ok, so ive got a 95 500 w/ a ton of miles, but it was running good up until the other night. i hadnt run it for a few days because it was cold (probably in the 40's or so). i starterd it up the other night and had to fully choke to get to start and then about half choke to make it stay running. Anyway, it ran ok except for the occasional kill when downshifiting to a hard stop. I am not familiar w/ having to use the choke a whole bunch, so is this something that is normal? should it stay choked when it is cold as long it doesnt run hot? i went to start it the other morning, and i couldnt get it to start at all. it turns over, but wont fire up. this was early in the morning and it was freeezing! probably high 30's. i know the bike is old and all that, but can someone give me an idea what to do. I am not much of a gear head unfortunaltely, but can get the job done if i have some idea of what to do. and i have been searching and have came up w/ a few things. possibly the plugs could be fouled because of to much choke. does this sound correct? i am a newb to this so give it to me good...

 

It's very possible that you fouled the plugs from choke overuse.
To clear a flooded engine, turn the choke OFF, open the throttle all the way open and crank the starter for 3-5 seconds (keeping your cat-like reflexes ready to close/release the throttle in case the engine catches and comes to life!) It's very bad to run an engine at full throttle when it's cold, but the reason you do it is to introduce [lean] air into your chambers and clean out the [rich] condition currently in there.
After doing this, let the bike sit for a minute or two to give the battery a chance to recover and any fuel on your spark plugs a chance to evaporate, then start as normal with the choke.
Do you have a battery tender/trickle charger? If you live someplace cold, this would be a good $30 investment.

Also, have you been starting the bike just to run it for a while periodically over the winter, so you didn't have to 'winterize' it? If so, this is almost certainly the reason you're having problems now. Winterizing is MUCH easier on an engine than starting it and running it for a few minutes every week through the winter.

If you are still unable to start the bike after clearing the flooded condition, it might be necessary to remove and clean/replace the spark plugs.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
-Chris in Carlsbad, CA

 

CChas your answer covered! jmo downshifting, engine braking or what ever, don't do it and just use your brakes to stop. Less wear and tear on the engine.

Let us know how those plugs look if you end up pulling them out.

 

I could only wish for 30 degree weather around here.[>:]It's been in the single digits for several weeks now.

I agree 100% with chris on everything. Not quite sure how often you're riding, but unless you can take it out for a reasonably long ride several times a week, just winterize it until the weather begins to change in a month or so. Also, in this really cold weather, carburetted engineswill sometimesidle lower thannormal.You canturn the throttle **** a little to make the bike idle up some. (It'llkeep your bikefrom dying during stops also.)Having to choke the bike all the time is only gonna give you more issues later.

Let us know how it goes.

~Mark.

 

thanks to all of you for the help. last night i changed the plugs, and they were black as night. i dont think the previous owner had changed them in quite some time, as they were the old NGK plugs, not the NGK-R, which i replaced them with. the bike started right up on the first rev. also, the night before the wind pushed the bike over, which i assume flooded the plugs, as they had oil on them. turned up the idle hair to about 1750, and she is running great. the weather is getting warmer (mid 50's and 60's during the day, I love Louisiana weather!). the bike has 27xxx miles, and i have put close to 300 on it in the past two months, so it was due for some new plugs. thanks again guys, and ride safe.

 

Glad to hear it all worked out for you. It's always the easiest solution that seems to do the trick.

Now if would only be in the 50's and 60's for me.

 

I would still do a plug chop with the new plugs to get a reading. But congrats with the progress so far.

 

plug chop? forgive me, for i know not....

 

I believe Dragone is referring to the Plug-chop or Throttle-chop method of ensuring that your main jet is good.
~Start with brand-new spark plugs.
~Start the bike and warm it up normally.
~Run it at >7,000 rpm in 6th gear for at least 8-10 seconds
~Simultaneously pull in the clutch and hit the engine kill-switch, coasting to a stop at the side of the road
~Remove and inspect the color/condition of the plugs, which should be a light fluffy tan, neither black nor gray.
Admittedly might have missed a detail (or an entire step) but you get the general idea.
This will tell you if you're main jet is too rich or too lean. The reason you don't want to this is to learn about your main jet's suitability. If you were to ride back home in traffic and allow the bike to idle for a while, you would have the pilot jet influencing the color/condition of your spark plug and possibly leading you to erroneous conclusions.

Personally, I must respectfully disagree with Dragone on this one. As long as you have the stock main jet in there and no other mods have been made, your bike will run longly and strongly. But since most young carburetor prodigies solve any fuel-air mixing problems by throwing more fuel at them, the simplest way to test it is to start the bike on a chilly morning with the choke left disengaged. If it will start and idle without the assistance of the choke, it is too rich; some skeleton in this bike's closet has unfortunately fooled with nature and screwed up a perfectly good stock setup.
If the bike will not settle into an idle when cold without the choke, then it is probably fine.
Thanks for the advice though, Dragone! I remember what a PITA it was to pull the plugs on the side of the road, cars whizzing by, some people stopping to ask if I was okay, and having to explain repeatedly, "Thanks! I'm fine. Just testing the bike out. What? No, no, everything's okay. Thanks for stopping..." and the plugs were perfectly fine.
-Chris in Carlsbad, CA

 

Again, congrats NOLA500Ninjaon the fix. Thanks calamarichrison explaining the plug chop.