Choke or No Choke?

[Kierantaylor]

Interesting morning for me. 02 ST4S on powerlet tender that reads charged.
Side stand up (duh), on centerstand.
Go to start with tender still in powerlet, no good.
Remove powerlet, try starting, no good.
In 55 degree garage but move lever to full cold start position and start, no good. (I am waiting a full minute between each step)
In all situations I got the slow turn over and slight chug chug. Like the compression was too much for the battery.
I come home 8 hours later and try again, same result after 3 tries with minute wait in between.
Then, just now, 12 hours or so later, I try again and same result, Chug chug but no turnover.
I move cold start/choke to null setting and boom, it turns right over. Instantly.

WTF? Is the choke on/off that big a variable? I don't think it's a battery issue as it turned over just now when the tender was blinking (80% or better)
It didnt turn over when the battery tender said full charge.

I just did the 12k service and they said the bike was great, battery was great, etc. Ran well for days until this morning's debacle...

Any ideas on what may be awry?

[Able Duc]

Is actually a fast idle lever rather than a choke Kieran. It's a bit like holding the throttle open a bit when you move that lever.
They are notorious for bad connections from the battery to wherever, so I would start at the battery and work my way around the electrics. Same has happened to me and I have done the connections check and fixed it, even though I have found nothing wrong.
So fairing off and get to work.

[Bill_Anderson]

Have you installed one of those gadgets which bypasses the sidestand kill switch and lets you start the bike with the sidestand down when the bike is in neutral? I had trouble starting my late 02-ST4s. The starter would keep turning but the engine would never "catch", sometimes to the point that the battery would die.

The previous owner had installed such a sidestand bypass device. Once the device was removed, no more starting problems. After that I could only start the bike on its center stand with the sidestand up, but that did not bother me.

[Able Duc]

I think Bill it's not turning over hardly at all from what I can gather.

[tonered]

I removed my fast idle lever. I never need it to start the ST, and it was just plain ugly. Not to mention that it makes removing the clutch master a much more difficult task.

That said, did the peeps who did the service set up the FI and balance the TBs? If not, you could have hard starting and rough idle.

Otherwise, your battery could be getting old. Like was mentioned, it would be good to check and clean the battery terminal connections.

If you keep the fast idle lever, it is always best to start with the minimum amount to minimize start up wear.

BTW, once I accidentally tried to start my ST with the Throttlemeiter engaged and open. It just chugged and chugged like you noted.

Have a good one.

[Kierantaylor]

Thanks much fellas. I know its a "fast idle" but owning a brit bike that needs the carb bowls 'tickled' for each start, I just think of it as a choke.

I will check it. Its running beautifully now and from what I can tell, it just doesn't like the fast idle at all. Perhaps it is a lousy connection to battery that is confusing it?

I didnt put a sidestand bypass in- thought about it but lack of it is making me use the centerstand WAY more often than i ever have so I figure that is a good thing.

I guess I don't quite get why they put the fast idle in... On my more recent FI triumph I knew I would have to stand there for 60 or so seconds and rev her at 2k. Putting this fast idle in seems like over engineering for a corner case to me. BUt maybe other folks use it a lot?

All I know is that my bike prefers to start without it! Like I said, running awesome now. Gremlins maybe

[Bun-bun]

I have the same "problem" with my new to me ST4s. It surprised me as I've always had to use the fast idle lever on my Monster and figured the same would be true for this bike, but not so.
Temps have been in the 50s here lately, and the bike needs either no fast idle, or just a slight touch. Too much, and it lugs and won't start. Be interesting to see if/how that changes as the weather gets colder.

[RDuc3]

My ST3 starts and idles smoother by using the "choke" especially now with early morning temps in 20 - 30's. I only set the idle fast enough so that it idles smooth. I also have a Monster which requires the choke when cold even at warmer temps.

[Stick]

My 2003 ST4s is finicky starting if the hi-idle lever is set. I find that it starts best with:
Throttle at zero, hit starter button, as soon as it fires, gently raise the idle speed with grip, then set the idle speed lever to about 1200 to 1500 rpm to warm it up.

I find that using the above method, it fires with one or 2 compression strokes. And on a 20 degree day after work (sitting outdoors in that cold all day), you only get about two tries to make her fire.

[danrduc]

Opening the throttles lets in more air, more air means more compression, more compression takes more effort from the electrics. Know why they say to hold the throttles open during a compression test? More air means more compression.
My ST2 cranks just fine with a bit of throttle added in, I use it to increase rpm/voltage. At 1000rpm only 11.5-12v available, at 1500 rpm 14v going in, helping recharge.