Part way though my ride today the shawk started feeling a little soft on acceleration.
The engine wasn't missing and it idled perfectly.
Pulled well from closed to part throttle, but 'full throttle under load' it just bogged and felt a little rough.
Now if one cylinder wasn't firing at all (like the plug was fouled) the bike would be all most unrideable.
Because the firing cylinder would be working against the compression of the dead cylinder.
The failure I had today was different, in that the front cylinder was firing but the vacuum controlled slide wasn't opening.
The front carb diaphragm had ruptured again, and that's how I knew the symptom so well.
It doesn't hurt the bike to be ridden this way, and I was already in the canyons so I just rode the shawk as a single today.

The bike rode like a SuperHawk but with about the same power as a KLR.
Plus riding down the switchbacks of Latigo and down Tuna, I don't think the lack of half the V-twin even slowed things down! as I was able to dial in all the part throttle I needed during those steep downhills.

The first time this happened was late August of 2002. The bike was @ 76.K miles

Now the same diaphragm has ruptured again @ 136.K.
What's puzzling is the rear diaphragm still looks perfect, no small cracks like the front one, and it's
'the one that came with the bike'
and has never been replaced.
Go figure.

~CaffeineRacer~VTR996~SVS996~
Los Angeles, California, USA
http://www.labiker.com/members/?JeffGronert

 

136,000 miles!!! incredible!!

With my VTR now up to about 50,000 miles and running as well as ever, it is encouraging to know I still have many miles of enjoyment left.

Apart from your diaphragm woes, how is the engine running?

cheers
Mikstr

 

Do you need a new one? I have one I'm trying to sell off of some used carbs.

 

have you had issues with your CCT? or did you replace them already?

 

other than that and the original regulater/rectifier , no problems.
I bought the diaphram new.
I installed the APE's a few years ago.
I'm not adding miles to the shawk quite as fast since I bought the 05' SV1000s.

~Jeffers