Your mechanic loves you and wants your bike to run well. He just doesn't know how to make it do so. As suggested bring it home let us help. We ALL would like to help with your sweety's panties.
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What to do??? The frustration finally sets in
- Thread starter Pennies Earned
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baldyforks
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Wow, with all this motivating chat ,I wanna take my panties off too.
Pennies Earned
XS650 Enthusiast
Judging by your screen name you must be well shaven
Pennies Earned
XS650 Enthusiast
Update: The bike is now back in my possession. I went and picked it up earlier today and actually got to ride her home. The bike is still not completely fixed but due to lack of patience and your guys' motivation the bike is back. He said that it needed a carb rebuild kit, that the diaphrams might be damaged. The bike starts on half a kick, idles great, backfire is gone, but the midrange is non existent. The bike starts out and then hesitates while driving. I was able to ride it home about 10 miles but the "fun" in riding the bike just isn't there with it hesitating the way it is. I'll tell you one thing though...I'm happy as hell to have it back. Where should I start....carb rebuild kit?
angus67
Welder's penetrate deeper!!
carb rebiuld kit. while your in them, spray every carb passage with carb cleaner so that when u spray in, it comes out somewhere else. soak the pilot jets, mainjets, make ABSOLUTELEY sure you have the floats at the right level. go one up on your pilots. I say thatbecause judginging by your first picture, you still run your airboxes, and stock style exhaust, that is my advise on that setup. if you have changed to pod filters, and a more free flowing exhaust, a 46 pilot might be the trick.
i miss john
i miss john
You may not need a carb kit. The stock parts are fairly robust. You might only need a float bowl gasket. I would pull them off, take them apart carefully. On carb at a time. An empty egg carton works well to hold the parts.
Once you get them tore down, then figure out what is needed. then order just the parts you need. Our favorite parts place won't take returns on carb or electronic parts.
No sence buying a $14 kit when all you need is a $4 gasket.
Once you get them tore down, then figure out what is needed. then order just the parts you need. Our favorite parts place won't take returns on carb or electronic parts.
No sence buying a $14 kit when all you need is a $4 gasket.
+1 on don't do a kit. Normally few parts are needed and they often aren't the ones in the kit
Read the carb overhaul guides on here, wait a day read em again THEN start in. It's not too bad Have a clean bench, a can or two of carb cleaner a roll of paper towel a bunch of Q tips, a muffin tin is perfect and needed for keeping parts organized. Stop before you hurt the screw slot on any jets. Use screw drivers that FIT hint; you often have to grind them to fit RIGHT for thickness and width.
Stop, take pictures and ask questions here. We are committed to helping you.
Read the carb overhaul guides on here, wait a day read em again THEN start in. It's not too bad Have a clean bench, a can or two of carb cleaner a roll of paper towel a bunch of Q tips, a muffin tin is perfect and needed for keeping parts organized. Stop before you hurt the screw slot on any jets. Use screw drivers that FIT hint; you often have to grind them to fit RIGHT for thickness and width.
Stop, take pictures and ask questions here. We are committed to helping you.
Your needles may be set in the wrong adjustment slot. The needles have 5 slots and are most commonly set in the #3 (from the top) or middle slot. Your model runs them in the #4 slot. If your mechanic was somewhat familiar with carbs, he may have found the needles set in the #4 slot, figured it was wrong, and re-set them in the #3 slot. This would lean the midrange and may be why you have no power there.
Pennies Earned
XS650 Enthusiast
So a couple of things. Turns out the mechanic didn't really dive into the carbs. The needle was set at the #3 slot 
by me. I remember moving them to that position last time I had the carbs apart and swore the manual told me that was the factory setting. I also didn't set the float levels which could be my issue. I started it up today and took it for a small ride. The left cylinder seems to sputter. I noticed when It was on the side stand running that a bunch of fuel was on the ground. Turns out it was coming from the left carb run off hose. Wrong float level I'm assuming?
by me. I remember moving them to that position last time I had the carbs apart and swore the manual told me that was the factory setting. I also didn't set the float levels which could be my issue. I started it up today and took it for a small ride. The left cylinder seems to sputter. I noticed when It was on the side stand running that a bunch of fuel was on the ground. Turns out it was coming from the left carb run off hose. Wrong float level I'm assuming?It is the factory setting for some years but not yours. That's the problem with these carbs. Yamaha changed the carb set, jetting, or settings almost every 2 years during the production run. I drew up a chart using mostly factory spec sheets and manuals that may help you .....
