Engine wont run with choke open

[scottyo]

So my honda will die when I open the choke. I read somewhere else here that a member with a similar problem suspected an air leak somewhere between the choke opening and the engine. He searched for the leak by spraying each joint/gasket and the throttle pivot with carb cleaner/starting fluid while the engine was running and listened for an increase in combustion in the chamber, bc theoretically the air leak would suck in the fluid.

So my question is, does an air leak sound like the problem and then if so, is the above method safe? I dont want to die via motorbike-explosion-in-face.

 

[machiasmort]

I've done it lots of times on cars... Not the sort of thing you want to do after 12 beers, but is realitively safe if you are on point. Whats the history of the motor?

 

[scottyo]

Still in the break in process. Brand new honda gxh50. I was a little rough when I was connecting the throttle controls so I might have done something damaging then...