in the past, the moto started with choke out on cold mornings, and i would quickly push choke back in once it started to keep the mornings quiet while engine warms...put on my helmet and gloves, and check all lights and cables each morning...it's my morning routine to give the bike time to warm up....

8,500 miles on the odometer now...if i start the moto and push the choke back in immediately, the engine stops...i started to warm the engine with choke out while i put on my helmet and glove, but when i push the choke back in...it'll idle regularly for a bit and die again....i have to let the engine warm for almost 2 minutes with the choke out...it idles fine and runs smooth when the engine is warm....

is this normal?...i never have the moto parked for extended period of time....the only change i've made is that i used a semi-synthetic oil at about 7,300 miles instead of the full-synthetic like in the past...i check oil level after each day before parking, so oil levels are always perfect...

 

Checked your valve clearances lately?

 

i'm signed up for a private one-on-one valve check and valve adjustment class on june 2nd with a certified motorcycle mechanic/instructor....i signed up for a private class because i wanted to work on my klx250sf....the regular class is usually a small group and the instructor uses a suzuki sv650...

 

thats about how my bike is, i have to run it for a few minutes with the choke on before it will run and idle on its own, almost all my bikes have been that way. checked the valves when i did the 331 kit and the intake valves were getting close to the tight end but still within spec. Exhaust is closer to the loose end.

FWIW

 

the moto runs fine...idles at intersections smoothly...left it parked idling for about 5 minutes to see if the engine cuts out, but no problems....seems like it only recently started doing this in the mornings, or after being parked after getting to work and starting it back up again in the evening....

i'll have the valve check and adjustments done on 6/2...i'll ask the instructor about it also...but, it seems like klx250 community knows more about these motos than most shop mechanics i've talked to....thought i ask here first...

 

Your more recent experience does sound pretty normal and your earlier experience atypical.

However, since the tolerances of the bikes are not all exact I gauge the performance on your initial experience.

So perhaps different gas, valves, carb, exhaust (spark arrest), plug etc may be causing it.

On the other hand since the bike sounds like it is working within normal guidelines you may just watch it.

 

My bike has always been a quick warming bike. I can pull the choke and as soon as its started, 5 seconds later I can push the choke off and its idling perfect. No bogging, no sputtering, just perfect.

 

I'd give some input, but my bike's EFI. Hope you sort things out.

 

Just wondering about the viscosity and pour point of your semi-syn. If the additive package is marginal and your base stock is just a bit thicker, it's (remotely) possible there's a slight viscosity change during those two minutes. Negligible on a big block V-8, but perhaps noticeable on a small-ish single cylinder.

 

Deej - didn't you install a larger pilot? Mine behaved the same way with a 38 pilot, but that was too big for me here at 2500' and went back to stock #35 which took a closer to 15 to 30 seconds of warm-up time before choke off. Opening the fuel screw helped some.