Topic: Runs rich after sitting for a week or two

[pmpski_1]

I got my 74 CB550 running pretty good, then I let it sit for two weeks. When I got back on, it ran rich. I thought maybe I messed with it and forgot about it. I leaned it out by re-setting the air screws on each carb to 1 1/2 turns out. Bike runs good. I rode about 40-50 miles.

I let it sit for another 2 weeks, then got back on yesterday. Running a bit rich. Now I'm suspicious. What could be happening where letting it sit for a bit would cause richness when riding again?

Here's some ideas that I came up with.
Low battery - I should probably check the voltage. I may have a charging problem. The battery was not on a trickle charger while sitting. Would a low battery cause insufficient spark and a rich feeling situation?
Floats are sticking - Maybe there's some gunk forming and the floats stick a bit. However, there is no gas leaking from the overflow tubes.
Something got stuck in the air filter - I'm reaching here, but I'm just trying to come up with things to check on.

Thoughts? Is there something that I'm forgetting or do these bikes just need to be adjusted after not being ridden for a couple of weeks? Should I just get it running right, ride it every day, and hope I never have to solve this problem?

[TwoTired]

Running fuel through the carbs helps to clean them.  These bikes don't like to sit.  They pout when ignored and are fussy when prodded into action again.  After 5 or 10 miles they usually start to settle down again, and begin to believe you still care for them.

My theory as to why mine and maybe yours do this has to do with evaprotive fuel deposits.  The emulsion tube orfices have both fuel and air on them with little tiny holes to let the air through.  The fuel deposits start to plug up the little holes and the fuel mix starves for air until the solvent action of operational fuel flow washes them clean again.

Cheers,
Owner of several pouty bikes, as I just don't have time to drive them all regularly anymore.

[pmpski_1]

I was thinking along those lines, I just didn't know if 2 weeks was long enough to cause this. Nothing else had changed since the last time I rode it except the natural discharge of a battery that wasn't on a trickle charger. Thanks TT!