The idle screw is nothing more than a "throttle stop"
That is all it does. Holding throttle open does the same thing.

And be sure tank valve is fully on. Some fuel could be flowing slowly. Enough to fill the carbs and warm up but not enough to keep riding.

Quote from: The Buddha on April 25, 2012, 12:44:45 PM
Any GS or any other bike too I ahve managed to starve for fuel while riding, has a much bigger problem. One had a sheet of news paper, another had a coating that came loose, third had a clogged fuel line etc etc.

I hope you don't have this problem...such a pain to deal with.

Me too dude. That worries me.

I'll put some new gas in it on the way home, just to be sure.

Bike fired up and rode home ok. Idle seemed hung at 3k. I couldnt get it to come down at all, which is curious.

I fiddled with the petcock a bit like Adidas said, and it seemed to smooth out a decent amount.

I think i have a compounding issue. Both an old worn out petcock, and the valves need adjusted very badly. Putting off extensive riding until i can do the valves.

Throttle cable could be tight. Phoenix is better with the throttle cable loosened up a bit.

Funny that you say that.

Upon inspection at home here, i noticed something that has me a bit freaked out. The bottom of the throttle cable where it comes out of the engine was wet with oil. The oil was quite nasty and dirty, but i just changed the oil 20 miles ago.

It's possible that you overfilled the oil and you are getting oil coming out of the breather tube on top of the engine.  Determine the source of the oil.  Check that tube that comes off the breather cover on top of the engine to see if that is wet with oil.

I was talking of adjusting cable at the handle bar.
Good you looked at the carbs. Maybe theyre gummed up with oil crud and operate different when warm and the crud softens up. Like sticky when cold and operate smoother when crud was warm and soft.

Yes I am still bored here in Arlington Texas. Someone please help me!

Need beers.

Carbs are clean as a whistle. Ive had them apart 4 times in 3 weeks and cleaned every square inch every time.

I dont think i over filled the oil....but maybe i did. 2.5 quarts doesnt seem like too much does it?
What perplexes me is that the oil was super duper nasty.

According to Clymer:   oil change  ---(2.7 U.S. qts.  or 2.3 imp. qts)
                                   oil change with filter--- (3.1 U.S. qts or 2.6 imp. qts)
                                 

Quote from: entropic on April 25, 2012, 05:07:51 PM
According to Clymer:   oil change  ---(2.7 U.S. qts.  or 2.3 imp. qts)
                                   oil change with filter--- (3.1 U.S. qts or 2.6 imp. qts)
                                 

Hmm...well thats spot on then.
I mean, im no stranger to changing oil.


I really kind of cranked it on the way home as i had someone trying to merge in my lane after a stop light.  So i wonder if that squirted some out of a bad seal.

I'm guessing air leak. The oil is probably unrelated. These motors (and most motors) spit oil from time to time. The oil probably came out of the breather tube on top of the valve cover. Since you don't have an airbox, it just spat it out onto the carburetors instead of into the airbox and then out the side of the bike like it's supposed to.

Stock bikes normally have oil in the airbox - mine sure did after riding on the highway. It's normal. Just get a flashlight and check for any seepage.

As far as the hanging idle...I'd be looking for signs of an air leak. Common areas are around the intake boots on the motor side of the carbs, around the top of the diaphragm (the black cover), and other small areas.

I forgot that he has the lunchbox, so the breather tube on top of the valve cover would go to nowhere.  Some people put a little filter on the end of that tube.  I'm guessing that's where the oil came from too.  Maybe just some old oil left from the PO in that Brillo pad thing under the breather cover.

Did you set the idle back after messing with it, i wanted the idle a little bit higher and did it when the bike wasn't all the way warm and the next time i started it up it was idling high just had to adjust it again.