Troubles

[budget speed demon]

Let me start at the beginning. I put a new set of lower bars on my GS last night. I took it for a ride and all seemed fine. This morning I took it on a long-ish ride, about 1/2hr on the highway, and when I got to my destination it was having troubles. It runs and rides fine. But it won't idle properly. When it's HOT (stopped at a light after a decent warm up) it idles, but it kinda wavers. It goes up to a little higher than 1000, and then drops a little below it, and so on. So I pulled the plugs and the left cylinder's plug was white, while the right cylinder's plug was what I would say is about normal. So I cleaned them off on a wire wheel and re-installed. Same problem. So I know its not just fowled plugs. Now I did not re-gap them because I didn't know what the proper gap should be. None the less I was still having the problem. I road home, (same 1/2hr highway ride) and it seemed to get worse. It didn't even want to idle now, and it was as warm as its ever going to get. There doesn't seem to be any bogging or backfiring.
A few things have come to mind when thinking of what the problem could be. My first thought was that maybe the choke cable was stuck just a little open, then I thought maybe it needs a valve adjustment, or maybe its a float height problem, dirty air filter, or possibly a carb sync problem. Does this problem sound familiar? What have other experienced?

[scratch]

Does sound somewhat familiar.  Usually, I just up the idle a little (1100).

When was your last valve adjustment?

How many miles on the bike now?

Oil level?

Dirty air filter - yeah, check that; good idea! 

Carb synch would be nice, but definitely check the oil level.

[budget speed demon]

Does sound somewhat familiar.  Usually, I just up the idle a little (1100).

When was your last valve adjustment?

How many miles on the bike now?

Oil level?

Dirty air filter - yeah, check that; good idea! 

Carb synch would be nice, but definitely check the oil level.

197xx km. I honestly have no idea when the bike had its last valve check.
Oil level is good, I just topped it off, and I have yet to check the air filter. I'm planning on getting a k&n lunch box in a couple of weeks. At that point I'll rejet, check the float height, and put on a new air filter and exhaust. I'll then throw in a new set of plugs and if that doesn't solve my problem, then I'll check valve clearances.

Had the bike out today for a short-ish ride. It is idling today, but still wavering.

[scratch]

IMO, either the bike had it's regularily scheduled valve check @16,000 miles and it'll be due one @20,000, or it needs one now.  But, checking the airfilter would be next.

[Alphamazing]

19 700 kilometers = 12 241.0125 mi

Sounds like it's time for a valve check. Hell, it couldn't hurt now could it?

[pantablo]

so you're saying it was running fine before the handlebars were put on? if so it has to be something with the choke or the throttle cables. white is lean. maybe you put the throttle cables (there are 2 on the earlier models arent there?) on incorrectly? dunno, but if it only started happening right after you installed the bars there's where I would start looking.

[budget speed demon]

so you're saying it was running fine before the handlebars were put on? if so it has to be something with the choke or the throttle cables. white is lean. maybe you put the throttle cables (there are 2 on the earlier models arent there?) on incorrectly? dunno, but if it only started happening right after you installed the bars there's where I would start looking.

there is only one cable.
that is exactly what I was thinking. but I don't see why it would be better some times and worse others. some days it will just barly idle at 1000, and others it will waver but always stay higher than 1000. I have a hunch that its a dirty air filter.