My cold start routine

Can someone tell me what I need to do in order to get this to start right.

Right now, when I cold start my bike, I dont need to choke it. I actually have to raise the idle adjust screw. Then it starts up, and within 30 seconds it revs up to 4000. Then I begin slowly turning it down until I get it back to 1500. Everything runs great at that point. Are my pilots too big? I dont remember whats in there, I think 17.5.

Thanks

Wow, what sign where you born under? A bike that don't need choke on cold days. My 95 GPZ1100 needs choke in hot summer with no mods done.

If you do choke it and leave idle adjust alone does that work as well?

No it floods if I try the choke.

I think when I got it running last year I was lean from bad carb holders. This year I have different holders on and this started. Something I can get used to, just not right.

Mine requires the same start up procedure.

But I also know mine is in terrible need of a clean/tune.

I think everyone has a different cold startup procedure. For what it's worth, here's mine:
1. Petcock to RUN
2. Full choke
3. Ignition OFF
4. Throttle closed
5. Kick it about 6 times
6. Ignition ON
7. Push the starter button

If I do this, she lights off every time.

We hardly ever get below 50 down here, so its never really cold but I still need to use the choke on every first start of the day.


My routine is simple.

petcock on run, watch the fuel filters fill

ignition and kill switch on

choke half way

push the starter button, starter cranks twice and she roars to life.

lower the choke slowly within a couple of minutes and she idles at 1100.

Granted my bike is quite a bit smaller, the principle should be the same. My 440 will flood if I try to start it cold with full choke. I have to start at about 3/4 choke. Let it run until the RPM's start to rise then cut to about half choke, wait for the RPM's to rise...You get the picture. After about 5 minutes I can cut the choke completely and everything smooths out. Hope it helps.

Factory Service Manual:

Engine Flooded
-Fuel level too high
-Float valve worn or stuck open
-Starting technique faulty (when flooded, kick with the throttle fully open to allow more air to reach the engine)

Dan, I have one float that I know is too high in my rack. I have a little bit of clear tubing that jam fits so that I can see my service fuel level. I'm doing that this year. Last year I set my floats by hand, with a ruler, at 25mm. I got away with it right until the fall. No leaking out the bottom, ran well etc. Later in the year the bike was going out of tune and was getting raty below 2000 rpm and would clear up after that. I also had black plugs instead of tan though. I'm going back to my 15 pilots, from the 17.5s that I installed last spring, and I'm going to do a VISUAL service fuel level this time, with the floats. I want to eliminate this float BS for once and for all. All the other components in my carbs are new from kits last winter, so those factors are eliminated. With all new components, plugs, filters, oil, timing set up, gaped points (if I still use them), carb synch. All should be cool. I am no mechanic but I've tried to follow basic proper tune up procedures and I've had pretty good results. If I had Wiredgeorges knowledge I would probably know what your difficulty is. But my guess is that the floats may be too high. That is only a guess though, as I'm learning as I go along also. Good luck and please tell what you did to correct this difficulty, as I would appreciate your insight also.

According to my Kawasaki service bulletin book, there were 3 types of carbs for the 77 model 650( with out accelerator pumps) the first style has no air screws (normaly called idle mixture screws, on the top of the carbs)but have pilot fuel screws (on the front bottom of the carbs- sticks through the float bowls)They are called pilot screw type carbs.
The 2nd style (called transition carbs)have both the air screws and fuel screws. The second style should have the fuel screws turned all the way in and the air screws turned out 2 turns.They used this carb for a short time when they were getting the carbs sorted out.
The 3rd style has no fuel screws and only has the air screws. They are called the air screws type carbs.
If you have the transition type carbs (2nd style- with both fuel and air screws) and your fuel screws are not seated in, it will cause the rich running that you are experiencing.
Fish

Good info Fish, thanks. I was looking through the narrow lens of my 3rd example, air screw only, type carbs.

Mine have the air screws.

I havent had time to mess with the bike all weekend.