Won't Idle

My bike (85 XJ 700) has been sitting in the garage for about the past 5 years. 5 years ago, it ran good, but maybe a low idle of around 900 rpms. It was just enough to keep it running. I never winterized it, but I would get it out each spring and it would run like crap and need a new batttery -yada yada yada- so it just sat and ended up becoming a huge frustration that got worse each year.

For maybe the past 3 years, it would always take some choke to idle but was somewhat rideable.

This past year, no go. Not good idle, not good ride. I finally decided that I was going to have to pull the carbs and clean them.

Carbs have been cleaned and to me, didn't really look that bad. I put them back on the bike and it started great with the choke, but I am back to the same problem. No idle. I have to have the choke (enrichener valve) just barely open and then everything seems ok as far as idle goes. If i move the choke to fully open, then the engine will race up and down to maybe 3000 to 4000 rpms. Close the choke, it will die.

THis is what I have done.

1. Pilot screws at 3 turns out. ( +/- .5 - 1.0 turns to see a difference)
2. Adjust idle screw in and out - it does make the idle change, but i can only tell when the I use the choke.
3. I bench synced the carbs. The top of the throttle plate is right in between two little holes on the top of the tunnel. Is this correct?
4. Boots look good.

What boggles me is that nothing has changed on this bike for the past 9 years I have had it except now I have changed the pilot screws, the idle screw, and slightly changed the sync when I did the bench sync and it still has this no idle problem unless choked.

Any ideas?


- Rick

 

Update - I did some more reading and tried it again this morning.

Pulled the carbs off, pilots screws back to all the way down then 3 turns up each, bottomed the sync screws and bench synced with a paper clip.

I put them back on and it had a real hard time starting so I unscrewed the idle a little bit with full choke. I got her pumpin then backed the choke back to half and adjusted the idle back out some more.

Got it off choke and backed the idle out some more and now she runs - NO CHOKE THANK GOD - idles about 1200. I like it at 1200.

I think my problem after the carb cleaning might of been not enough fuel into the bowls. My fuel delivery method kind of sucked with the tank off.

Runs good too. I got my carb sync tool and will be build a YICS tool this weekend for a super tweaking. I kind of hate to do it since it runs better than it has on a long time.

This info here is great.

Happy New Year - I'm goin' ridin!


Rick