Bike making a sputtering sound with choke on halfway.

[bergstrom25]

Just put on a new petcock and fuel hose, cleaned carb, and new spark plug.

When I start the bike cold I switch it to prime, do I need the choke on full when it's cold? When I let it warm it, I pull it the choke back to about half and the bike makes this sort of sputter sound. Once its warmed up I let off the choke and after a while it runs fine, just wondering why it sputters. Kind of sounds like it's not getting enough fuel. This is my first bike, a 2006, so I'm very new to all this. Any help would be much appreciated!

[Fawlty]

Hi and welcome. You have come to the right place. I haven't been here long, but I do know that there is nothing these guys don't know about these bikes.

You should switch the petcock to ON and keep it there. When cold, fully open the choke, leaving the throttle closed. Wait half a minute, close the choke and you should be good to go.

If you haven't got them already you can download the owners manual and the workshop manual from this forum.

Good luck.

[Water Warrior 2]

Here's what Lynda did to start her GZ when cold.

Full choke, no throttle. As the engine warmed up a little the revs would pick up. She backed off the choke slowly to reduce the revs as it warmed more. Once the choke was fully off the bike was usually good to go.
While waiting for the engine to warm a bit you have a nice little period of time to check all your lights for proper function, put on your helmet and gloves
Usually the first start of the day was the only time the choke was needed.

[mrlmd1]

Once the bike starts, just give it 30-60 sec to run as you put on your gloves and helmet and zip up your jacket, slowly turning down the choke as the revs increase. Then ride off at a moderate speed. Within a half mile-1mile you should be able to turn off the choke completely. Do not sit in the driveway waiting a few min for the bike to warm up - ride it, that's much better.

[jonathan180iq]

:plus1: To all above

[bergstrom25]

Thank you so much for the help. I think i've pinpointed the problem. I don't think the battery is getting enough voltage to the engine. Last night my green neutral light wouldn't turn on when switched in neutral. When I started the bike this morning, it started with a slow chug-chug-chug, got slower, and finally all I could hear was the engine turning. I'm gonna test the battery in a bit, could it be any other electrical problems? Bike's got 13,000 miles on it, so I'm hoping it could be just time for a new battery. I'll keep ya posted.
You all are awesome by the way!

[jonathan180iq]

Do you have a voltmeter? Check it and see what you get. If you don't have a battery tender, get one. They're pretty cheap.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic- ... 42292.html

[bergstrom25]

No, but my neighbor, who is also by mechanic does. What does the battery tender do? I'm very new to bikes, and I'm very keen on learning.

[jonathan180iq]

A battery tender just keeps the battery charge topped up when the vehicle isn't in use very often.

If he has a volt meter, just touch it to each terminal on the battery and see what reading you get. Should be anywhere from 12.3+ You can also jump start these things from a NON RUNNING car. Just hook up your jumper cables like you would when boosting a car but don't crank the car. It will supply your bike without enough UMPH to get her going, if indeed the battery is the problem.

[mrlmd1]

A fully charged battery will read 12.6-12.8V at rest. It sounds like you have a dead or discharged battery that needs to be charged. If you get the bike started by jumping it from a non-running car or other good 12 V source (battery) do not let it sit idling in the driveway - you will not charge it that way. The bike has a real puny charging system and needs to be run at at least 2500-3500 rpm to get any significant "juice" out of it. Take it out for a half hour or more ride to charge it, or leave it on a max 2 amp charger for 6 hours or so, or on a battery tender, and then try it again.