My motorcycle is a lemon

[ponchopirate]

Okay, if you read any of my previous posts I was having some high idle problems presumably from a lean condition.  So I rebuilt my carbs, fired the bike up and took it for a short ride (5 mins).  Everything seemed to be running much better and the high idle was gone.  Today I took the bike out again for the second time since I did the carb work (this time on a longer ride to do some errands).  Well, it started idling high again so I turned around and headed back early.  As I was going up the slight hill toward where I lived the bike started acting really funny.  It seemed to have only two throttle inputs, either nothing or really really slow, even if I opened it all the way.  The bike began to progressively slow down until it just died.  I thought I might have run out of gas so I switched to reserve and tried to start it up, but nothing.  I put it on PRI and tried starting it and it fired up after a few tries, but when I let the clutch out to take off it started lurching horribly so I pulled the clutch in and cut the engine, pushing the bike all the way home.  I can't seem to get it into nuetral... even if I start it up, it will only go from 1st to 2nd.  Is it possible I messed something up in my carbs to create these kind of problems?  Did my transmission decide to die?  My clutch?  Sorry for the marathon post, I'm totally lost and furious that I bought a lemon.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Jasco]

Sounds like your chocke cable may be binding causing the choke to be on slightly all of the time.  Reroute cable and make sure that it is not engaging at the carb when have it all the way off and turn the bars both ways.


Neutral is not related.  Mine has always been a little weird about neutral.  Sometimes it will go right in and other times it will take a little finess.  

Matt

[ponchopirate]

I'll check my choke out.  I don't have a cable that goes to it, just a pull tab attached directly to the slide, but something could be hanging up.

[ponchopirate]

Okay, interesting...  I went to check my choke and it was closed.  So I started it up on the center stand and the rear tire was spinning.  So I'm guessing the clutch is not disengaging completely.  The cable is intact.  Argh...  is my clutch a goner?

[charleym3]

Don't sweat the spinning tire.  When I start my bike in gear it inches forward.  Pretty normal.  Don't know about the carbs.  Sounds like a mixture screw backed out or something like that.  
On my Bandit, when the choke is open, when I turn the bar all the way to the left, the motor speeds up.   Choke cable pulling tight somehow or other.  PITA

[Rema1000]

The clutch will remove most power from the wheel, but not all power.  You should be able to stand at a stoplight, with the bike in 1st and clutch pulled, and not feel like you're holding the bike back; just your weight and your feet on the ground should be enough to keep the rear wheel from turning.  

If you find that the bike wants to pull forward a bit, even with the clutch pulled, then be sure to adjust the clutch freeplay.

[The Buddha]

OK did you open the fuel tap in the tank??? and sounds like it may be open but not all the way...making for flow but not good to run under heavy load.
Cool.
Srinath.

[JamesG]

How many miles are on this thing again?

[ponchopirate]

Thanks for the info.  25k miles on the bike.

[ponchopirate]

Okay, I checked the fuel tap, it's open all the way.  When I re-installed the carbs I turned both idle mixture screws out 2 1/2 turns (one was at 2 and the other at 1 3/4 before).

[The Buddha]

oil... how much is there and how is the quality... also fuel flow... check and see if you have fuel in the float bowls and see if it flows freely in prime.
Cool.
Srinath.

[JamesG]

When was the last time the valves were checked/adjusted?

Often they are the culprit of the idle sticking/overreving problem.

[ponchopirate]

Cool.  Will check these things out.  I have no idea when the valves were last checked, so that may be it.

[Jenerator]

After reading what you wrote about your issues, I wouldn't say your bike is a lemon (don't write her off already! ), but it might be worthwhile to bring it in to a professional mechanic to look over and straighten this stuff out so you can get back to riding her.

Sometimes it's worth spending the $$ rather than trying to figure it out yourself.