Okay, guys... I've searched and searched, but I couldn't find anyone with the same problems I was having. Not specifically, anyways. So I guess I get to bother you guys some more.  I put all my hoses in the correct place and rode down the road. Not much, only a few miles. My bike was completely warmed up, choke all the way off, idling just under 1500. It idles fine, twist the throttle, great response. Now when I got on it and rode down the road, I had no power.. It wasn't bogging, it was just like my throttle response was awful. It felt like a 250. You know, you give it gas and 5 years later you actually speed up a little bit?  that's my only problem, though. I thought it might be the throttle cable just needed a little tightening, but wouldn't it affect it at idling too? I got my rpm's high at about 30 or so, maybe a little improvement, but not alot at all. So little that I'm not even sure if it really did improve. No problems taking off, or anything. Just slowness.

Also, when I got back my exhaust was smoking. It was coming from where the silver metal meets the black? I don't really know what could've caused that, it wasn't doing it before. It's probably nothing, or something just flew up in there, and I'm just being silly for asking about it, but better safe than sorry. 

  Thanks in advance. 

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There are a couple tiny holes low on the exhaust to let water and stuff drain out. Probably gas & oil was coming out then smoking as it evaporated.

Sounds like you were running on one cylinder. That explains low power and stuff in the exhaust.

Do the checks for running on one cylinder such as
* look at the plugs
* do a spark test with the plug put
* look for gas spilling into the airbox from one of the carbs (sign of flooding) by removing filter and looking at the air intakes of the carbs
* Run, idling. Pull one plug wire. What happens? Now do the other side. What happens? If nothing, then tat side isn't doing anything. If it dies, then that side is doing all the work and the other side isn't dong much, if anything.

That's what I was thinking it was, but I wasn't sure. I'll check on it tomorrow. If that is the problem (which I'm 90% sure it is) how do I fix it?

It all depends on what is causing it. But before we get into that, confirm it so that long and/or misleading responses are avoided.



- Bboy

Okay, I started my bike, got it all warmed up, idling at about 1300 RPM. I pulled the wire on the right side (if you're standing from behind the bike) RPM's dropped, after about 2 seconds it died. Plugged it back up, started it up, pulled the left side. The RPM's dropped to a little under 1, but it stayed running. When I was fixing to pull the wires on the right side I noticed whenever my bike would make a a little poppy noise (not really a pop, but Idk how to describe it) there'd be a little puff of grey smoke coming from around the headers.

EDIT: Coming from around the right header.. sorry. 

Tighten your exhaust up, if it smokes out of there it's not sealed. Trust me, exhaust leaks rob these things of power, whether at the header, or where you crappily welded a muffler on.

Tighten my headers, and properly welded the exhaust, now my bike idles. Good place to start, nice and easy, makes a huge difference

Alright, I'll try that and let you guys know how it goes. Thanks. 

I can't get the screw's any tighter and there's oil coming from my header.

1. Do not over tighten screws. The head is aluminum. You can strip them. Head gasket is rubber and doesn't need to be tightened down until blood squirts out.

2. Oil from WHERE on the header? Pictures help a lot.

Sorry, I keep forgetting I can post pictures. Lol

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I have trouble seeing where the oil is. Everything there looks pretty normal.

Do you see it now?

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Sure it isn't coming from above and dripping down? That is an odd place for a drip of oil. If you had the valve cover off, it could be coming from the valve cover (which is not at all unusual) and dripping down there.

If from there, since it is the exhaust, what is the condition of the exhaust gaskets? have you removed the exhaust? If exhaust is removed, new exhaust gaskets should be used. They crush down with time.

No, I didn't mess with the valves or anything. I suppose checking the gaskets it is. But back to my original problem... Why do I have no power?

We have to go back and determine the source of the problem.
Going back, the spark plugs: how to they look? Is there spark? and those things.
Ignore a tiny oil leak at the moment. Once the plugs are checked, the oil leak may need attention if a plug looks oil covered, which could be a bad halve seal.

Check plugs. Check for spark.

How do I know if they're sparking? The left sparkplug looked a lot better than the right. The right had oil on it and smelled like gas.

The left side didn't have oil on it or anything.

OK. So right side is not firing.
Plug the right wire into the plug. With rubber gloves or something to insulate you, hold plug to frame and press starter (may have to tie down the clutch due to the safety switch). Do you see spark? Of so, good. If not, switch plugs in case you have a defective plug.
Then try both plugs on the left side.

Now you know:
1. If you have spark
2. if a plug is defective

If no spark on right side, it can be the wire from the coil is loose and needs screwing in or the cap screwed back onto the wire (they're like car spark plug wires - they screw on). Try again.

If still no spark, it can be the coil, the wiring, and for 89-2002's a timing pickup coil as there is one for each plug.

When you have spark on both sides, if still problems, move on to carb & other issues.

At the moment, it appears there is no spark on the right side because the plug is wet. That accounts for the drip from the exhaust (which should not be loose enough to allow a drip so maybe exhaust gasket is also bad). Gas & oil going through the right side would explain the stuff coming out of the exhaust: unburnt gas & oil.

You can swap plugs and run again. If left side is wet then the plug is bad. If right side still wet then plug was good (as it is now on the left) and spark & other issues need to be checked.

By the way, the Haynes and Clymer manuals have fault finding charts in the back of the books. I prefer Haynes.
If you don't have one, you really need one. (well, everyone needs one).

.........and the left plug looks good.

Okay, I swapped the plugs and my rpms dropped to 1. Right side (left plug) came out looking wet. Left side (right plug) looked fine.

Try photos with it a little further away as the camera is focusing on the ground. Try on a white background so it has to focus on the plug or hold the plug a little farther away then crop the photo before uploading.

Since right side still wet, and left OK, we know both plugs are good and problem is on the right side.
Time for the other tests.

Both plugs spark