Starting and Choke Use
The 2 main rules for starting your V Star 1100:
1.) NEVER use the throttle
2.) Keep the button pressed until it starts (no more than 15-20 seconds)
Use of the throttle during starting: DON'T DO IT!!!
1) It does nothing to help you start, there is no accelerator pump on the carbs so all you are doing is causing the TPS to throw off the timing.
2) It will lead to twisted starter bolts and starter clutch failure.
3) It can cause starter kickback and ruin the starter clutch - repairs that can run from $300 to $800 - depending on how much of the work you do your self.
Use the technique explained in the owners manual and emphasized below!!
The “choke” on an 1100 is not really a choke at all. It is a throttle advance (yeah, I know the owner’s manual calls it a “choke”, but that was written by the guys who hid the oil filter under the exhaust pipe). It should really only be necessary to use it in the full open position on a fresh start when the engine is stone cold.
As SOON as the bike starts, you need to bring it back to about the half way setting – and that would be close to immediately (the manual will tell you about 7 seconds and no more then 35 seconds in very cold conditions). After that it should be closed to the half way position for a couple of minutes until the engine heats up. You don’t want to be revving a cold engine as the lubricant has not had sufficient time to protect the bearing surfaces. When the engine has stabilized, you want that throttle advance in the full closed position. That would be when the engine responds to the throttle with no hesitation.
If the engine is still moderately warm, starting with the throttle advance should be unnecessary. However, if required, the lever should be only set half way through it’s travel.
--- Daddo (Larry Marino)
Also, To quote the Clymers manual.....
"The choke circuit is a "bystarter" system. The choke lever in this system opens a starter valve rather than closing the butterfly in the venturi. When the starter valve is open, an additional stream of fuel discharges into the carburetor venturi, which enriches the mixture"
When starting your V Star 1100, it is better to leave the starter button depressed until it starts, or up to around 15-20 seconds. Pressing it for just a few seconds and letting off you are more likely to cause the motor to kick back and damage your starter clutch.
The 2 main rules for starting your V Star 1100
1.) NEVER use the throttle
2.) Keep the button pressed until it starts (no more than 15-20 seconds)
Hot Start Issue
If you have an issue starting after a the bike is hot, it's most likely fuel in the carb bowls vaporizing from the built up heat. The best bet here to to make sure you allow enough time on the starter for the carbs to clear. Like mentioned above, just hold the starter button down until it fires.
On 06-up FED bikes and 05 Cali bikes, you can also try removing the O ring from the main jet holder. Some have been able to simply remove the gas cap or shut off the fuel a short time before shutting off the bike to drain the bowls to help eliminate the issue, but the O ring removal seems to help pretty well.
Many have also reported that the problem has all but disappeared when they modified the intake and went to a pod filter set up.