02 vstar choke not closing enough for cold weather starting

Possible bad coolant temp sensor?

Fuel shut off still off? Fuel filter? Owner's manual troubleshooting?

Assuming the engine is in good shape and not in need of a major tune-up, check your carburetor choke. It's not closing when cold. Clean and adjust.

Get a service manual and follow the instructions. Far too complicated to cover here.

Also, make sure you know how to properly SET the choke on a cold start. Slowly push the gas pedal to the floor and let up. Start engine without touching gas. If it's REALLY cold, like 0 degrees, you can hold the pedal halfway down while starting, after setting the choke.

you are very rite with your logic... the sensor is inside the carb... u need to change the whole carb.

first thing clean throttle body,good clean.Maybe TPS sensor or IAM.

Mine does the same thing. I put a new gel battery with high cold cranking amps from Advanced Auto Parts. Look to spend 100 bucks. Choke at full choke and it starts right up now. Gold Wings are cold natured. I own 2 and both are. But the battery took care of the cold starts.

just a common thing in cold weather, sometimes you have to ride about 5 miles with choke half out, till the engine warms up. try draining your carbys or cleaning them out, sounds like ti could be running abit lean and not getting enough fuel

Sounds like your flooding it out with the choke out. Try the next time you go to start the bike when it's cold with the choke out and when it starts push the choke all the way in and keep it running with the throtle. If it runs better after doing this then your flooding it on start up. Use 1/2 choke to start cold and see what it does. Good Luck

Make sure choke is closing all the way. And check fuel filter to make sure there is enough flow. Also some suzukis had cold weather limiter knobs on carb you slid in or out if temp was above or below 50

It sounds like your carburetor is flooding, check to see if the choke is set too tight.
to do this, when the engine is cold, remove the air cleaner assembly, push the gas pedal one time to the floor. in the carburetor throat is a flap, this flap closes as engine cools so the engine receives more fuel for cold weather starts, the flap is at the top of the carb. this flap should have about a 1/8" gap between the throat wall and the flap when it is fully closed, if if is completly closed it will give the engine to much fuel and cause it to flood. if you need to adjust just follow the linkage that the flap is attached to, and it will lead you to the choke housing, this is where you can adjust it.
once this is done start the engine and let it warm up, as it warms up this choke flap should open completly up in a vertical position.
if it doesnt, then you probably have lost power to the choke housing or your heat tube that comes from the exhaust manifold to the choke housing is bent, off or missing. most likely yours will be electric.
i hope this helps, good luck