Well it cooled off here and was a beautiful day to ride. I had to go about 30 or so miles out to teach a class and it just about turned in to a nightmare.

Loaded up Sadie to head out yesterday morning. Started her up easily. no throttle. She hummed fine and we took off. About 2 miles down the road I started to slow to get on the ramp for the interstate. She quits in the turn. Started back up again and got on the interstate. Ran 2 miles at 55 mph then have to get on 65 south. The cloverleaf there is a sharp banked turn so the speed is 35. Always busy and full of cars.

Start around the turn slowing slightly and bam, she quits. Getting used to this starting on the fly particularly with cars on my butt! Get on 65 and I now have about 25 miles or so of interstate at 65 mph. Fine. Hit the off ramp to Clermont and fine. Get to the stoplight at the top of the ramp, fine. Left turn to Clermont, fine. Yay!

Right turn into Bernheim and she quits. I coast up to the guard house. Say hi - motorcycles are free, cars are not - eventually get it started. Go to first stop sign about 100 yards ahead, quits, turn right, quits, pull in to lot quits. Fine I'm here now.

It doesn't end. Put the kick stand down. Now usually as I get off I keep my left foot pushed against the kickstand just in case. Did I do that? Noooo, Of course not. Bike rolls forwards slightly, kickstand retracts and bike slowly go over. Moronic. Get it back up again, make sure it isn't going anywhere and go teach.

At the end of the afternoon I wonder of course if I am going to get home easily. Get on and find that on falling over even though I supported the fall, the clutch lever is now bent slightly so my small hands have an even worse time pulling it in. Sheeshh.

Bike starts fine, gets home fine with no quiting or hesitation.

What is going on? I can go on a 2000 mile trip with no problems except an o ring, come home and she's not happy. And of course according to the mechanic there is nothing wrong. Guess I'll have to take the carb apart to see if the diaphragm is going.

Although it might be the throttle tube they broke before my trip? I had to readjust the leather grips the other day and found a really strange looking throttle - turns out when they broke mine the mechanic put on his extra HD one. It looks like some gopher chewed it. I've been waiting for my replacement since the middle of June now.  

Staying home today. Have too much work to do and it looks like it's going to rain.

ALittlebird wrote on 08/10/08 at 04:11:55:


Bernheim Forest! - many ill guided afternoons spent in that place -  3 small lakes stacked to feed water to each other - with enough bluegill to entertain a person - the best crappie fishing I ever saw was at the small lake in front on the Jim Beam distillery across the street - small fish but you could sure catch more than you want.  Fine area.

wonder if the right hand turns are a clue or just happen stance - sure wound hurt to check the float level - just put a small piece of clear fuel tube on the carb drain turned upward and see where the level is  

I'm kind of stumped on the stalling.  I wondered if the direction of the turn was indicative of something as well, but I can't figure out why it would be.  

As for the toppled bike, I have taken to leaving it in gear when I park it.  I'd rather go through one more step on start up than have to pick the bike up off the pavement.

Bill's suggestion of a low idle speed certainly has merit.  Crank it up a little bit and see how it affects things.

QUESTION:  You mentioned starting up on the fly.  What steps are you having to take to get the bike running again when you're moving?  Or even when you've rolled to a stop, for that matter?

EDIT: I have forgotten what all you have done to the bike in hunting down this problem, but it sounds like it always quits at low throttle, i.e: when the pilot jet is doing its thing.  Can there be an intermittent pilot jet problem?  One of the carb gurus will know.  Perhaps a flake of crud that floats over the hole once in awhile, or is loosely attached to the bottom of the jet and flapping around in there?  My grandpa once had a problem with intermittent fuel starvation in a Chevy pickup.  He finally pulled the tank and found a piece of an apple crate at the bottom.  It would get sucked down over the tank outlet and cut off fuel.  When the suction was reduced, it would float away and let fuel flow again.

bill67 wrote on 08/10/08 at 07:49:48:


I turned it up higher last week when this started again. Didn't see to make much of a difference although the mechanic said it sounded better.  

There are so many others in here that know so much more than I do...
Hopefully they will chime in and solve this for you.  

Things I would try if this were my bike:  
1) When it quits, but is still rolling, leave it in gear (maybe downshift to get the RPMs up a little) and give it a little gas (possibly choke it a click instead of throttle) and see if it starts back up.

2) Drop the bowl off the carb, pull the pilot jet, and clean it.  FIRST SEE IF IT APPEARS PLUGGED.  If it's already clean, cleaning it won't hurt, but you don't want to put the bowl back on thinking you cured the problem if that wasn't the problem in the first place.

3) PM one of the guys that really knows this stuff and stop listening to that ignorant wood butcher in Montana.  There are many of them here, but Lancer and Savage Greg do this stuff every day.  I'd see if they have an idea for you.

NO it doesn't sputter just gracefully and quietly quits. great suggestions! I'll have a look. Thanks!!!!

It can be tough to know when you've solved it with an intermittent problem.  You just have to ride around wondering, did I get it?  Or is it gonna' get me again on the next corner?
Best of luck.. be safe

Serowbot wrote on 08/10/08 at 11:03:32:


I just went to Autozone/Home depot to get clear plastic tubing to do what Reelthing said and it ran fine.

I think she wants to leave Kentucky.