Mornign all!! I am the original owner of a 2006 Roadstar with 84,500 miles. I started her the other day and noticed fuel dripping from the air cleaner. I shut her down and removed the air cleaner. Fuel would not stop pouring out the carb. I turned the pet cock off and the fuel stopped. I took the carb off and cleaned it, I noticed nothing out of place. It looked pretty clean. I ride everyday and I put a few ounces of carb cleaner in the tank every day. If I turn the pet cock back on the carb imediatly starts to leak. It looks like fuel is leaking out of the small right hole in front of the carb. You know the two small holes that are side by side just under the large carb opening. I use a Mikuni D52 vacuum fuel pump, oem carb (not modified) and a Spectre air cleaner. Has the carb and or fuel gone bad? Need my bike running. It is my main means of transportation. 120 miles round trip everyday.
Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Roughrider,

Sticking float? Worn out needle valve? Sinking float? Those would be the first 3 likely causes I'd come up with.

Open it up and see if the float is heavy with gas in it. See if the float goes up and down freely. Check to see that the float needle is seating properly when it's lifted.

You can hang a bottle of water with a tube, connect it to the fuel inlet and hand-lift the float to see if it stops flow when gently making full contact at stop.

Questcap covered it all. And if it is a worn needle and seat then this would be a good time to go to the Suzuki needle and seat from the pumpless tech article.

Questcap/BigBoyin MS,
Thank you for the suggestions. I will try your suggestions as soon as possible. I will keep you up-dated.

p.s. If I change to Suzuki needle, how does it affect performance, mileage,etc?



Thank you,
Roughrider

It shouldn't... just keeps the bowl filled more readily than with the stock sized valve. Nothing else should change.

Questcap/BigBoyinMS,
Up-date.
The float bowl area had fuel in it. Is that good or bad?

The float bowl does not have fuel in them. Not sure if it is possible. Just trying to give as much info on this issue.

Floats go up and down freely.

I ran water thru the fuel inlet and gently lifted the floats. The floats stopped the water flow. I completed this test four times to be sure.

Your suggestion: Check to see that the float needle is seating properly when it's lifted.
Can you describe where the float needle is located and what it looks like. Once I find float needle, how do I ensure that the needle is seated properly?

If all of these things are not the problem. Whould you know what else it could be?

Thank you for all your help. Roughrider

Rough,

If the lifting of the float is stopping the water flow... the valve should be alright. It's located close to where the float pivots.

The float bowl should have had fuel in it.

You say the float goes up and down freely.

The last of the issues was whether the float was no longer floating, and had gas in it, weighing it down and keeping it from rising and shutting the fuel flow off.

Since the float doesn't appear to be sticking, and a gentle lifting of the float up to the stop seats the needle in the valve and stops the fuel flow... it would seem that the float may be fuel saturated, and no longer floats up and closes the valve.

Replace the float... is my very best guess. Anyone else got any other better idea???

Roughrider click on the link above my sig picture and go to my site. Click on the projects button and scroll to the bottom of the second page. Th can download the Mikuni carb manual.

My bike did it friday afternoon the worst ever after sitting about 20.minutes.

It will normaly start-up after the engine is warm by just hitting the starter, this time it didn't so I gave it a little throttle and it still didn't start by this time I was puzzled however I didn't smell gas finally I had to choke it to get it started.

As I bagan to pull through the gate I then smelled the gas stoped and the whole right side pipes and all was covered with fuel. I parked it and placed my hand under the carb and fuel was dripping from underneath it until I cut off the valve.

I haven't been back on my bike since then but plan to check it out tomorrow afternoon.

Curt,
Sorry, but I went to your site and cannot locate a "Project" button.
Why am I missing it?
Would it be possible to e-mail me the document?
If yes: roughriders@hctc.net

Let me know either way.
I appreciate your help.