Engine loses power, dies at highway speed

[2wheels]

Sorry, forum noob here.  I picked up a 2007 GS500F about a month ago and everything seemed ok, but until today I had never taken it out of town.  Today I rode it about an hour at highway speeds, stopped for maybe 20 min, then started the hour trip home.  On the way home I was running about 60 mph and it started to sputter and lose power, and the engine just died.  I coasted to a stop, looked the bike over and realized that I had left the choke about half on (duh!).  So I thought that must have been the problem, put the choke back to the proper position and off I go again.  It ran for another 10 minutes or so and then the same thing happened again, engine died at around 60 mph.  I pulled over for a few minutes, then started it back up and it ran the rest of the way home just fine, about another 25 minutes.

Any ideas as to what is going on here?  Was it just because I left the choke on?  Thanks.

[Paulcet]

I'd guess you were running out of gas.

[BockinBboy]

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=60976.msg705284#msg705284

Read through that thread I linked above... It could just be a matter of changing your hose routing.
It makes sense especially if you we're traveling on an east/west road (most likely to experience crosswinds)... Fine going one direction, but on the way home coming the opposite direction was trouble. 

-Bboy

[2wheels]

BockinBboy you might be on to something.... the wind was ridiculous today, would just about blow you off the bike at times.  I'll have a look, thanks.

And no, I wasn't out of gas

[BockinBboy]

I'll add another possibility since it follows similar fuel starvation symptoms... But since you mentioned only one stretch of the trip was a problem it isn't as likely...
It's possible that your gas cap vent is plugged up. It doesn't take much gunk for it to cause problems either... To diagnose, pull over next time the problem occurs and open your gas cap.  If you hear a whoosh sound, your gas cap vent is plugged and you need to clean it out.  There is a video tutorial on that if it comes down to it.

But one thing at a time.  Check your hose routing in that thread first and move if needed. Then if that doesn't solve it, check the gas cap at the time you find it's not solved by the hose reroute.

- Bboy

[jestercinti]

In addition, search for "crosswind engine stumble"

Route your carb vent hose behind the battery away from everything, but DON'T kink it.  Your engine won't run.

[BockinBboy]

Yep. That's what I linked him to above. A good thread you made too.  It's has the symptoms, diagnosis, and solution.  A great comprehensive thread that shows what this forum is all about! And it's obviously even relevant to future members 

- Bboy

[mikeybikey82]

my bike did literally the exact same thing.  i have a clear inline fuel filter and was able to see that the engine was starving out.  it ended up being my fuel hose routing; one hose was kinked just enough to not supply enough fuel at that speed, when i would slow down it would get better.  i ended up putting in all new lines that were longer and able to route more easily, and have never had the problem again.  hope this helps!
mikey

[2wheels]

Thanks everyone for the help, I took a very similar ride today and no problems at all.  I believe the carb vent hose routing + the strong crosswind was the issue.  I pointed the hose more downward, and it wasn't as windy today, but everything was fine.  There is no way I would have ever figured that out on my own!!!

[burnchassis]

A crosswind causing the bike to die? you've got to be kidding me!
-CS