Serowbot wrote on 09/17/12 at 13:26:03:

No, well not until I had this issue.  All I've done since then is check the fuel line and do the petcock test.  I'm going to start looking at the carb tonight.

Dave wrote on 09/17/12 at 11:24:38:



I just did the test to see how much fuel flows from the drain on the carb.  I put a piece of hose over the drain, and ran it into my ratio rite that was marked at 16 oz.  It took right at 1 minutes 30 seconds to drain out 16 oz. for the float bowl.

 
Justin,  slow down.

Dave's fuel flow is great -- Wewon'tblink's fuel flow is a total unknown.   Wewon'tblink hasn't done the test yet.

Wewon'tblink hasn't reported on ANY of the tests you guys have requested, and yet you want to keep trucking merrily along as if he has.

I don't think Dave is delusional, he has provided a good testing tool that assumes the newbie actually did the Serowbot Test correctly and now the newbie can test the complete Prime through flow of the entire system against a known benchmark (which itself is based on a full tank of gas providing X vertical pressure).  

When Wewon'tblink actually DOES it that is ....

Key words are "assumes the newbie actually did the Serowbot Test correctly" --  Wewon'tblink hasn't reported on ANY of the tests you guys have requested, and yet you keep trucking merrily along as if he has.

Not reading the thread, not keeping back reading to verify what the newbie has done and not done --- these are major flaws for someone who is helping a struggling newbie.

This is like the 5th or 6th time you helper type persons' enthusiasm has gotten way way ahead of your new person's reality.   Take a deep breath and let Wewon'tblink catch up with Dave.  

I begin to suspect that the boy hasn't carefully read and carefully done all the very simple details of the Serowbot Test.   If he has, then he can certainly type up a description of the test procedure and then tell us exactly what it did to his bike.   Also, DOES HE KNOW HE IS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THE BIKE SET UP FOR THE SEROWBOT TEST WHILE HE DOES THE NEXT SERIES OF TEST ITEMS?  DOES HE KNOW HE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A FULL TANK OF GAS WHILE DOING THESE TESTS?  That the rest of the stuff is predicated on a full prime fuel flow with the vacuum system totally blocked off?

Until he does these things and reports back, STOP --- give him time to catch up.



..... and how many times have newbies done about half of the Serowbot test steps, or done them with an almost empty tank of gas, then took it all apart and put it back to stock vac petcock plumbing and then stumbled terribly through the next set of suggestions because they simply didn't understand what they were supposed to be doing -- that's on you guys for not making them report and on you guys for not telling them EXACTLY what to do, step by step.   And for way too many people talking to them at the same time, saying completely different things (chasing completely different rabbits).

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 09/17/12 at 17:23:29:

I simply followed serowbot's test.  I pulled the vacuum line off of the carb and checked for fuel in the line.  It was clean.  Then capped the port on the carb and stuck a golf tee in the line with a clamp.  Set to prime, and went for a ride.  The symptoms were still there, although it seemed to run a little better at higher speeds.  
Quote:
 
Very true.  I'm in the middle of a move right now.  I think I was a little premature in posting the question because the suggestions are flowing in and I just can't find time to try any of these that would take me more than a few minutes, which is why I've only played with the fuel cap.  
So I trailered the bike to a friend of a friend this morning.  He's an auto mechaninc that works on bikes in his spare time.  I printed him a copy of this thread for reference.  I'll let everyone know what the problem was.  
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That's the second time Bill has suggested Seafoam, aka Snakeoil. There is nothing in Seafoam that will do a better job of cleaning and lubricating the carburetor than plain, fresh gasoline. Check for yourself - enter some terms such as "Seafoam MSDS" into your very favorite search engine, and find out what is in it.

Got the bike back from the mechanic yesterday.  He said it was "trash in the carb".  It is running much better now, although I can still feel it struggle a little...mostly in first gear.  I'll probably run some Seafoam through it next.  
Another concern though...it backfired 3 times over the course of about 2 minutes and then died at about 60mph last night..it's never backfired before.  I did buy a Raptor petcock when the trouble first started, and I've put that on also.  After putting the petcock on I rode it again.  It didn't backfire or die this time.  Kind of doubt it but is there any way a vac petcock would cause backfire?  I'm concerned that when he cleaned the carb something got changed or adjusted that shouldn't have.

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 09/20/12 at 13:10:40: