ght58
XS650 Member
I have a 1982 XS650 Special w/ 16,920 mi. I believe it is all stock. The bike sat for a good 4-5 months while I was traveling. The bike is sputtering and shutting off frequently. It idles all over the place, but usually drops very low and then shuts off. I've checked the battery and spark plugs - so assuming it's a carb issue, but I have no idea - I'm just starting my learning process of how to work on bikes and assess issues.
I've added 1/2 bottle of SeaFoam to the 1/2 tank of gas that was in there, let it sit for 30 min, ran it for 30 minutes adjusting the choke to keep it on, and then drove it around for a bit - it was still shutting off when I drove it around. I then added about 1/2 tank worth of new gas to the gas/seafoam that was in there already, and have ran/driven it for 15-20 min at a time on three different occasions this past week, and I am seeing improvement in the bike staying on, but there are still issues.
The bike starts up when I have the petcock set to PRI and the choke on. I'm having to keep the choke on for quite a while, but once I get the bike running, I can turn the choke off and the bike will continue to run as long as I don't sit for too long. However, if the choke is off, the bike slowly starts sputtering and will eventually turn off within 20-25 sec of sitting.
If I have the petcock set to ON, then the bike does a much more poor job of idling, staying on and will usually shut off very quickly whether I'm sitting, driving, turning, etc.
It's been very hot (100+) for several weeks now.
Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
I've added 1/2 bottle of SeaFoam to the 1/2 tank of gas that was in there, let it sit for 30 min, ran it for 30 minutes adjusting the choke to keep it on, and then drove it around for a bit - it was still shutting off when I drove it around. I then added about 1/2 tank worth of new gas to the gas/seafoam that was in there already, and have ran/driven it for 15-20 min at a time on three different occasions this past week, and I am seeing improvement in the bike staying on, but there are still issues.
The bike starts up when I have the petcock set to PRI and the choke on. I'm having to keep the choke on for quite a while, but once I get the bike running, I can turn the choke off and the bike will continue to run as long as I don't sit for too long. However, if the choke is off, the bike slowly starts sputtering and will eventually turn off within 20-25 sec of sitting.
If I have the petcock set to ON, then the bike does a much more poor job of idling, staying on and will usually shut off very quickly whether I'm sitting, driving, turning, etc.
It's been very hot (100+) for several weeks now.
Any insights would be greatly appreciated.