Anybody out there...PLEASE HELP!!

[octane]

I'm at wits end with this damn bike. I'm planning on riding this afternoon and all I want to do is balance the damn carbs before I go. The bike starts and runs fine with the choke on, but as soon as it warms up it shuts off and won't start again until it's cool. Any ideas? I'm getting REALLY frustrated. Thanks.

[Kerry]

Don't you know that Saturdays are BAD days to have bike problems?  (Ducks to avoid thrown screwdriver....)

Can you give more details?  Did you already synch the carbs, or are you just getting ready to?  What, if anything, has been done to the bike since the last time it ran well?  Has it sat for a while?

I can only think of two avenues to go down.  1) Electrical problems are sometimes temperature sensitive, and 2) You may have a carburetor-caused fuel mixture problem on one or both sides.  Dirty gas or carbs?

Dunno.  Need more info!

[octane]

Bike had sat for a while, just got it running and had some carb problems. I'm trying to synch them, but can't get the bike warmed up. I put new plugs in last night, so I just went back to the old plugs and it started right up and warmed up. Then I had trouble getting the manometer tube over the vacuum nipple (I have to use the side vacuum ports because a previous owner broke the nipple off the top cover and sealed it up). Went out to buy vacuum elbows, came back and the bike won't start again.

I did jet the carbs a few weeks ago, and although it wasn't running perfect, I rode the bike for a few days after the jets and filters were installed.

So while I'm thinking about it - does anyone have a carb diaghram cover they want to sell?

[octane]

Just did it again. Got it started and warm, hooked up the manometer (the homemade $4 one), started turning the screw and actually made a little progress this time and then it just shuts off and won't restart. It'll crank, but not start. Then the battery starts getting weak...  Pissing me off. Must..not....throw...things....

[Kerry]

If it's that abrupt, it almost has to be electrical.  The "shutoff" sounds pretty consistent.  Does the bike consistently start up after it cools off?  Do you live in a humid climate, where rust/corrosion might build up and then strike unexpectedly?

Where is good ol' Srinath when you need him?  Has anybody heard from him?  He posted a LOT on October 30 and 31.  Since then, only one post on 1 Nov and another on Nov 5.

[Adam R]

What do you have you have your idle screws set to?  Are you running 40 non-bleed pilots?  I had a similar problem to yours last May.

What had happened was that some of the seals in the carbs had dryrotted.  I was able to get trade those carbs for a set with good seals and the problem went away.  

Kerry might be right, it could be very well be electrical, but I wouldn't rule out fuel delivery given your description.

[werase643]

here's one of them don't ask me how i know.....

could have crud in the gas cap.....vent clogged
try opening the gas cap(leave it open!)
it causes a fuel starvation condition....after a few minutes