Hello Honda Lovers, I have a problem maybe some of you can figure out. I cannot figure this one out........ 2001 Honda Rubicon 150miles, garage kept. In BITTER cold weather (single digits) the choke lever will not pull out. I mean it won't budge. Mild to moderate temps is ok. Now, the best part is we have 2 rubicons in the garage, side by side, (brother bikes)and my fathers (2001 rubicon 300 miles) does the same exact thing at the same time. Choke levers just won't budge in the bitter cold. Bikes run great, no problems at all, as you have noticed they are like brand-new with very low mileage. Any ideas????? Thanks a bunch. PS, This is just on the initial start up,(usually cold mornings) After the day heated up significantly and the levers freed up, the choke levers work fine all day.

 

I have the same machine. It did the same thing. It was water that got in. When it's warm, try removing the cable from carb. Blow out cable and top of carb with compressed air.Then spray w-d 40 or penetrating oil in cable. I also put water proof grease on shaft beneath rubber on end with ****. good luck. Mine never did it again.

 

I have a Mud Buddy duck hunting rig that did the same thing - condensation in the cable. Until I got the chance to clean and lube it properly, I just pulled the choke all the way out when shutting down thereby having the choke stuck in the choke position for starting. Once running, the heat from the engine warmed the cable enough to allow normal operation.

 

Does the Rubi have a primer on the carb like the Rancher? If so you can press it several times and bypass the choke entirely when it's cold.

 

01 rubi's have bad cables, get a new cable it will be a different design and it will remedy the problem for good, it did on my rubi, in 0 degrees, and i use it as a plow vehicle.

v581

 

Had the same problem 2 years ago, was out hunting, bragging about how good my Ruby was, in the AM couldn't pull the choke, couldn't start. Was there 2 weeks and was same every morning[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]. Got ****, realy **** off too. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Friend fo mine got there with a 02 P650 started everyday. Change the cable but week after rode it while wet snow and again froze up during the night...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

So trade it for my P700 so far the best move I could have made...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Vinson 581 is right. The new cables are improved. For one thing they have a "gator spring" around the rubber boot up by the choke ****. They're pretty cheap as cables go too, and not that hard to install. It's also possible you have moisture or corrosion around your choke plunger. You have to remove it to replace the cable anyway. And yes, the Rubicon has a primer on the carb, and it's a nice feature to use in combination with the choke when the temps get much below 10F, and certainly on those -15 or -20F days, but it's pretty inconvienent and difficult to use the primer without any choke. And it's pretty easy to flood the machine out if you get too crazy with the primer button.