Choke lever conversion - useless?

[robertotoole]

I've been using the hand-pulled choke lever kit from Motorworks for a few years. The cap at the top has broken twice. I'm now using a piece of fencing wire, twisted at the top.

Anyone else use these? Have you had problems?

 

[casbar]

I've seen them advertised, not sure I see the advantage over the cable and choke on the bars. Never modded mine and the choke has worked fine. There must be an advantage or people wouldn't use them

 

[robertotoole]

Tall bars, busy cabling due to too many accessories wired in, occasionally jamming junction box, springs wearing out over time. Seemed a good idea. Possibly not. My method for fixing the broken lever is fun:

 

[Bubb]

I’ve got them on my st/gs bitsa…. Not had any problems

 

[robertotoole]

I’ve got them on my st/gs bitsa…. Not had any problems

Where dis you buy them? Maybe it's the Motorworks ones that are a problem.

 

[Bubb]

Think I got mine from motorworks……was quite a while ago so not too sure if my memory is correct

 

[Kenny]

Choke cables were mullered on my 80g/s when I bought it...so went the route of the Motorworks set-up. Great on my G/S outfit but I really wouldn't recommend them for a solo.

 

[robertotoole]

Choke cables were mullered on my 80g/s when I bought it...so went the route of the Motorworks set-up. Great on my G/S outfit but I really wouldn't recommend them for a solo.

They are the ones i've got. The top srction has come off twice now, and the wire has broken once. I might try again.

 

[Jem Wilton]

no probs with mine

 

[SteveHop]

Whats the advantage of this ?

 

[Gelandestrasse]

I’ve had a bike with these on and find them a pain in the arse. When you start and ride off, somehow you need to release the choke on the right hand side, which makes throttle control tricky at the point where the engine could very well stall. The left is easy to release but leaves you with an unbalanced engine. Just for vanity IMHO.

 

[robertotoole]

Not vanity, simplicity. Over 24 years of often hard riding in bad conditions my conventional choke set up went wrong too many times - jammed junction box, broken springs, jammed mechanisms, rusted cables. With they hand pulled system you can be sure the choke is off.

They are easy to use, no problem when starting. But my bike does run exceptionally well from start-up, probably due to the Wedgetail ignition's program.

 

[scooter paul]

I don’t think it’s been mentioned but if you’re using non standard handlebar levers on a model that originally would have had a handlebar mounted choke this is a no brainer solution to having your chokes work. Not so necessary if your choke lever is on the side of the airbox. I first came across this solution when HPN started building serious off-road bikes.

 

[robertotoole]

I think my bar risers also made a difference. The cables always seemed too tightly routed under the tank.

 

[Gelandestrasse]

Not vanity, simplicity. Over 24 years of often hard riding in bad conditions my conventional choke set up went wrong too many times - jammed junction box, broken springs, jammed mechanisms, rusted cables. With they hand pulled system you can be sure the choke is off.

They are easy to use, no problem when starting. But my bike does run exceptionally well from start-up, probably due to the Wedgetail ignition's program.

Well, seems like a solution to overcome a lack of maintenance to me.

 

[Steptoe]

Whats the advantage of this ?

None whatsoever. I’ve still got the original choke cables on my 1980 my 1989 and 1992 air cooled twins. 20 minutes maintenance once a year

 

[mikeyboy]

I recently fitted some carb / choke pulls from motobins to a bike for a customer,
By the time I had the “kit”,and purchased the additional parts to fit them to post 79 carbs I don’t think there was any change from £60/70 .
You can quite easily achieve the same set up with a paralever wheel spoke and nipple,probably costing less than a tenner.

 

[robertotoole]

Well, seems like a solution to overcome a lack of maintenance to me.

It's been a hard working bike. Often 500 miles every week, over 120,000 total, all year round, slogging through the horrible British weather, rain, snow, ice, and roads covered in salt. Plus some big tours through Europe. It would be nice to have had more time for maintenance, but riding it has been the priority. However, considering that, the bike is in amazing condition. But the choke setup is definitely the main weak spot, being so exposed to the elements.

 

[Gelandestrasse]

It's been a hard working bike. Often 500 miles every week, over 120,000 total, all year round, slogging through the horrible British weather, rain, snow, ice, and roads covered in salt. Plus some big tours through Europe. It would be nice to have had more time for maintenance, but riding it has been the priority. However, considering that, the bike is in amazing condition. But the choke setup is definitely the main weak spot, being so exposed to the elements.

I don't mean to 'dis' anyone on this forum, so apologies if it sounds that way. I think telling it like it is, is important. I've commuted year round for many years on a GS (1100, then a series of 1200s), BMWs are fairly robust to the weather (surface finish aside on the later bikes). I've had a bike with the choke modification and (like I said before) I found them a complete pain in the arse. So for me, there was value in keeping systems like that serviceable. A few cables every decade, not much money. And a spring or 2. But I get pleasure out of fettling, so it was like that for me, and it was easy.

When are you selling it?

 

[robertotoole]

I don't mean to 'dis' anyone on this forum, so apologies if it sounds that way. I think telling it like it is, is important. I've commuted year round for many years on a GS (1100, then a series of 1200s), BMWs are fairly robust to the weather (surface finish aside on the later bikes). I've had a bike with the choke modification and (like I said before) I found them a complete pain in the arse. So for me, there was value in keeping systems like that serviceable. A few cables every decade, not much money. And a spring or 2. But I get pleasure out of fettling, so it was like that for me, and it was easy.

When are you selling it?

Never. After fitting the Andreani fork cartridge kit I decided it’s now too good to sell. When i get home from USA I’m fitting knobbly tyres and using it as my off road bike, to enjoy the winter mud.