first ride of the year. brr. weird bike behavior

[anoopb]

So i decided to go out there anyway despite it being in the 35 deg F.

Probably not the smartest but i hate taking the bus.

The bike is kept indoors in a heated garage. I haven't ridden it at all since about november last year but I've been turning it on every couple weeks.

I'm assuming the gas that was in it probably went bad a little bit?

after i warmed it up for a little bit (five minutes or so), i took it to the streets and here's what happened.

When taking off from a stop, the bike was very jerky and hesitant. I had to roll back on the throttle pretty hard in order to keep moving. In some cases, it would just die. So i would pull over and warm it up some more with the choke open.

finally, i got sick of the jerkiness and pulled into a gas station and gave it as much fresh premium gasoline as it would take.

That seemed to help because the bike started performing a lot better. But...maybe it just got warm enough? i don't know.

On the way back home, i decided to take the lake shore drive route where the speed limit is about 40-50. It seemed to get up to 50 ok but I noticed that around 50, the bike was really hesitant to rev past 5K RPM and I didn't want to just gun it in the middle of traffic so i let it be and made it back home ok.

When i stopped at the two stop lights or in traffic, the tach would sit below 1k rpm (even after riding about 8 miles) and in one case, just die.

Not sure if temperatures being so low is an issue for this bike or if i just need to keep riding it and it will get better. The bike performed significantly better on the way back so i'm assuming it's just left over old gas and the fact that he hasn't been out in months.

Anyone else see stuff like this? am i just being paranoid? could something else be wrong?

Now, i was F'ing around with the pilot screw because i thought maybe that was an issue. i think i've set it appropriately now after riding 10 miles.

sorry for such a long winded rant but it's just bizarre.

[joshr08]

Could have a bit of a plugged jet I wouldn't think your gas went bad.  I never treat my gas or clean carbs after the bike sitting all winter but my bike doesn't sit at all once the weather gets above 40 degrees. Im in Michigan and already have 200 miles this month 18 degrees when I rode to work the other day.  My ride is about an hr and a half one way.  Im not sure on your exact setup with mods and all but on my gs the first tank or two every spring acted like your saying yours is doing.  Im thinking its just a little stickiness in the carbs from sitting along with the temps.  You get a tank or two through it and Im sure it will be back to normal.  You could try running some seafoam for a tank or two to help with the issues also.

[jestercinti]

Air cooled engines are cranky when very cold.  Think of your car radiator thermostat left wide open.  Yep, it's like that wiht our bikes.

Especially with stock jetting.  They are jetted lean from the factory to pass EPA emissions.  In the Winter, it will cause issues.  Richen up your mixture screws in the cold and +1 pilot.

Gas goes stale now after 3 months.  Thank the Government and EPA with all of the ethanol.  Search for Ethanol free gas here:  http://pure-gas.org  Pure gas is found at a lot of marinas since old boats hate ethanol too.

[comradeiggy]

WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK PREMIUM WILL MAKE THE BIKE RUN BETTER AAAGGGHHHHHH

[Calpantera]

WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK PREMIUM WILL MAKE THE BIKE RUN BETTER AAAGGGHHHHHH

Ya I was going to ask about that, I run 87 octane and assumed it was fine for a GS. Slower burn rate does not help bad gas..   

[jestercinti]

Ethanol is in more than just premium.

I use premium once a month to keep thinks clean (I ride a lot).  Other than that, 87 octane (R+M/2) for me.

[ToneZone]

sounds like how my bike rode with gas that was a few months old

[fetor56]

4-5 mths doesn't seem long enough for fuel to spoil,but just incase drain the tank & put fresh fuel in.
Since youv'e been starting it every couple of weeks the carb jets should be ok.
Go for a ride & check the color of the plugs....replace if in doubt.
Always work from simple to complex solutions.

[kyled25]

+1 Use the seafoam to see if it helps
+1 Wait a tank or two of riding and see if it runs any better.
+1 Don't waste money on premium. The extra detergents in it may help on a microscopic level, but it won't fix any problem once it's already there. Unless you have engine knock/high compression engine your throwing your money away.

I haven't ridden it at all since about november last year but I've been turning it on every couple weeks.

Starting the bike and just letting it idle every now and then throughout the winter won't stop the carbs from gumming up if you don't work through the rpm range and ride because you need good flow of fuel through both jets that idling can't provide.

So i decided to go out there anyway despite it being in the 35 deg F.
Not sure if temperatures being so low is an issue for this bike or if i just need to keep riding it and it will get better.

My bike runs like crap when it's cold out too. First ride of the season makes it even worse. Give it a couple tanks of gas before worrying too much, the issue may resolve itself with regular riding, if not then clean the carbs.