Running strangely ...

Here are the symptoms:
1) tough to start cold.
2) when it goes to normal idle, bike stalls despite adjusting the butterflies.
3) Frequently, when trying to idle, say at a light, it will hold the revs up at about 5000 rpm, then, after an indetermenant amount of time, the idle will slow down to "normal" range but then quickly stall.

Suggestions?

 

What you're experiencing are symptoms of a vacuum leak and/or poor synchronization.

You need to check the carburetor holders, vacuum caps, vacuum line to the petcock and the butterfly shaft seals for leaks. I like to hit things with little bursts of starting ether, others like propane from an unlighted torch. In either case the added fuel will cause a change in the idle if there is a leak. In your case you're probably going to have to crank the idle stop screw in for a pretty fast idle to keep it running.

After that double check the sync.

 

Which bike?

Valves in spec? Then re-check the sync.

 

I was suspicious of vacuum leaks. I will check that and then synch. Have not checked valve clearances recently, but under 2000 miles since were checked.

 

You can rule out valve clearances then. The factory recommended interval of 5000 miles is plenty conservative.

Check the stupid little rubber caps on your vacuum ports. They dry out and get rock hard but look fine. They'll start dancing around and make the bike behave all goofy.

Again, which bike? And what method are you using for vacuum sync?

 

The bike is the V30. For vacuum sync, I purchased a 4 gauge sync tool. No YICS to make things annoying.
Will attack it tomorrow and go over all the vacuum leak area possibiliities.

 

This might be better off in the "Other Motorcycles" forum

 

Pick, Pick, Pick.

You must be really handy when trying to hunt down those nits ...



I will say I thought about it, but I thought it general enough of a question to be bike independent.