CaptCardboard
XS650 Enthusiast
... You may as well break down in front of a bar.
I've been quiet on here lately because I've simply been enjoying riding my bike and avoiding modern tech as much as possible. But, welcome back!
Had a garbage day at work, disappointed in human existence in general, at least I get to ride! ...Nope.
Riding home on a hot day. Light traffic. My idle bumped above 15k, which isn't unusual since I'm pretty sure if got some air leakage around my carbs when the bike gets hot.
Then I noticed a lot more backfiring and the tone of the exhaust changed while riding. Finally, starting from a light, I put on some throttle and did not go. The engine revved, but no power. Once I let off the throttle it sputtered and died. I let it cool for a bit, but no amount of kicking could get the bike to fire again.
It took three double-bourbon and sodas for the tow truck to arrive.
Thankfully I'm not relying on my bike for a daily driver, so I get to tinker a bit and I welcome any troubleshooting tips.
The way it revved and sputtered without power reminded me of when the diaphragm on my Honda Shadow blew, so I intend to check my carb diaphragms first.
I've read that the Boyer electronic ignitions can burn out easily too, though I don't have a clue how to check or diagnose that ignition.
I'm home now, with a better selection of bourbon, so it'll be a few days before I tear into it. First thing I'll check is how the plugs look. I'd love to read any input from the more experienced crowd.
I've been quiet on here lately because I've simply been enjoying riding my bike and avoiding modern tech as much as possible. But, welcome back!
Had a garbage day at work, disappointed in human existence in general, at least I get to ride! ...Nope.
Riding home on a hot day. Light traffic. My idle bumped above 15k, which isn't unusual since I'm pretty sure if got some air leakage around my carbs when the bike gets hot.
Then I noticed a lot more backfiring and the tone of the exhaust changed while riding. Finally, starting from a light, I put on some throttle and did not go. The engine revved, but no power. Once I let off the throttle it sputtered and died. I let it cool for a bit, but no amount of kicking could get the bike to fire again.
It took three double-bourbon and sodas for the tow truck to arrive.
Thankfully I'm not relying on my bike for a daily driver, so I get to tinker a bit and I welcome any troubleshooting tips.
The way it revved and sputtered without power reminded me of when the diaphragm on my Honda Shadow blew, so I intend to check my carb diaphragms first.
I've read that the Boyer electronic ignitions can burn out easily too, though I don't have a clue how to check or diagnose that ignition.
I'm home now, with a better selection of bourbon, so it'll be a few days before I tear into it. First thing I'll check is how the plugs look. I'd love to read any input from the more experienced crowd.
