2002 XR400 won't run without choke on half

[lardy]

Hi all

Just picked up my first XR today

The bike started very well on half choke but after 5 minutes of riding I tried to turn the choke off. The bike died as if I had turned it off too early. So I turned the choke back on and rode for another 10 minutes, again I tried to turn the choke off and the same thing happened. The bike will not run at all without half choke. I have and idea the bike has sat for some time before I bought it so hat maybe having an effect.

Any ideas? I plan to clean and check the air filter, plug and carb over the weekend but would love to hear some other opinions, thanks.

[jarl]

Sounds like it's running lean- blocked carb or fuel lines, starving the bike of fuel is the most logical explanation, especially if it had been sitting. Check fuel filter, fuel tank for rust and ick, and carbs for sludge.

[stuart]

don't shout at me for suggesting this but you are moving the choke lever from half to off and not from half to full choke arn't you?

[416cc]

As in 3 o/c is choke full on, 4 o/c is half choke & 6 o/c is choke off.

[Kes]

don't shout at me for suggesting this but you are moving the choke lever from half to off and not from half to full choke arn't you?

Its a good suggestion its what I was doing when I first had mine

[lardy]

As in 3 o/c is choke full on, 4 o/c is half choke & 6 o/c is choke off.

You said what?? forgive my ignorance, as I look at the choke it seems to have 3 positions, up, middle and down. I assumed that up was off, middle was half and fully down was full choke on. (stands back and waits for laughs)

[416cc]

As with many Honda chokes, up is indeed full choke, down is choke off. After a short time with the engine running at full choke (up/3 o/c) move the lever to the halfway position to warm up a bit further before moving off. Once you get a short distance on the road you can move the choke off/6 o/c position.

It's in the owners manual but unfortunately these don't always get passed on to the next owner. The manual is still available from Fowlers Honda p/n 37KCY600 or 00X37-KCY-6000.

[lardy]

Ah, thanks all for the help.

Consider this the first of many stoopid questions

[Xman]

If that doesn't work I would say almost certainly that your pilot jet is blocked. If so, remove the float bowl. You should be able to do this by loosening the carb clamps and rotaing the carb slightly to get at the screws. Carefully remove brass jets inside one at a time and clean them out. DON'T use a metal object!!
While you are in there, make sure the valve that lets fuel into the float bowl is not blocked iether by slipping out it's pin and removing float bowl together with valve. Clean it, and the hole it came out from, and the inside of float bowl checking for signs of water and resultant corrosion. Then reassemble floatbowl.
Check fuel flows from the valve with fuel turned on and float lowered, then check fuel turns off when you push float up. If all ok put float bowl back and you should be ok, using fresh fuel.

[lardy]

Turns out it was using the choke incorrectly

In my defence it was a friend who suggested down was on, honest!!!!!

Once again thanks for the input.