CheshireCat

Hello, good to meet you all! I've been lurking for the past month or using all the info around here.

I bought my '98 at the beginning of May and have been having problems with it since the beginning. Firstly its drinking gas worse than our family passat and I can smell it exhausting extra gas whenever the bike is running at any rpm. It also has a huge flat spot at 5300 rpm in 3rd gear and up.

I just ripped the carbs out to clean them, out I was surprised to see that they were almost immaculate, cleaned them anyway and put them back in. Next I replaced my super old air filter with a new K&N.

So I put her back together, and the problem is slightly better, but not nearly fixed, and the smell of gas is so strong that I'm not even riding it.

I'm about to dig back into it, adjust the valves and do a compression check.
But at this point it would be great if anyone had an idea of what it could be.

I've also been told it may be the jetting, however the whole bike is stock so I didn't want to start playing with the needles unless I had too.

Bluesuperhawk83

Do a search on K&N air filters here on the forum. You may want to go back to a stock air filter.

8541Hawk

Check to see if the petcock is leaking.

PUSHrod

Or one of the fuel lines.

CheshireCat

I don't believe the petcock is leaking but I will make sure. I do have the hose connected to the nipple in the rear of the petcock and not the one facing down, so thats not it either!

I have read a lot of the bad comments about the K&N and I'm still thinking about what I'll do about it, I was considering a flo commander to try and balance things out. The problem is not with the filter though as I was having the same issues before it was in my bike.

CrankenFine

Floats and float valves checked out 100%? If jetting and needles are really stock and the carbs really are clean, what else would cause it to run so rich that you get bad fuel economy ? You already replaced the air filter which would be my first thought too.

For comparison sake, I have a 2002 I bought in Feb. completely stock. With a new OEM air filter and fresh plugs I am getting about 40 MPG but I am not twisting the throttle wide open every chance I get either.

I have not even touched the carbs to clean them or synch them even though the bike was sitting for over two years. I have no flat spots in any throttle position in any gear.

Little_Horse

The E10 blend has been making me have to go back and rejet a lot of the carb bikes I maintain. I'm no expert why that is but just for info a year or so ago springbubba's bike starting developing a missfire pretty much all the time so we thought since he had d and d pipes he was too lean he had stock carb settings. Well long story short we where wrong even with higher flow pipes he still ended up being a number of notches leaner than stock on the needle before we got it to run right. So I would say its too rich of jetting, forget the fact that its stock if it runs better with a high flow filter than I would start leaning out the needle a notch or two. Which means a jet kit as well.

geekonamotorcycle

Speaking of. the station next to my house is stocking ethanol free fuel. I ran my tank down to near empty and filled up with it. Will review later this week.

4$ a gallon tho!

CheshireCat

Well I found the source of the gas smell, I guess the boot on the front plug had jiggled loose since I had put new plugs in. That combined with the fact one of my choke plastic choke fittings was stripped and was slipping out would take care of the terrible mileage.
I also just received my R1 R/R and since I've put it in I have no power at all, tried putting my old R/R back in and it still dead.

After I restore my power I'll take her out for a spin and see if its working a little better.

8541Hawk

Have you checked the main fuse? It's not in the fuse box but under the rear cowl by the starter realy

CheshireCat

Yep the fuse was blown. Thanks didn't even know it was there. So the new R/R is in and maybe its just optimism but the bike does sound healthier. I'm going to throw it all back together and see how she is tomorrow.

CheshireCat

Bike is working like a champ now, thanks for the help!