FAO: Those who have disconnected the choke

[Knobblywobbly]

What should you use to lubricate the choke plungers?

[YEN_POWELL]

Unusually for me I haven't ridden my bike since the 22nd of January. I went out and started the bike up yesterday and it fired up straight off the button. I was fully expecting to have at least a flat battery.

Chokes....who needs 'em....only eskimos!

[icenian]

my choke never worked well enough that I would have ridden the bike with it on; first time I closed the throttle (on the move) it would stall...

When I used the choke, it made it easier to start, and I'd then either let the engine warm briefly so it would idle with no choke, or (more likely) just turn the choke off immediately and ride off taking extra care.

No I have no choke, it's harder to start when cold, and I just warm the engine briefly, or (more likely) ride off taking extra care. No real difference then.

I suppose if I have a cold engine and I give it a big handful of throttle, while over lean, it's going to detonate (?) and do bad things to the engine. So, I don't give it a big handful when cold, which is a also a good idea with cold oil, cold tyres, etc. etc...

[chronyx]

This is all very lovely but the fact is my bike will not start at the moment, without spending 15 minutes at it with a heater or hot-air gun, so it might as well not have an engine let alone a choke. It's useless.

The choke is totally removed so I am out of things to try. I even double-checked the valve clearances and loosened them a touch as thumpertalk forums are full of hard cold starting woes caused by tight valves.

It was OK before the re-build, and is now a lovely powder-coated, braided brake-lined, £450 worth of new wheels paperweight/clothes horse.

Sick of the sight of the thing.