Has This Ever Happned to You?
 

I went out riding today. It air temperature was about 95 degrees. I was on a flat level road, in top gear, turning about 4K. I noticed that it seem to be laboring or maybe just not pulling. It didn't slow it just felt like it was not pulling as well as it might. I didn't do anything. I didn't touch the throttle or change anything but all of a sudden it came on. I never did it again. Could a slide be sticking?

Maybe you experienced a brief tank air-lock after filling up? What you describe sounds to me like the symptoms of running low on fuel in the float bowls just before running out.

'Yes, that's what it felt like. Like hitting the wall with noting left. And then it just came back on. It could have been a low fuel issue. The tank was 3/4 full.

I really dont mean to sound like a douche here... but unrelated to your problem;

top gear as in 6th gear? at 4k? fifth and 6th are so close in gear ratio I wont touch 6th unless I hit 10k in 5th in which case I'm somewhere near 7-8k(IRRC)

just curious how you ride I guess... do you prefer to keep it at low RPM's in every gear?

Sounds like classic petcock failure.

Usually I prefer to ride in the 5K plus range which, as you say, puts me in 5th or even 4th gear for legal running. I had shifted up to 6th because the road was so flat and straight and smooth. It was just plonking along on torque but not under any particular load. It is bad form I know.

Rebuilding the petcock is a good idea. I have to go back and pull the air box for breather hose mods so I will just do it then. It's funny but when you buy a bike unridden and untested these issues are bound to crop up.

I've been pleasantly surprised just how sweetly my VTR runs at low revs. There's no doubt that when riding in a "brisk and spirited manner" 5K plus is the place to be, but unless I'm hard on the throttle it is very pleasant just to allow the engine to wind up gently. My bike feels very happy just loafing along at 4k in top gear and has oodles of torque to deal with overtakes or hills.

Strangely enough, I'd say the VTR runs happier at low revs than my VFR, which feels pretty lumpy anywhere under 4k, with fewer cylinders I expected the reverse.

Jim when you come to look at the petcock, you'll be shocked at the OEM replacement part cost (for the VTR they only sell the whole assembly). Honda do make a kit of just the diaphragm and it's shell, part number 16953 MLO 034 which I think is off a Goldwing, I ordered and installed one of these, perfect fit.

That's what I have found exactly. The VFR will pull below 5K but it doesn't seem to happy about it. The VTR doesn't care. Like you said it is happy to loaf along. It has a classic big V-twin feel at lower revs. I got to ride a friends Series D Vincent one and the feeling is very similar if you are just motoring along in top gear at 60mph. That's where the similarities end. The Vincent brakes are horrible and the suspension is a nightmare.

I am going to take the VTR out again when the weather drys up a bit. I think the flat spot might have been a non issue. I think it was more of me picking nits with a bike I do not trust yet.

Well there really should be no reason to "need" to wring the bikes neck to get it to run correctly. Though they do run well once you get them spinning.

As long as you are turning 3K, in any gear, you should be able to just roll on the throttle and smoothly pull away.

When these bikes came out they held the roll on record from 60-80 mph....yes in 6th. Also remember this is in complete stock condition.

A properly tuned VTR should be making right around 50 ft\lbs of torque at 3K.
So if your bike doesn't pull down low, then it is not tuned correctly IMHO.

FYI, my bike can pull from around 2K in any gear without complaints or hick ups of any kind.

As for the original issue, I would start with the float needles if it acts up again.

They are often overlooked when going through the carbs.
The rubber tip can get either hard or a bit funky and they also can stick if any crud gets trapped by the seat.

Run some sea foam or techroline through it and there is a good chance it won't happen again.

I am pretty sure it was a one time thing for that road at that time. I have not had a chance to get much seat time on it. Every time i have a free day to ride it rains buckets. It's not usually an issue in my part of the world but this year the rivers are over their banks and the lakes are at 120% of capacity.