[ryanwhalen]

Last fall I noticed the bike popping and not riding well 'til it warmed up, but didn't think much of it.



Over the winter I replaced the carb float bowl gaskets, and did a few other little things.



I just took it for its first ride of the year yesterday. It worked fine at first. Then I parked and let it rest for a few hours. When I rode it again, it wouldn't reach full power and felt very much like it felt last year when it wasn't warmed up (regardless of how warm I let it get).



I figured it was maybe the old gas, so I filled with fresh and rode it around for 20 minutes. It was pretty much the same. A few times it seemed to spark to life very briefly, but then quickly subside again.



It's not the stator/CDI I don't think. I had that problem once and put in an Ignitech. This cut-off isn't as quick. It's just a general bogginess and lack of power.



Maybe I need new spark plugs? I've ordered some and will put them in this weekend. I just figured I'd ask you guys as you know so much about these old bikes. Maybe this is a common occurrence and you can point me in the right direction.

 

[ryanwhalen]

I'll have a look into the plug boots to see if I can buy some new/aftermarket ones. I do have an inline fuel filter on the bike. I was thinking maybe it was carb related as it ran fine for the first hour of the season, but then after having gas (old gas at that) sit in the carbs for a few hours it bogged down. My main issue now is that all of my fixes are "side of the street in Chicago" style fixes so I'm somewhat limited in what I can/can't do.

Check out the plug boots? Just saw that some people have had some brand new yet junk plugs. You got a clean fuel filter on that beast?

 

[ryanwhalen]

Added some seafoam to the gas this evening. Will run it for a while tomorrow to see if it helps. I can't find my plug socket so I've ordered another one. Will pull the plugs once it gets here to investigate further.



I've also ordered new caps just 'cause it's a 30 year old bike and it can't hurt.



This forum is great.

is more interested in how Bandit managed to have his wife cutting in while hes purusin' the forum!

All good advice...but sounds like obstructed fuel delivery. Have you pulled the plugs to see what color they are?

 

[ryanwhalen]

I hadn't thought about the main fuse. Once I rule out plugs/caps I'll look into it. I do have an inline fuel filter.



Things got weirder today. I started it this morning after the seafoam treated gas sat in the carbs overnight. It is now idling REALLY high. I can't seem to get the idle to come down at all (I assume that's what the knobbed screw under the carbs is for? What direction does what on that thing? I'm not noticing any difference as it gets turned).



I also noticed a bit of gas under the bike this morning. I reckon its from the left-hand cylinder weep hole, so I assume that cylinder isn't firing...



Hopefully the plugs/caps/socket will be here tomorrow and I can replace all of those.

Just a thought in passing. It COULD be the main fuse going south on ya. This has been known to cause "erratic" behavior.



After re-reading your post again, almost sounds like some crud moving around inside your carberators plugging up tiny little holes and passages and, as "passing through" bike runs good, till the next one comes down the line and does the same thing.



Do you have an inline filter installed?



Do you have your gas tank lined? If not, could be rusty particles from inside the gas tank plugging up the "straw" filter inside the tank.



Don't know if your bike has vacuum petcock. COULD be that also.

 

[ryanwhalen]

I figured I'd update this thread in case someone comes across it in their search results. It turns out that cleaning the carbs did the trick. Although I'd cleaned them over the winter (I kept the bike indoors), I think the first bit of gas that went through them gummed them up a bit. Blowing some carb cleaner through all of the needles and reassembling did the trick. The bike now seems to pick up a bit better than it ever did (although that might be in my head after becoming accustomed to a week or so of bogginess).



Now I need to source a fender to repair the front end, as somebody knocked my bike over with their car the other day...