My engine is running poorly: Difference between revisions
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====My engine lacks power under throttle load.==== | ====My engine lacks power under throttle load.==== | ||
Make sure there's nothing covering the openings to the airbox under the seat | Make sure there's nothing covering the openings to the airbox under the seat, such as a zip-lock bag or a spare shirt. When you open up the throttle, the vacuum it creates will suck the bag/shirt down on the airbox and cut off the air supply. | ||
Also check: | Also check: | ||
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*Are your valves adjusted properly? | *Are your valves adjusted properly? | ||
*Are your carbs synced? | *Are your carbs synced? | ||
*Have your carbs been cleaned in the past several years? | *Have your carbs been cleaned in the past several years? | ||
====My engine is backfiring.==== | ====My engine is backfiring.==== | ||
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If the engine is just popping a little bit as you decelerate, then you're getting preignition. This is caused by a lean mixture condition. Check carbs for vacuum leaks, or richen (raise) the needles or idle mixture (turn out screws). | If the engine is just popping a little bit as you decelerate, then you're getting preignition. This is caused by a lean mixture condition. Check carbs for vacuum leaks, or richen (raise) the needles or idle mixture (turn out screws). | ||
If the bike is seriously backfiring, then you might still have a lean condition, or maybe even a rich condition (check your choke). This is because a lean mixture can make the engine miss, then the unburnt gasses are ignited in the exhaust pipe on the next cycle; a rich mixture can have the same effect since unburned fuel will also be present | If the bike is seriously backfiring, then you might still have a lean condition, or maybe even a rich condition (check your choke). This is because a lean mixture can make the engine miss, then the unburnt gasses are ignited in the exhaust pipe on the next cycle; a rich mixture can have the same effect since unburned fuel will also be present. | ||
Check pilot circuits in the carbs, change the spark plugs (make sure to gap them properly), check for exhaust leaks | Check pilot circuits in the carbs, change the spark plugs (make sure to gap them properly), check for exhaust leaks. | ||
====My bike will run for a while, but keeps losing power and dying when I ride it.==== | ====My bike will run for a while, but keeps losing power and dying when I ride it.==== | ||