Engine stalling

[jjwalker98]

OK, just to let you know I am a complete newbie.  Never had a motorcycle in my life up until last week.  I have a 2002 GS500 with 1300 miles.  completely stock.  Starting:  I have to use the PRI and full choke to start.  Not just when it sits overnight but everytime it stalls.  Takes about 5 minutes to warm up (normal).  When I take it out it stalls quite a bit especially when down shifting.  When I have to restart it has to be on PRI and at least half choke to start.  It sometimes will race to 6000 rpm sit there a while before I start to close the choke and then I start to ride again.  It seems to stall more when down shifting or just when idleing.  Alot when I just stop.  I'm affraid to take it far from home for fear of it having a real problem.  From reading other posts it seems like a carb problem. What things should I start to look at and try before completly dissassembling something and not being able to put it back together?  Thanks for your kelp in fixing this.  I love riding and I hate having to stop and start all the time.  By the way I've only gotten it up to 50.... Just practicing for now.

[Egaeus]

Your carburetors are most likely dirty/clogged.  Try some SeaFoam if you're feeling lazy.  Try disassembling them and cleaning them if you've got a few hours (for the first time, of course)and are more mechanically inclined.  You have a bike that's averaged 325 miles a year.  That's not very much.  You'll probably have to tinker a bit to get it running right.  I recommend going to the donation page, clicking on the amazon.com link at the bottom, and getting a Haynes manual. 

[jjwalker98]

I have the Clymers manual will that do?

[Egaeus]

I personally hate my Clymer manual.  My manual is for 1989-2002.  It makes no mention of 3-jet carbs in the 2001-2002 bikes.  It gives you an unreliable method of setting float height without telling you how to check the fuel level.  It doesn't tell you how to take out the piston guide and emulsion tube so that you can soak the carb.  It doesn't tell you how to adjust the air/fuel mixture.  It tells you to balance the carbs with expensive and relatively inaccurate vacuum gauges that you can't find anywhere. 

Will it work?  Yes, but only because you have this site to fall back on. 

[jjwalker98]

Sorry to sound ignorant but what are the steps in spraying in the sea foam in the carbs?  Do I take the seat off? appologies

[TragicImage]

OMG! SAUGUS!


If you get into tearing down your Carbs, call me up, I'll ride down and give you some mechanical support.

I've never done it, but damn if I'm not mechanically inclined enough to be a help.


I"m up in Palmdale.

[jjwalker98]

Sounds great I may just do that.  I'll try spraying carb. cleaner in first and fiddle around with it.  I just want to ride not deal with this yet.  Thanks!

[3imo]

are you running on low octane fuel (god, please don't let this turn into an octane thread)

my bike has similar issues on low octane fuel.

otherwise, I am 100% sure a carb rebuilt is what you'll need.
If your extremely lazy you might be able to get away with just droping the float bowls and cleaning the carbs out while they are still mounted, but the carbs are not that hard to remove and rebuild.

be like mike, and just DO IT!

[TragicImage]

okay, well hell, If you get it running (or just want some one to give it the old once over), we can ride through Boquet Canyon once or twice.  Maybe even Spunky Canyon....  Good Easy Riding.

[jjwalker98]

I'd like to get my confidence up in the turns on bouquet.  I'll try the lazy method first then look at rebuilding (arg)!

[TragicImage]

yea, Boquet is actually where I cut my teeth.  If you hit it right on sundays, there's virtually NO traffic.  My dad and I are usually rollling through there at about 45 or so, so very mellow.  You are always more than welcome to join.

[Egaeus]

If your extremely lazy you might be able to get away with just droping the float bowls and cleaning the carbs out while they are still mounted, but the carbs are not that hard to remove and rebuild.

I'm not convinced that's the "lazy" way to do it.  It would take less than an hour for a total noob to take the carbs off.  How long will it take to open the float bowls with the carb still on the bike?  Unless you have replaced the phillips screws with hex, I bet you a case of beer that I can have the float bowls off first by taking the carbs off, and I'm sloooow when it comes to wrenching.  

[FearedGS500]

yea befor you get in to tearing the carbs out and dont this and checking that then . i'd run some super and some seafoam in it just to see what the effect it ... i'm picky on my gas i normaly get shamrock (texas thing ) or shell .. or chevron ( dont turn this in to a gas thread jack i'm just giving some ideas )  i like shell's V-power the best ( not cuz it says v-power but beacuse i think shell gas is dam good )  i'm the same way with my eclipse but if you run lower then the mid grade in that car it runs like poop.. spend a few bucks put some super in it and some seafoam and see what happens ....

[TragicImage]

Not to Jack The Thread like the others...


But I too only run Super/Supreme gas.  The manual says so.


When was the last time you put gas in the bike?  Not saying that you're low on gas, but maybe... Bad Gas?

[aaronstj]

It would take less than an hour for a total noob to take the carbs off.

I can verify this.  I am a total wrenching n00b (haven't even changed my own oil yet), and it took less than an hour for me to takes the carbs off.  It's pretty painless.  Taking the carbs apart, cleaning them, and putting them back together is also painless.

As for putting them together correctly... we'll see once I get them back on the bike...

[3imo]

If your extremely lazy you might be able to get away with just droping the float bowls and cleaning the carbs out while they are still mounted, but the carbs are not that hard to remove and rebuild.

I'm not convinced that's the "lazy" way to do it.  It would take less than an hour for a total noob to take the carbs off.  How long will it take to open the float bowls with the carb still on the bike?  Unless you have replaced the phillips screws with hex, I bet you a case of beer that I can have the float bowls off first by taking the carbs off, and I'm sloooow when it comes to wrenching.  

I agree with ya. IMO being lazy causes more work. 
The carbs are way to easy to pull out.

In my defense I have a nifty phillips ratchet screw driver, thats perfect for dropping the bowls. If your were extremely lazy, it is possible to drop the bowls within minutes. 
It won't help much cause you can only clean the bowl, gettin to the jets this way is just plain dumb. and if you gonna open your carbs, not cleaning your jets is just dumb.

actually not pulling your carbs is just dumb. It's not hard and the rebuild kit is not expensive. 

[Egaeus]

Even with the ratcheting Phillips screwdriver, if you haven't opened the carbs recently, you won't get them off.  Stuck Phillips screws require considerable downward pressure which you can't apply with a ratcheting screwdriver (which is why Phillips screws suck IMO). 

[3imo]

Even with the ratcheting Phillips screwdriver, if you haven't opened the carbs recently, you won't get them off.  Stuck Phillips screws require considerable downward pressure which you can't apply with a ratcheting screwdriver (which is why Phillips screws suck IMO). 

I was about to hit you with " but, mine come off easy"  but then I reread your post.  "if you haven't opened the carbs recently"

anyway, the only reason I brought it up was because I got lazy and dropped the bowls, once.
I used compressed air (low psi) on the jets from above. which still required removing the tank and top of Carbs......why am I wasting my time with this?
Rebuild your carbs and be done with it.

[jjwalker98]

If I take apart the carbs to clean them would it also be wise to rejet at the same time?

[3imo]

wouldn't hurt.  most recomend it.   but if your bone stock, there is no "need".

twer me.....I'd do it.  some claim a performance boost. but I dunno from experience.