Out of now where, cold start with choke and it smokes white - 350X

[clong]

Sorry I posted this in a older trhead I was reading, but here is my actual post:

I''ve had my 350X for a good few years and it never smoked. I went camping last weekend and rode it pretty good into the night and went to bed in my tent. It got below freezing at night. Then in the mornig it was still cold and I fired it up. The bike was really cold and took full choke and a several kicks. Then she fired and I look back and noticed it was smoking. Its never even lgihtly smoked. I watch it for about 1 minute and turn the choke off. The second I turned the choke off, the smoked stopped. It was a more of a white-ish smoke and didn't totally seem like oil but I'm not sure. Any ideas? It ran perfect the rest of the day.

[Chucksoup]

It might have been cold and like seeing your breath in the fog. Or maybe your valve guide seals are leaking. That and rings maybe. Might also be over full oil. Good luck dude! A top end rebuild may be in your future. Just get it home, check your oil, fire it cold. If it does not smoke, you have it made in the shade. If it smokes then clears up, its your valve guide seals and rings. A top end rebuild can be fun.

[atctim]

Doesn't the choke create a "rich" condition for cold starting - thus smoking. I think it is normal for them to smoke with the choke on. Go start up your car some cold morning and look at the exhaust on it - I'll bet you it smokes white until the fuel injection system tells it it is normal running temp.

[Jason T]

I think using the choke would cause black smoke, not white
Its possibly condensation in the exhaust, as mentioned above, the same way cars smoke on a cold morning until they are warmed up

Jason

[TravEX]

My 350X did that a few times in cold weather that required full choke. I agree with the condensation theory.

[Erics350x]

It should be fine.

[Sargon2112]

Yup, probably just steam... same as a car on a cold morning.

Smoke will linger around for a while, steam does not... Did the "smoke" linger like you were spraying for skeeters or did it dissipate?

[clong]

The smoke dissipated pretty quickly, but its hard to say it was steam. It could have been a mix of condensation, oil and a full choke. its just hard to say. I'm going to fire it up today after work and see what happens. I haven't started it since the trip.