Carb Problem?

[Lerxst]

I just bought a '89 GS500.  The previous owner says that when the bike gets up to 90km/h (55mph), it loses power and will die.  It sounds like it's flooding cuz apparently you can smell gas... carb problem?

Don't know if this is related but the choke cable sticks too, so I plan on lubing it asap.

Thanks.

[The Buddha]

Nope at 90 you cant flood...you using it too fast for it to flood over...its got fuel flow issues...or tank venting issues. Try the same run with the gas cap open...BTW where do you make 90 mph runs...I suggest the 407 in the weekend with out of state plates...You can credit that with being my dyno...when I was sorting out my jetting.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Kerry]

Kilometers, Srinath ... kilometers.

Looking at a map of the Winnipeg area, I'd say there are quite a few out-of-the-way roads where you could crack the throttle open.  You might have to ride a while to get to them, though....  (Have you ever taken highway 6 all the way up to 39?  Now THAT looks like a TRIP!)

Lerxst, I too think you're probably experiencing insufficient fuel flow.  With a 14-year-old bike, there's a question as to how "clean" it was kept (stored during the winters, etc.).  I would suggest a thorough cleaning of the whole fuel system, from the in-tank fuel filter to the carburetors.  The real problem may lie elsewhere, but you'll never be sure until you know everything is clean!

BTW, how do the fuel lines look?  Dried out or cracked?  If so, it would make sense to replace them as you go through the fuel system.

OK Srinath, here's your cue - tell him about your favorite Yamaha carb cleaner!

[The Buddha]

Hey I had this friend of mine clean the carbs off his nitehawk by sloshing them in a bucket...and a few gallons of gas that was in a can...and a pint of the carb cleaner...as he sloshed them and steeped them like lifting out and back in like a tea bag...he suddenly noticed the whole submerged part of the carbs covered with a green goo...we remove it..and its not easy and we basically collect it from the bototm of the bucket and its a ball the size of a soft ball and feels like pretty much bread dough...then i separated it from the gas and re slosh his carbs...and get some of the goo off the insides of the carbs etc...Turns out the gas in the can came from his bike and is ~ 2 years old...and the carb cleaner will coagulate that into the green goo we saw...pretty funny. Anyway use yamaha carb cleaner...follow instructions on the bottle...BTW that goo had a lot of the crap in it...I left it on his driveway and it evaporated  and left a huge dirty patch.
Cool.
Srinath.