SuzukiSavage.com - cold weather choking my motorcycle

PipJones Full Member Offline Posts: 146 Fort Worth, Tx Gender:	cold weather choking my motorcycle 12/08/08 at 07:31:14 Got a 98 with 13k on it. ran beautifuly during the summer and fall months but now that its in the 30s, and 40s she won't stay idling for more than about 15 seconds unless i snap the throttle. she does fine in the mid to high rpm ranges, but is piss-poor at idle. is it possible that rejetting would fix my cold weather problems?
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Mr. Hyde Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 565 Kingston, Ontario, Canada Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #1 - 12/08/08 at 07:35:56 Try just turning the idle up to start.
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Tincanman

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Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle
Reply #2 - 12/08/08 at 07:56:28

PIP..... Mr. Hyde is dead on. I think this is the biggest problem for this bike. eveyone LOVES to keep the idle down so it thumps but with the low idle comes problems ie... no oil getting to where it needs to be at idle and then it dies easy when the clutch is pulled in, PITA when your on the hiway. I to used to try and keep the idle down but its just not worth it. its to bad that the bike dont come with a tach, it sure could use one. (yes, I know we can get them) but still...

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PipJones Full Member Offline Posts: 146 Fort Worth, Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #3 - 12/08/08 at 08:29:27 I can set my idle up so the throttle is 1/4 open, and it will still die. i don't think the rate at which my bike is idling is my problem.
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #4 - 12/08/08 at 08:34:45 A little faster on the idle and maybe a little richer on the idle mixture - like a 1/4 turn counterclockwise. You can get the idle speed pletty close if you'll watch the headlight at idle - if it dims at idle your rpm's are too low.
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #5 - 12/08/08 at 08:36:00 PipJones wrote on 12/08/08 at 08:29:27: I can set my idle up so the throttle is 1/4 open, and it will still die. i don't think the rate at which my bike is idling is my problem. Now that's a different deal - it puff black smoke as it dies?
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PipJones Full Member Offline Posts: 146 Fort Worth, Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #6 - 12/08/08 at 08:50:29 yeah, it'll be thumpin along, then chug chug, puff black. crack on throttle - big blacksmoke cloud, chug chug, die. thats my routine. unless its warm. (outside)
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #7 - 12/08/08 at 08:57:19 Doesn't sound like a cold weather mixture issue to me unless your keeping the choke plulled out. Have you ran through the petcock deal - as in do you have fuel in the vacuum line? Have you given it new spark plug lately?
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PipJones

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Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle
Reply #8 - 12/08/08 at 09:01:08

replaced all vacuum hoses when i cleaned out my carb (no rejetting done), so i don't think it the petcock, cuz it works when i'm at higher rpms. I have a higher flowing pipe, so i'm sure my carb needs to be tuned a little.

No, have not replaced plug.. ever? I put 3k on it, i don't know what the previous owner has done maitenance weise. but i did clean the contact with a wire brush wheel off a bench grinder.

It is prob time to replace the plug anyhow.

Any suggestions to type?

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Gargle, sputter, burp and die!!! The ways of my LS650!!!!!

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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #9 - 12/08/08 at 09:08:44 on the plug - not really - there's a list in the tech section - I use the cheap champions when trying to get a plug read on a mixture - that way you can toss a few out until you get it right
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T Mack 1 - FSO

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sold 2001 LS650 for
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Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle
Reply #10 - 12/08/08 at 09:10:46

PipJones wrote on 12/08/08 at 09:01:08:

replaced all vacuum hoses when i cleaned out my carb (no rejetting done), so i don't think it the petcock, cuz it works when i'm at higher rpms. I have a higher flowing pipe, so i'm sure my carb needs to be tuned a little.

No, have not replaced plug.. ever? I put 3k on it, i don't know what the previous owner has done maitenance weise. but i did clean the contact with a wire brush wheel off a bench grinder.

It is prob time to replace the plug anyhow.

Any suggestions to type?

Replace the plug first. They're cheap, 2 -3 bucks unless you go the high Perf type plug.

Note: it's not the greatest to wire brush a plug. Reason, the ceramic can get coated with metal particles and that can lead to shorting.

If you changed the pipe, rejet, Lancer sells jet kits in the Marketplace section.

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PipJones Full Member Offline Posts: 146 Fort Worth, Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #11 - 12/08/08 at 09:11:01 Is there a step by step in the tech section for testing mixture with the plug "color gauge"? I am unfamiliar with that system of testes
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #12 - 12/08/08 at 09:17:17 Called a plug chop - some don't believe in it's usefulness - but without fairly high tech stuff to measure the mixture it seems quite effective to me - I believe there's a tech post in the index - I'll go look see.
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #13 - 12/08/08 at 09:32:43 I'm still looking around in the index - there someplace or the other http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1181745927 by the way if your going to mess with the plug/mxture a good bit - look into the spark plug door suggestions
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Digger Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Ya gotta be tough to ride singles! Posts: 1604 Colorado Springs, CO Gender:	Re: cold weather choking my motorcycle Reply #14 - 12/08/08 at 20:09:17 Pip, When you've run out of other ideas, you might try this: Crimp the petcock vacuum line, so that it is blocked COMPLETELY. Set petcock to PRI. See if bike runs better. (remember to set petcock to ON before walking away from the bike). Report back up with the results. Good luck!
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