ok. i am a relative newbie and need some diagnostic help. My 90 is acting weird. It is not idling smooth and stalls and dies when i turn the choke off. Strange thing is, if I lean the bike to the far right (sitting on it) it will begin to smooth out and idle faster, per the choke position. after returning to the upright position it will begin to cough and sputter. This problem started suddenly. no clogs in the fuel lines or tank or chicken on the frame. checked all of that first. any ideas? thanks gang.
What happens when you turn the handlebars (i.e. does this affect engine speed)? Maybe leaning the bike is pulling on the choke or throttle cables? If you, it would help to adjust the cable freeplay.
In addition to what beRto says, check fuel level in the float bowls.
Dumb question, but do you have a full tank of gas? If you're low on gas, it will do stuff like that, and when it gets empty, there is a whole lot less gas in there than it would seem... If it still does it with a full tank of gas, check your cables to make sure they aren't getting pinched...
ok. I checked the handlebars and cables first thing. no change in idle speed or how it was acting. I have yet to check float levels. I am pretty sure the floats are ok because I had just finished a complete cleaning and repair a few weeks ago. the bike ran great! no problems at all.
What are the chances that a stray particulate has found it's way into the main jet? I really did not want to do another complete take down so soon after the last. I was hoping it was something simple i was overlooking. I will check the float level as soon as the snow melts in a day or so. We got an unexpeted 6 inches yesterday and now it is down to 20 degrees. I hate to warm up the shop for a short job.
It is possible that your jets got clogged again. If the first set got clogged because of something like an excessively rusty tank and that didn't get fixed, the second set would get clogged pretty quick too...
I agree. The tank has no rust though. I just can't figure out why LEANING the bike to one side would make it run smoother. If the jet is clogged, it is clogged. I could see a change in elevation dislodging the clog for a moment but not a change in cant.
Do think that one of the floats might be sticking and leaning the bike fills the bowl?
Is there any way that a fuel line connected in the wrong place could effect it this way?
I know that wrenchless diagnostics are the proverbial shot in the dark, but any ideas that save me a little time would help. I am so tired of chasing my tail, I am starting to walk backwards just to save time.
thanks
Interesting idea with the sticky float. I think it's worth checking. Use Kerry's hose method to test the float heights: http://www.bbburma.net/FloatHeight.htm