Hey All,

I'm new to the clinic - this is my first post. I have a 01 Road* and it's sat for the past 2 months. I stripped it down and had some parts painted. While down I replaced the spark plugs and installed a Dyna 3000 ignition module. I put the bike back together recently and now it will not run unless the choke is on. The weather is warm and it starts right up with the choke on...i'll go for a ride around the block and it runs fine, but the minute i turn off the choke the bike dies. I had a new carb installed about 4 months ago and the bike ran awesome before taking it apart for paint. Any ideas or suggestions?

Sounds like you are set up lean and when you put the choke on it is making up for the lean setting on your Dyno. Choke on is actually running rich to compensate for that. i do not know much about the Dyno settings but I am sure one of the experts on the clinic will chime in and give you some more detailed help/advice. Take care and god bless. OSO

Did you put any fuel stabilizer in it before you parked it for 2 months? Was the tank full when you parked it?

Sounds like the jets may be gummed up a bit.

Take the carb apart and clean it out.

Doc

Hey, LiL Dave...

Make sure your RPMs are set for nine hundred... (Yeah, it does sound kinda fast...) But, so many things on these motors depend on that number...

My bike has been idleing eraticly for a while, won't start without the choke. I have been intending to replace the fuel filter and open the float bowl, check the jets, etc. Thursday morning on the way to work, the fuel was low and I expected it to quit. When it did and I switched to the reserve it didn't restart. After stoping I tried starting it with the starter and found that with the choke full on it would start and idle; however, if I touched the choke or throttle it would quit.
After a call for help and getting the bike to the shop I removed the output hose from the filter and turned on the fuel and got a flood. I replaced the filter and turned on the fuel and I don't see any differance in fuel flow between the old and new filter. I put the hose back on the filter and removed the out put hose from the pump, turned on the fuel and the key; fuel pump runs and puts out the fuel.
Tried to remove the float bowl and both front screws striped out the phillips head. Removed the carb, got the screws out. The bowl was lined with a brown powder which I cleaned. The main jet was fine except that it didn't have any marking of any kind. I had a 170 and some larger jets in stock, so I put in the 170. The idle jet was compleatly clogged; a blast of compressed air cleared it and since it said 35 I put it back in.
Bike is now back to its original self. Starts without choking, idles at 900, and runs like a charm. Question is how did stuff get through the filter to colg the jet?

Clifford

All,

Thanks for your replies.

Musky, I didn't add fuel stabalizer as it was one of the parts painted (tank was drained).

StarCruiser06, are you referring to idle speed adjustment?

Doc, I've never taken a carb apart before, but I can certainly try What's odd is the carb is brand new...had the dealer install and jet it. I'd say it's about 3-4 months old. I took the bike apart about a week after the carb install (ran like a champ at the time). Do you think it could have gotten gummed up just from sitting dry? I left the air cleaner on it the whole time is sat.

Gas sitting in the carb evaporates and leaves behind a gummy residue. It won't get gummed up if the there was no gas in the line and the bowl was drained.

As you have already guessed, you need the choke 'cause it's not getting enough gas. If it ran great before (as you said) and all you did is hook up the tank and it runs bad then you either put something together wrong (pinched fuel line) or the carb is gummed up from sitting with gas in it.

Doc

Gas will stale and start to varnish in as little as 2 months time. 3-4 months is plenty of time for old gas to work its magic on an otherwise good carburetor. BB

Big Bear wrote:
Gas will stale and start to varnish in as little as 2 months time. 3-4 months is plenty of time for old gas to work its magic on an otherwise good carburetor. BB
especially gas with ethanol in it..