Hawk starting

[Lit Hawk]

So every time I start my hawk I have to turn up the throttle one full turn and let it warm up and turn it back down. Is this normal? Is there a way to adjust it so I can start it without doing this? I have stock carb with two washers on the needle and 115 main jet. Any suggestions?

[Megadan]

Did you set and adjust the idle mixture screw on the bottom of the carb? Should be on the back side of the bowl between the two bowl screws. They have a black cap covering the screw frkm the factory that has to be removed. Once removed turn it in until it gently seats, then turn out back out 1 1/2 turns. That will be a good baseline setting, and from there it is a matter of adjusting it to get the highest and most stable idle possible.

[Lit Hawk]

I did do that at 1 1/2 turns. So should I turn it out more like a half a turn and just adjust from there until it starts on first try and do I have to do it every time when it's cold to find the right turn. What do you have yourstuened at. Can you start yours on first try without revving engine?

[JerryHawk250]

This is normal if the temperature is in the 50's or low 60s but not normal in 70s and up. If is happening in the higher temperatures I would turn it out another 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

[Lit Hawk]

Yeah I'm in Houston and it barely started getting cold in the mornings but it's been doing it so I guess I'll do a quarter turn out and see if that works. It just sucks having to remove the whole carb to get to it. Thanks I didn't think having to rev it was normal to start it. I'll let y'all know how it goes

[Musictrek]

Originally Posted by Lit Hawk

Yeah I'm in Houston and it barely started getting cold in the mornings but it's been doing it so I guess I'll do a quarter turn out and see if that works. It just sucks having to remove the whole carb to get to it. Thanks I didn't think having to rev it was normal to start it. I'll let y'all know how it goes

I had the same problem with the stock carb. I was always upping the idle screw before starting. Then when the engine got warm, I would back it off cause the idle would be too high. I think part of my problem was I had a dirty carb. the hose inlet to my air box was not a tight seal. It needed some black silicon sealer around the connection to keep the dirt out. Not knowing that I went ahead and changed the carb out and jetted to a 110 and 2 1/2 turns out. Now, the bike starts easily on middle choke and then choke off. It idles great! no fussing around with the idle screw at all.. Totally different bike now.

[Megadan]

Proper idle mixture tuning is quite a fiddley business until you get it dialed in. I always start with a slightly high idle, adjust the mixture screw until I find the idle sweet apot, then lower the idle, tinker with the mixture screw in finer increments until I find that happy place with the idle, and I will keep doing this until I get the idle to hold dead steady at 1500 to 1600 rpm.