1982 Kawasaki 305 CSR Starting Question

All,

I am just not happy with how this bike starts when cold. The twin
carbs have a little lever that opens the throttle plates on both carbs
slightly when you set full choke on. I've gone through the carbs on
this bike throughly and the carb passageways are all clear. The choke
also shuts the choke butterflies completely as it also bumps open the
throttle plates a bit as I mentioned.

However, this bike is a bear to get started when cold - and it's been
a lot of that lately. After it's running, using full choke gets the
desired effect - RPM goes up to about 3-4K.

I've been experimenting with different techniques to start it - full
choke for a few seconds then half, almost full choke so that the lever
doesn't move the front throttle plates, raise arms to the starting
gods, spit on the ground and spin around twice before trying to start
(which usually works) - all to no avail. I have the mixture screws out
1 1/2 turns and when warm, runs fine.

Any suggestions or history on these bikes - it's great otherwise.

TIA,

Pat

 

Go to www.partsfish.com or to www.bikebandit.com and look at the
CARBURETOR ASSEMBLY diagram.

It looks to me like removing the choke link cam part number 13169
(fast idle cam) would be simple enough.

 

Thanks but I'm looking for some words on how that linkage should be
adjusted rather than removing it.

Bike Bandit is awesome for those pictures and their shipping too. I
use them a lot and their prices match my local dealers exactly.

Does anyone have a shop manual for a Kawasaki 305 CSR?

 

Oh. I thought you were complaining about fast idling after starting.
Kawasaki is the only manufacturer I can think of that used fast idle
linkages. Riders seem to get nervous when their engines start up and
idle at 4000 to 5000 RPM while cold.

I wonder why cold engines screaming before they began to circulate the
oil would worry somebody. ;-)

It looks like you need the fast idle cam for two reasons. It links the
choke shafts together and it has a hole for a spring loaded detent
ball to drop into and hold the choke fully closed.

Kawasaki was the last manufacturer I know of that used plate type
chokes in the intake mouth of the carburetor. I haven't owned a
motorcycle with a choke plate in over 40 years.

The drill for starting a cold engine was to turn on the gas first.

(Do you use the PRI position on the petcock to fill the float bowls?
That helps when you have a vacuum petcock and it takes a while for
fuel to start flowing.)

Then I would kick the engine over a few times with the throttle about
half open and the engine would blubber a bit as fuel was sucked out of
the float bowl into the carburetor venturi and on into the cylinder.

Blubbering was a sign that the engine "wanted" to start...

Next, I would open the choke about 1/3rd and use about 1/4 throttle
and kick again and the engine would fire up.

 

I hate it as well. Horrible thing to do.

 

Have you adjusted the valves lately Pat? Had a problem getting my GPz
started when cold, went through the carbs half a dozen times sure I had
missed something. It ran like a top AFTER it was started but when cold was
near impossible to start for fear of killing the starter I had to crank it
so long. Someone from the KZR forum suggested I adjust the valves, I did,
it now starts well and runs in the coldest temps (last week started it in
minus 20 Celsius)

Tom B
( If you want to test the theory, put a space heater under it for a bit too
warm the bike prior to starting, if it starts probably the valve
adjustments)