1982 550 LTD TK 22 choke doors?

Hi Everyone,
I have a 1982 550 LTD with TK 22 carbs. I have a really badly plugged pilot circuit on one of them and managed to break a piece of a dental pick off in it trying to clear it...


Anyway, I was thinking of picking up a set of carbs off ebay and started thinking this might be a good opportunity to get some with the doors still attached to the choke mechanism. But then I started thinking if this was a good idea... I already get by with no doors, and they are known to fall off, possibly causing engine damage. Would I be better off toughing it out without the doors instead of risking them falling off and causing damage?

The bike starts so much easier when the doors are there and working properly. This means inspecting them very very closely and making sure the hinge pins are all the way through and peened in properly. Without that, the doors can stick open just a crack and this makes it a little tougher to start.

In order to start the bike without the doors and without some other way of choking, you will likely have to jet up too much and will be too rich after it warms up.

There are a bunch of threads here on TK-22 carbs chokes etc. Try a search.

Also, I have some tk-22 info about the fast-idle set screw which might help you out. I'm working on a page dedicated to TK-22 info, but it's still in the works.
home.comcast.net/~loudgpz/GPZweb/Carbure...PZchokeScrewMod.html

Thanks for the reply. I was actually do a search and reading up on these. A dedicated page would be great.

Well, I diassembeled mine completely to soak because my #4 pilot circuit passage is plugged just before it enters the carb throat and I'm having a heck of a time clearing it. This it he first time I got a REALLY close look at my doors and the pins and hinges are there...but where the hinge attaches to the door is where it broke! all four chokes broke in the same place. I wonder where the the heck these doors went... I'm almost thinking the PO removed them because I don't have any damage or I haven't found the doors anywhere.

My choke right now is stuff a hankerchief in the airbox intake. works ok at best...but I've been doing it for 6 yrs, so I'm getting good at it

apbling wrote:

Thanks for the reply. I was actually do a search and reading up on these. A dedicated page would be great.

Well, I diassembeled mine completely to soak because my #4 pilot circuit passage is plugged just before it enters the carb throat and I'm having a heck of a time clearing it. This it he first time I got a REALLY close look at my doors and the pins and hinges are there...but where the hinge attaches to the door is where it broke! all four chokes broke in the same place. I wonder where the the heck these doors went... I'm almost thinking the PO removed them because I don't have any damage or I haven't found the doors anywhere.

My choke right now is stuff a hankerchief in the airbox intake. works ok at best...but I've been doing it for 6 yrs, so I'm getting good at it

Yep, once you get the knack, it's not too bad. And no one else will be able to steal it unless they like pushing the bike! :laugh:

Here's a thread with a link on making the flaps

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...d=3&id=349339#350926


another one you can try is to make all 4 choke plates solid with no flaps. Then use the choke lever the same way you use the kerchief. Someone else here has done that and reported good success. It allows you to set the choke to a certain position to allow the motor to idle and rev a little so you can start riding even when it's cold.

I took all the flaps off and epoxied the hole completely off. On cold mornings I set the choke lever just shy of being full choke to allow a little air to pass thru. It works great and you don't need to worry about any of those parts going thru the motor!

Loudhvx has wanted me to take some pics of this for some time now but i still haven't yet:unsure:

I think a picture would be pretty nice...
That sounds easier and less risky too... did you use just regular epoxy glue? How did you get it to form and not sag or make a huge damn mess?

BTW, I live in WI some guy just sold a 550 like yours... He had it marketed as a 1100R 1/2 scale. Is 550 a project you did or did Kawie make them like that?

I will have to take a pic next time i have the carbs off but they work so good i rarely have to take them off.

Actually a friend from work put the epoxy on for me. He used a two part epoxy. I'm not sure how he did it without making a mess but i could ask him. After it was cure i knocked off the high spots with a belt sander. They turned out real nice.

Kaw didn't make them quite like mine, they did make the GPZ550 which is quite similar. Here is the link to my project:

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...w&catid=11&id=154651

I talked with my friend about this, he said he sandblasted them lightly to make sure there was good adhesion. He used tape to block off one side and filled them from the other side. After it is cured put them in the oven at 300 degrees F for an hour or two to fully cure and to raise its chemical resistance. A fairly runny 2 part epoxy would be best.

Thanks Tom. The 300 deg didn't soften or melt the epoxy? I take it he left the tape there? I guess this would be better than adding doors because if it come off, a piece of tape or epoxy wouldn't cause the same damage a metal door would.

I was thinking... What do you think about cutting out the doors (I was going to use thin stainless steel) and epoxying them in place. Then take a drill (start small and can always make it bigger) and drill a hole in the center of the plate I made. That way I can close the choke completely, but some air will still be able to pass through?

He used the tape on one side and then let them cure on there own, removed the tape and then put them in the oven for a more complete cure.

I was thinking... What do you think about cutting out the doors (I was going to use thin stainless steel) and epoxying them in place. Then take a drill (start small and can always make it bigger) and drill a hole in the center of the plate I made. That way I can close the choke completely, but some air will still be able to pass through?

Try it! That would probably work too!

Don't drill the hole, at least not at first. The initial crank works better with it totally sealed. Just keep your hand on the choke and open it slightly after the first initial crank. Or you can always set the lever so the door is open a crack if needed.

Play with it before you drill any hole. If you find need it cracked a tiny bit from the start, then drill an appropriate hole. But smaller is always better. The colder the air, the smaller the hole will need to be.

Typically, the more air that leaks past the choke, the more throttle you will have to give it as you crank it.