[alanmcorcoran]

76,

As always I must preface my advice with the disclaimer "I am the anti-mechanic." With that out of the way, and based on your story, here is my inexpert diagnosis/advice.

#1) You almost ALWAYS need to have the choke on. Even if it's warm out. The only exception is if you just recently turned the thing off. You don't usually need to leave it on for more than five minutes (usually less) but you always want it at least partway on to start. ALWAYS.

#2) You MIGHT need a new battery. In fact, you probably need one. BUT, it's worth slow trickle charging you battery overnight before you buy one. You can jump it yourself from your car (don't run the engine on your car - search on here for instructions) if you have to. You can also "jump" start it if you can get it rolling down hill.

#3) Your real problem is the bike is suffering from a common GZ ailment - lack of use. The symptoms are: hard to start, rough idling, stalling. I have expereinced two varieties of this. One variety (we'll call it Type 1) is self-curable by simply putting about 150-250 miles on the bike in a day or two. (at least one tank of gas, preferably two.) The second (Type 2) has much of the same symptoms, except a bit worse, idle drifts all around and NO amount of riding will cure it. I suspect the second is a more serious clog of one of the carb jets, but I don't know the cure - mine was cured by three trips to the dealer who probably finally "really" cleaned the carb on the third try.

I suggest you get a trickle charger first, then ride the thing 100 miles or so before you buy a battery. The fact that it WILL start up with a jump, means you probably do need a battery, but, the battery might just not have been properly charged. Unfortunately, once a batteyr is effed up, it typically remains somewhat effed up, and it sucks to be riding aorund never knowing if the thing is going to crap out on you and leave you stranded. However, at 635 miles, it's basically a brand new battery. You can search on here for the proper way to get the best charge into it, but be advised that it might be beyond hope. I can tell you i personally ran my battery down to zero TWICE - each time over several days (left the lights on) and I was able to recharge with a charger and it's been working fine for over a year since.

Good luck and welcome aboard.