HELP first ride was a fail!

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2one7 chops

XS650 Enthusiast
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Got my plates and registration yesterday went for the first real ride in the evening. Ride up and down the road a few times no problem, went around the block feeling good. Half way around the block I stop at the corner go to turn left and as soon as the clutch starts to grab bike dies instantly. Fires up and does the same thing. I try this multiple times on the side of the road with no luck. Push it to the sidewalk let it sit for 5 minutes or so and limp it home running terrible. Bike feels like it's loading up, pops out the exhaust, smokes out left side, and the occasional puff of air from the carbs. Idle is very erratic and will stumble to the point of almost dieing then runs back up. I get an intermitten vapor lock on the tank also. And there is a loud squeaking and dragging coming from the rear brake.

Bike is an 80, has an older tx650 engine in it right now as the original is torn down for a rebuild. Bike has pod filters, and yo mama style pipes I built that are equal length with baffles. Kick only with HHB pma, and capacitor, pamco, big green coil, ngk wires, New ngk iridium plugs. Rode the bike last week around the yard a few times with no real problems but the vapor lock issue.

Please any advice would be great this is my first xs, and first vintage bike. Thanks in advance for any help you can give. Also I checked the timing last week, and adjusted the valves but I'm going to 3rd check them because there kind of noisy.
 
The vapor lock could be the biggest issue...running out of gas will make your bike run as you described. Try keeping the fuel cap open and see if it does the same thing.

As to squeaking brakes...have you looked at the shoes recently? May need to be cleaned/replaced, etc.?
 
Check the petcock/petcocks. If you are using stock petcock the tiny passages in the castings clog real easy when sitting for a while. Sometimes it takes a drill bit by hand to clear them out. Has the tank been cleared of rust flakes and gunk? I've used 5 pounds of roofing nails in a rinsed tank, a little Dawn for lube, duct tape under the cap, all wrapped up in cling wrap, packed in the dryer with blankets, 10 no-heat cycles in the dryer, rotating between cycles, rinsed with water, dried with a blow dryer. Next would be cleaning the petcocks and checking/changing the fuel filter.

Scott
 
I opened the gas cap as soon as I got home with the bike still running and no change in the poor idle, or left cylinder smoke. I cleaned the gas tank the best I could after I painted it, but maybe I'll try the nail and dryer method. The wife will love that. As for the petcock I believe it's an aftermarket, says Pingel on it. I'll take it apart and check for gunk, or chunks
 
I'll redo the valves, compression test, check filter and petcock. Sounds like I'm spending the evening taking apart what I just put back together.
 
Other style caps on other bikes I have turned them upside down and flooded them with Walmart Tech Lubricant, let them soak overnight and blow them out, every crevice and hole that I can find. Lots of yellow and brown crusty lacquer comes out. Some people do the same with SeaFoam and Marvel Mystery Oil.

Scott
 
Wire in a battery and watch it go. You haven't got time to read all the crap trouble people have had trying to get by with a capacitor and PMA.
 
2one7 chops said:
Re-adjusted the valves. 002 intake/.006 exhaust compression is 60 psi on both cylinders.
Click to expand...

60 psi, doesn't sound too promising. Was that test done with the throttle held wide open as it should be? Maybe run an overdose of Sea Foam through the engine to free up rings and clean carbon off the valves and check compression again. Maybe 1/3 can of Sea Foam to a full tank if it's running good enough to run a whole tank, then a few gas only tanks before making any judgements.

Scott
 
Nope didn't know the throttle was supposed to be wide open. Guess I should pull the plugs and retry. Runs good, and it sure is hard to kick over to start.
 
The book calls for 145 psi on an engine in good shape. A fresh rebuild will get around 165psi. On the 750 kit I put on my 75 it ran around 195 on the engine stand.
How long has this engine sat around since it was last run? Also how many miles have you run it in this bike?
As an engine sets rust forms on the rings, valves cylinder walls and such. When you first start running an engine with this rust it can have low compression. As the rust wears away the compression often comes up.
.002 on the intake is a bit tight. A lot of us have found .003 works better.
Leo
 
Engine sat in my garage for about 5 months while working on it. Don't know how much the bike sat before, I've only got halfway around the block. Compression was 130-135 with WOT.
 
Test ride #2 was much better, made it home with no major problems. Engine did stumble a bit just before coming back into the driveway. I'm thinking I need to sync the carbs now, but other than that no problems. Soaked the gas cap for over 24 hours, amazing how much stuff can come out of there. Valves are super quiet, light smoke from both pipes now but I'm thinking that is the sea foam. Going to buzz around the neighborhood some more before making the trip across town to work.
 

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