another solution is to 'ride it like you stole it' for the first few miles, and then simmer down.
R.

[Anthony Duffield]

I like the 'ride it like you stole it' solution :-)

[Mick Taylor]

'ride it like you stole it' for the first few miles,

Rag it while it's cold?......really?

Mick.

[johnbirchjar]

It's a lot easier to "Ride it like you stole it" when one lives out in the sticks like Richard ,but a damn site harder when one lives in a built up area with, Traffic Lights,"Yummy Mumies" (taking their little monsters to school)"Lolly Pop Ladies", Idiot Car Drivers,Pedestrians (yacking on Mobile Phones) ect,"I rest my case"J.B.

[johnbirchjar]

And the Clothes Pegs are a good "ice breaker" at Rallies and Shows (even at Harley Rallies )J.B.