# Motorycle not starting...ideas?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorycle-not-starting-ideas/769008>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 19, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorycle-not-starting-ideas/769008 "2016-10-19T04:30:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorycle-not-starting-ideas/769008/61 "2016-11-15T16:00:34Z")

</div>

> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#):
>
> Bolding mine.  
> I hope you mean opening it, as the choke should be closed (knob pulled out) until it starts (engine cold).
> 
> I have also found that continuing to crank a time or three after it fires while opening the throttle will get the revs up and allow it to idle with the throttle released, when cold.

My “Choke” is actually a “starting enrichment circuit”, in the manual, it’s sometimes called a choke, but usually called an “SE Valve”. I’m not totally clear on the details, but it seems to pull up more gas (when open) rather then restrict air (when closed), but same result in the end.

ETA, but yes, I pull it out when I start the engine.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorycle-not-starting-ideas/769008/62 "2016-11-15T17:21:58Z")

</div>

Not that this has anything to do with you troubles (although the symptoms sound eerily familiar), but my NT650 is horribly cold-blooded, and it has a twin-cable throttle set up. I actually have to twist the throttle in the \*opposite direction \*and hold it when firing it up cold to get it to run at all.

The return cable does not seem to want to adjust properly. Once warm, all is good, but its a pain in the ass 'cause I don’t ride it too much, and always a bitch to get running.

Here is another horror story: The tank on this bike had some gunk in it when I bought it, and ruined the petcock and the strainer inside the tank. It would allow a tiny trickle of fuel to flow to the pump, but not enough to keep it running. So, it would fire, sputter and quit. Let it sit a few minutes and repeat. Maddening! Worse, that damn petcock was around $75! :eek:

Good luck and keep fighting the good fight!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorycle-not-starting-ideas/769008.md?page=3)