Triumphrat

Penelope

Ok....so I have a 1969 Triumph 500cc chopper (I call it a tiger on my insurance forms, haha). I live in Pa where the weather has turned cold and miserable and motorcycles like the ones I ride don't like to start. My other bike has a choke and electric start which allows me to start down to about 40 degrees, maybe colder but I'm not that hardcore, lol. Regardless, I can't choke the Triumph and have run out of ideas to get it started on this 45 degree day.

So far I've kicked it about a hundred times, tickled it til it cried, rocked it back and forth (someone thought that might be a solution), ran a blow dryer on the carb and engine & even removed the plugs to drop a little gas in there...so far all I have to show for it are a few stalled out starts and a blister on my thumb knuckle and left palm.

Any other suggestions?? Could it be as simple as me not weighing enough to combat the cold air? I'm 115/5'2"...my leg is tired...

boudiepitbull

Find a really big hill...

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Penelope

omg, thats what i keep thinking, only i live in the valley and everything is uphill from here! i'm also considering flagging down a burly man....

boudiepitbull

Can you replicate the butterfly of a choke by having some one restrict the air flow a bit while you kick away? I remember Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro starting his Indian by holding his hand over the velocity stack while he had his rear wheel spinning.

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The "Earth" without "art" is just... "Eh"

boudiepitbull

It's always better to live at the top of the hill. Floods, motorcycles that won't start, etc, etc.

Wait for Forchetto to respond. He'll have an actual practical idea that will work.

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The "Earth" without "art" is just... "Eh"

Penelope

awesome, thanks, i'll do that...also im home alone so no one to help, its all me.
and i wholeheartedly agree about living on the top of a hill, haha

boudiepitbull

and if you push it up to the top of the hill and it still doesn't bump start, at least you've rolled all the way back home. It's a win-win no matter how you look at it.

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The "Earth" without "art" is just... "Eh"

Penelope

the sun has set, the temps have plummeted & i never got it to stay running...the next two days are supposed to be high forties though, so at least the outlook is not too grim.

...and if i push it anywhere it'll be to arizona where it'll start every day :P

boudiepitbull

Did you ever get that thing started?

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The "Earth" without "art" is just... "Eh"