well its gotten cold here in good old arizona, low 60,s, and ive noticed that my bike is getting harder to start. i have a S&S super E. i tried to start it the other day and almost thought i was out of gas. when i let off the throttle completely then it would start. i havent been using my enrichment valve for a long time and maybe thats the problem, hasnt been cold here in a long time. guess by leaving the throttle closed it helping the engine pull fuel into it. i know these S&S carbs dont have a choke. im going to try working the enrichment valve today to see if it does the job. i use to pull it all the way up thenpush it down about 1/3rd of the way and then start it.

 

I've had alots of HD with the Super E carburetor. My starting sequence was always like this......roll the throttle three times and then press the starter button. I would then lock the throttle to the desired RPM.

Unless the bike sat for like two weeks or more.....and if the temperature is around freezing. I still roll the throttle three times and use the enrichment. I never leave the enrichment on for more than about one minute. Anymore than that, high probability of fouling the spark plugs is waiting to happen.

I've gone few years without using the enrichment on the Super E. It always seemed to work whenever I needed it.

 

well all i had to do was pull my enrichment valve up and its all good. been a long time since it was this cold.

 

t Been runnung those carbs since my Shovelhead. Warm or cold I would always give it s shot of the choke, just to try to make it pop off. Try using the choke all the way out the first try at starting it.

 

It's freezing over here - so not much sympathy for your 'cold'! Glad the bike's running though.

 

For me the temps have to be hovering in the low 50's,then the can of starting fluid gets used.It never takes much!The backfires will almost take out the eardrums.

 

60's????

It's 6 in Michigan....

 

Just gotta love those old tempermental sob's, A buds superglide wouldn't start for him leaving ocktoberfest, I got on it tweaked the throttle twice and held at 1/4 gas and gave it a kick. It fired right up. Of course his response was that it was ready to start anyway, but I like to take credit for it.

 

it back to normal. all i had to do is pull the enrichment valve up and give it the normal two squirts i have always done. its just that i havent used the enrichment valve for so long that i forgot that i once did use it. any way its good to know all is back to normal and all is good. ive tried to find detailed information on the enrichment valve and exactly what it does. i know it richens the motor and also must push the throttle plate open some. but exactly how does it function.

 

It just opens a port and passage from the emulsion tube to the intake manifold and allows the low pressure in the manifold to draw extra fuel into the tract. It doesn't affect throttle plate position at all. It's really nothing more than a controllable fuel leak.