Hi.

I have '07 Boulevard, totally stock except for the sparkplug door mod.

had 13k on clock when I got it, now has 17k.

Had zero issues until now.

If I start the bike, and immediately attempt to ride forward, (like if you were taking bike out of garage) bike goes forward, but makes a bit of a splutter, like it's going to stall.

If I leave it to run for a couple of seconds without trying to ride forward, then put it into gear and go forward, all seems fine.

Seems obvious (don't ride straight away), but it did not do it when I first bought the bike.

Also started to notice when riding along at 100kmph in 4th, now and then bike gets what I can only describe as a flat spot.  Doesn't die or anything, just 'feels' flat for a brief instant, like sudden loss of power.

It has a new sparkplug, and the problem was there before AND after changing plug.

Also checked the vaccum hose from petcock to r/h side of carb for gas - all clear.

Any ideas?
Bike seems fine on highway, just don't want to ignore any potential problem here.

Not slowly accelaerating, more while riding at a constant speed, then goes flat, then catches up again.

As for seafoam, I have no idea what that is.

I'm assuming it's pretty standard in US but not sure what I would ask for here in New Zealand.

Will check air filter this weekend (If I get my a-into-g)

Thanks for the response

seafoam is a gas additive to clean the carb

with 17k on the bike you should consider replacing the vac line just for preventative maintenance, the old one could have a few tiny cracks that are hard to seel.
I tend to think along with Verslagen that you should run carb cleaner through the the tank and that will hopefully clean out whatever is causing the issue, but it definitely sounds like a carb issue, whether sticking slide, clog jet or passage, etc.

Sea Foam is good to put in your engine oil too,Cleans the inside up.Two stroke oil doesn't work for cleaning your engine or carb.

Bill, I didn't say anything about "cleaning." I said "lube." For cleaning I would find a product without the oil. Remember too that gasoline is a pretty potent solvent for cleaning, at least as good as the small amount of naptha in Seafoam. The ingredient list in Seafoam makes me think of a multi-purpose cold tablet, guaranteed to cure what ails you.

I thought about recommending the Diesel fuel, as JOG did. But it needs to be used in relatively small quantities, because it will lower the octane rating of the gasoline. Every year somebody loses a piston-powered airplane because it got misfuelled with jet fuel (about the same as Diesel). The engine starts on the gas in the fuel lines. The pilot taxis out and does runup OK. When max power is applied for takeoff the jet fuel-gas mix starts detonating in the engine, but the pilot can't hear it for all the other noise. When the airplane gets about 500 feet up and well past the end of the runway the engine(s) quit. The airplane isn't high enough to make the return to the runway, so an off-airport landing ensues.

Serowbot wrote on 04/25/10 at 23:20:40:


First - Done (may have solved the flat spot while at 100kmph, vac tube was almost but not quite all the way hard against the r/h side of carby.  didn't think any air could have gotten in/out there, as it was clipped, but it seems it may have been)

Second - Did before posting.

Third - Soz, I'm not as mechanically minded as others here, for me to do things like that, I would love a link to some working pictures so I know what I am looking for/at.  I learn great when I know what I need to do, but a written description usually gets me in more trouble than when I started

I get that I must be looking for kickstand and clutch lever cut-out switch connectors, so 2 wires with a male female type connection for both kickstand and clutch (unless they both connect into the same connectors) but where would I find them, and what do they look like.

I'm not kidding when I say I know farkall.  I am savvy enough to do the air filter and oil filter/change, but that's about it.
I'll give anything a go myself, but I don't want to go in blind and make things worse thinking I'm doing good if you know what I mean.

I've always dumped my bike on mechanics to fix, and payed a freaking huge labour bill for my troubles, but now I am sole income earner and a baby due within a month, so want to save money any way I can.  And bike is my only means of transport to work.

Please be patient with me.  Talk to me like you would a child, I won't take offense.

verslagen1 wrote on 04/26/10 at 18:30:06:


LOL ok ok I set myself up for the 'wait for it' bit.

I found the green connector under the seat when I removed for the airfilter check.
Airfilter was pretty gunked up with insect heads etc, but as I don't have access to a compressor, I very carefully used a craft knife to remove most of the crap without damaging the filter at all, and put it back in.  Will update when I get home after work to see if any noticeable difference.

Now when you mention above to put in a paperclip, I just want to be sure...do you mean put a paperclip in and leave it in to create an alternate path for the circuit if contact points get soiled in future and put connectors back together, or do you mean put a paperclip in to scrape any crap off of the contact points in the connectors then remove the paperclip and put connectors back together?