The "-4" at the end of your needle number indicates it is set in the 4th slot. '76-'79 carbs ran their needles in the #3 slot so maybe those were the specs you saw.
The "-4" at the end of your needle number indicates it is set in the 4th slot. '76-'79 carbs ran their needles in the #3 slot so maybe those were the specs you saw.
Are you sure the floats don't leak? simple test; dip em in a cup of hot water if they leak they will bubble.
theyammieguy
Make it your own.
I know your frustation. When I was building my roadie, the only thing I had left was paint. I gave it to my boss since he's a badass painter. Well he quit the place we were working at and went to work somewhere else. After 7 months of emails and him saying he's almost finished I finally had enough and went and got my tins. After all that time the only thing he painted was the front fender and side covers.
I ended up buying a paint gun and doing it myself.
My point is, get your shit back and find someone else that can do it in a day.
I ended up buying a paint gun and doing it myself.
My point is, get your shit back and find someone else that can do it in a day.
Pennies Earned
XS650 Enthusiast
gggGary....I will try that but it sure seemed like a constant stream coming out of the hose.
You know I have to say the guys giving advice here are all old cheapskates. Compared to having a mechanic work on your bike it would be much cheaper and less frustrating to just buy overhaul kits, new jets, floats, etc and have done with it. That will quickly eliminate a lot of gotcha's that us CBs will wrastle with to save a dime.
A ??? to those following this, are there any reasonable, reputable BS38 overhaul or exchange guys out there?
A ??? to those following this, are there any reasonable, reputable BS38 overhaul or exchange guys out there?
Old Skool Carbs does really nice work if you've got a few hundred dollars just burning a hole in your pocket. I am able to do it myself so I do.
The only rebuild kit I feel is worth it is the one for the BS34s. You can use everything in it and it saves you $4 or $5 over buying the parts separately. All the others are hit or miss. Some have the wrong sized jets and they're all knock-offs (I prefer to use genuine Mikuni brand jets). If needles are included, they're some generic size that probably won't work. You usually get a choke plunger but personally, I've never needed to replace one of those. About the only items you're likely to need are the float bowl gasket, the float needle seat assembly, and the drain plug washer. Mike doesn't offer the drain plug washer alone but the other 2 items can be purchased separately for less than the cost of a rebuild kit. What isn't included and usually needs replacing is the needle jet o-ring.
The only rebuild kit I feel is worth it is the one for the BS34s. You can use everything in it and it saves you $4 or $5 over buying the parts separately. All the others are hit or miss. Some have the wrong sized jets and they're all knock-offs (I prefer to use genuine Mikuni brand jets). If needles are included, they're some generic size that probably won't work. You usually get a choke plunger but personally, I've never needed to replace one of those. About the only items you're likely to need are the float bowl gasket, the float needle seat assembly, and the drain plug washer. Mike doesn't offer the drain plug washer alone but the other 2 items can be purchased separately for less than the cost of a rebuild kit. What isn't included and usually needs replacing is the needle jet o-ring.
Pennies Earned
XS650 Enthusiast
So the needle clip is now in the position 4 slot and the float levels set. The bike runs better now but still isn't right. Still a small sputter from the left exhaust, although better now. Riding her is better but the powerband still isn't sufficient and starting out she still wants to die. Also now when I rev the motor it continuously stays up at higher RPMs for quite some time.
theyammieguy
Make it your own.
I had a similar problem on an intruder 750. There were a couple of problems. One, the carbs were way out of sync. For some reason that bike ran like shit when they were out of sync. My 650 vstar didn't. Another problem, was the enricher valve was stuck in place. Pulled both of them out and cleaned them real well.
are you still getting any gas leaking? around or out of the carbs? do you shut the petcock off when you park the bike?
A air leak is often the cause of the idle staying high. Start the bike and simply spray starter fluid or carb cleaner around the area where the carbs meet the engine if the bike revs up you have a leak.
A air leak is often the cause of the idle staying high. Start the bike and simply spray starter fluid or carb cleaner around the area where the carbs meet the engine if the bike revs up you have a leak.
It sounds like your idle circuit is lean now. It could be an air leak or maybe the circuit is plugged. I would also check the pilot jets to insure they are the proper size (#45) and type (BS30/96) for your model.
Could also be an air/vacuum leak, causing the high rpms. Check carb holders for cracks, make sure the nipples for the vacuum petcocks are either plugged or the vacuum lines to the petcocks are in good shape.
edit:yeah what remmy said
