Hard starting and...
 

I have a new '06 with only 30 miles on it. Hasn't been ridden in three weeks. Tried to start it today and first forgot to use the choke. Remembered but battery was week and drained out before I could start. Swapped batteries and got it started but the engine began to stall while choke on and easing the choke off slightly would not make it keep running. Got it running again, briefly, and tried to keep it running with choke off and some throttle. It died, as did the battery. Is this normal? About four or five hits of the electric starer and the battery dies?

Second issue: Can't roll the bike in gear with the clutch disengaged, can't on my KLR250, either. This seems strange, too.

Suggestions? Thanks.

RE: Hard starting and...
 

A hard lesson learned on my part was that I tried giving my bike throttle a few times during startup and had the same problem as you minus the battery going dead.

There seems to be a certain spot where the choke lever hates to be. Sometimes, I would try to start my bike with the choke lever pulled a 1/4 back, and it would not stay running. The choke works best 1/2 to full choke. Like I said above, make sure to NOT GIVE IT THROTTLE WHILE STARTING!!! That was most of my hard starting problems.

Sometimes it can take a few minutes to get warm enough to run on it's own before un-choking it.

Good luck, hope this helps some.

RE: Hard starting and...
 

Yeah, I had that problem the other night when it was about 45 degrees out. The cold weather is like a temporary sickness, I found myself constantly giving my bike a nudge of the throttle at a stop light because it kept wanting to die out. And same problem with the start up on my part, Mark brings up a good point, too. I usually put my choke half-way on and then start her up. NEVER give it throttle when starting up, it defeats the purpose of the choke, which is a secondary valve that CLOSES partially to allow more of a vacuum of air through the carbs. If you open your throttle then it just kind of defeats that purpose to some extent, never works when it's cold out. So yeah, don't get worried, just learn the kinks and you'll be good.