I have had my Rancher 350 for several years now, so this question is probably really stupid and looooong overdo…

I was just wondering if someone could tell me what would be considered “proper choke usage”. I’ve been starting my quad the same way since I got it. Full choke on startup and then as the engine warms I apply less choke. I will then push the choke all the way down and hit the gas to see if the engine is totally “responsive” to the throttle. If it does not rev completely or right away, I bring the choke back up to let it run a bit more and keep trying it until I get a full engine rev.

Am I doing this right? Do I really need to wait a few minutes to warm up the engine or can I take off once it is hot?

 

Sounds pretty good. But....my rule is to use my choke as little and as briefly as possible, because it makes the engine run very rich and that can carbon up your plug and combustion chamber. I usually start on full choke, then immediately back down to half choke when the engine starts. As soon as the engine will idle on its own without any choke, I turn it completely off. (That said, yesterday I rode a few minutes before I realized that my choke was still pulled out a couple clicks.)

Also, your Rancher has a carb heater, so if you turn the key on for a minute or two in cold weather before starting, the heater will have a chance to warm up and you will require less choke to get it going.

 

Like I said, I've been doing the same thing ever since I got it... I just wasnt sure why it seemed to take so long sometimes (even in the summer) to warm up to were the throttle was completely responsive.

 

You might have a partially obstructed air jet if it doesn't run well when cold. Those carbs are pretty easy to work on. Pull the carb and do a thorough cleaning and that should help.