'76 xs650 w/ a problem (newbie)

[Hambo]

Story:

Never owned a bike before.

I have almost no mechanical experience.

Came into a little money and jumped on the first craigslist that caught my eye. (lol?)

Bought this '76 xs650 for $1600 in running condition, got it home and ran into a couple problems within a few days.. one of the carbs un-seated out of the boot a little bit and was leaking air, so i bought two new boots and had my mechanic stick 'em in, he also tore down the carbs and cleaned 'em out thoroughly while he was at it. After that it was golden for a few more days of riding. Then another issue cropped up that confuses me..

Whenever its in neutral or I pull in the clutch while its in gear, it revs up real high. First thought was that the throttle was sticking, but it isn't.. any idea what could cause this?

Also, how bad did I get ripped off with the price? Not the best pics I know..

Thanks for takin' a look at my thread

 

[Derek]

Welcome!

Do yourself a favor and spend some time reading the Tech section, there is a ton of information to familiarize yourself with. I've had my bike for 2 years and I'm still learning every day.

Give this a read. Twice. Thrice. Until you understand it really, and then read it again.

http://www.amckayltd.com/carbguide.pdf

And Make sure your Advance Unit works like this and does not bind. I had an issue with mine and got new springs as well as lubricate properly. (Thanks to Pamco Pete for the video!)

~ Derek

Edit to add: Buy yourself a manual also.

 

[Hambo]

I'll do that Derek. Theres a lot of info there to digest, i'll dedicate some time to that, thanks for the resource =D

 

[Derek]

This may sound silly and it could just be the pictures but make sure your carbs are seating correctly in the boots, they look angled weird, especially in the second picture. You can also check for air leaks by spraying some carb cleaner around the boots while the bike is running to see it if changes the engine speed.

~ Derek

 

[Lasper01]

Is it only when its warm or also when its cold?

Have you tried turning the idle screw?

Lasse

 

[jamesgs4]

Is it only when its warm or also when its cold?

Have you tried turning the idle screw?

Lasse

Set the idle screw when the bike is hot.

 

[weekendrider]

Check the routing of the cable and/or if the clutch cable moves it.
It looks kinda tight in the 5th pic down?
Welcome to the site.

 

[Phail]

Also, how bad did I get ripped off with the price? Not the best pics I know..

I think you got a great deal for that price. Good looking bike. It's old, so it's going to need some TLC. That's just normal.

Good luck.

 

[cmattina1]

Yeah, it is a nice looking bike. Though I notice the same issues on the angle of the carbs, and the clutch cable, both look odd.