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1970 CL 450 won't run unless half choke

450guy

Well-known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2021
Total Posts
62
Total likes
1
Location
Jackson,TN,Madison
I have a 1970 CL 450 that won't stay running unless the choke is at half open. I can let the bike get good and warm and whenever I try to open the choke all the way the bike will start to die and then I quickly put the choke back to about half closed and it will catch hold and continue to run. Is this maybe a air leak somewhere maybe ? Any help is appreciated.
Thank you
Johnny
 
What is the throttle response like while it's running on the half choke? Will it return to idle when you give it a short burst of throttle? Did you check for air leaks while it was running?

I would also recommend checking that the idle circuits are clear and the float heights are set correctly.
 
What is the throttle response like while it's running on the half choke? Will it return to idle when you give it a short burst of throttle? Did you check for air leaks while it was running?

I would also recommend checking that the idle circuits are clear and the float heights are set correctly.
It has really good throyyle responce and it idles very well. I will check the carbs for air leaks at the intakes and tops and so forth.
 
It has really good throyyle responce and it idles very well. I will check the carbs for air leaks at the intakes and tops and so forth.

Are you running stock air filters? If not, or if there are no filters on it at all right now, that can be a major contributor to the problem. Also, are you totally sure of the choke's closed and open positions? It might seem odd to ask, but we've had unfamiliar members who thought "closed" meant "choke off"
 
It has really good throyyle responce and it idles very well. I will check the carbs for air leaks at the intakes and tops and so forth.

I would also want to check that it's actually idling through the idle circuit, too. If the idle adjuster screws are in too far it could be running off the main jet. Did you bench synch the carbs?
 
Are you running stock air filters? If not, or if there are no filters on it at all right now, that can be a major contributor to the problem. Also, are you totally sure of the choke's closed and open positions? It might seem odd to ask, but we've had unfamiliar members who thought "closed" meant "choke off"
Hahahaha you could be very correct about the choke position and I will recheck myself on that point. Thank you
 
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