I've got a 2004 Road King with a carb/choke. The first Harley I've had that isn't fuel injected.

I've gotten used to pulling the choke to cold start and letting it warm up with the choke 50/75% out once it fires up.

However, I've noticed that once I get on the road if I keep the choke pushed all the way in it doesn't run quite as smoothly as if I keep it out about 10% or so.

When I have the choke out just a bit, it seems to accelerate a bit nicer and feels smoother overall. Idle sounds more balanced as well, without as much of a pup-pup-pup sound as if it's looking for more juice.

Is this common/normal? Is it bad to run it with the choke out a bit regularly, or more enriched if I understand it correctly.

Thanks.

 

Can't comment on the RK specifically, but on my '96 Sporty that I had, it ran better with the choke pulled out until it was really good & hot. Throttle response was better and it just ran smoother.

 

Exactly, everything just feels like it's happier when I ride with the choke out a bit. But I've read that riding with too much enrichment can do harm so I didn't want to keep doing it unless it's ok to a point.

It's not like I'm riding with it halfway out, just not completely pushed in either.

 

A cold engine doesn't want to combust fuel as well as a warm one. Reducing the mount of air increases or richens the air/fuel mixture. This allows a cold engine to run on the rich mixture until it warms up. Continuing to run with the choke/enrichner on, will at the very least foul good spark plugs and at the very worst wash oil off the piston, rings and cylinder walls with the surplus fuel.

EFI system have a cold start program that runs the injectors rich until the cylinder head temps have warmed up (including a fast idle). Then it switches to the normal AF ratio. Thats why EFI vehicles seem to run better when they're cold, more fuel. That said, you should resist the urge to open the throttle hard on any EFI machine while running in the cold circuit. The extra fuel combined with pistons and rings not yet expanded nominally will blow raw fuel past them into the crankcase (blow by).

I'm sure that's waay more than you wanted to know about the enrichner **** on your bike. Sorry;-)

 

Uh, ya...so trying to decipher all that into non-mechanic speak.

So I'm ok to ride with it out slightly when I first ride for the day, but after a while I should eventually push it all the way in to prevent issues...

 

Do you run it like that all the time? I have a carb on my 99, I pull it all the way out when starting, then about half way for a minute, then all the way in, it idles a little lower until it is warm but runs fine. I would check the plugs and see what they look like, your carb probably needs to be adjusted or re jetted.

And no, I would not run it all the time with the choke pulled out even a little.

 

Ya I don't know anything about adjusting the carb, checking the plugs or rejetting.

Might just have to take to a shop and explain and see what they can do?

 

You run with that choke out too long you will foul the plugs... guaranteed (don't ask me how I know) I've talked to at least 10 HD wrenches with master tech patches and a lot of old shade tree guys and it has ALWAYS been the same you use that choke to get the bike running... as soon as you can... push it in all the way keep the bike running with the throttle till it warms up... go ask your local wrench I am certain he will tell you the same and get a Mikuni 42 with an accelerator pump... stock CV Kheins suck

BTW what you are describing sounds like you may have already fouled the plugs (the sluggish thing)

 

rule of thumb- warm the motor until the heads are warm to the touch.

ride conservatively for the first 10 miles or so, at which point all the metals would have expanded to size, all the clearances are correct

on my carbed bikes I usually ride with the choke partly out for the first 1.5 miles ( 1st set of lights) and I usually push it in then.

a choked motor will make less power than a correct mixture- you'll feel it





some of us have very, very good results with the Keihin CV carb.
The Mikuni or S&S can be an awesome carb- but a near stock motor won't know the difference.
If elevation is changed the CV carb will perform very well and not need any adjustment or jet changes.
those of us who live in mtn States and run from near sea level to 9000 feet regularly appreciate that.


Mike