This is one of the most frequent carburettor complaints we hear from riders. If your bike refuses to run unless the choke is engaged, it means the mixture is far too lean at low throttle. In most cases, this happens when the pilot jets or passages are blocked with gum, varnish, or dirt. The choke circuit simply adds extra fuel, masking the blockage, but the problem remains.

Riding with the choke permanently on isn’t a solution. It increases fuel consumption, fouls spark plugs, washes oil off the cylinder walls, and makes the bike a nightmare to start when warm. What your bike really needs is a deep internal clean of the carburettors, with all jets inspected, replaced if necessary, and the air-fuel mixture screws reset to factory spec.

At The Carb Shack, we specialise in solving exactly this issue. Whether you’re running a set of Mikuni CV carbs on a Suzuki Bandit, Keihin carbs on a CBR900RR, or even Dellorto carbs on a classic bike, we strip them down completely, clean them ultrasonically, and rebuild them with new seals and jets where required. The result? Your bike starts and runs without the choke, exactly as it should.

So if you’re constantly fighting with your choke lever just to keep your bike alive, don’t waste time on temporary fixes. A professional carburettor cleaning and rebuild service is the only long-term cure.