Topic: narcoleptic motorcycle...nods off at traffic lights

[c(b)hris]

75 CB550K
Pods
4-1
022A carbs
120 Mains
Needle one clip richer
Pilots 38
Air Screws are 5/8 turns out....1/8 either way and it runs worse
3000 mile tuneup - timing only set statically, carbs synced with guages.

It runs great.  Idles stable at 1200.  After about an hour, my idle starts getting rougher....and rougher....and slower....and weaker.....until finally... it stalls.  The thing runs great if I don't have to stop.  But when I hit stop lights after an hour, I have to rev the engine to keep it going.  As soon as I start moving it's running good again, so I'm thinking either the idle circuit or the battery since it's running good with higher revs and slowly gets worse and worse.

I keep re-checking all my tune up stuff but it seems ok.
Anyone have these symptoms?

Thanks,

[c(b)hris]

bump

[Spanner 1]

Does your headlight stay bright when the bike is stalling at traffic lights ? If not then it sure looks like a bad battery or a battery that is low on electrolyte.

[johnny]

Sounds like a weak battery. If the headlights are dim and become brighter as you rev the motor, it's a battery / charging system issue.

[TwoTired]

Do check the battery voltage while you experience the problem.

Drain each of the carb bowls in a clean catch container.  If you find debris in the drainage, then you have fuel contamination issues, which may:
-Block closure of the float valves allow the bowls to over fill.
-plug temporarily or persistently the pilot jets.

When the engine dies on you, you can check the head pipes for heat, to see which of them quit working at idle.

Cheers,

[BobbyR]

You can buy a cheap multimeter and check voltages at the battery at different points during your ride. The batteries drain at idle. In fact use the meter to see what your voltages are at different RPMS.

[c(b)hris]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll try to chase down any potential battery problems.  I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track since I'm currently trying to tune my jets too.

I cleaned the tank and carbs 3 times this week.  I did the tank once with vinegar, and twice with kleen strip phosphoric rust stuff.  I think I didn't rinse well enough the first times, and further I neutralized the kleen strip the first time I used it and had flash rusting.  Second time was better, and very thorough with the rinsing.  Took my carbs apart again when it was acting like this to double check the float heights and there was no debris in the bowl.

pipes feel the same when this happens.

I had a voltmeter til a few days ago, but I think I fried it.  Ima pick a cheap one up tomorrow and start watching the battery more closely.

Thanks again.

[Spanner 1]

Do a quick visual of battery fluid levels first.... IMO.

[c(b)hris]

Do a quick visual of battery fluid levels first.... IMO.

Checked after tune up.  Checked again after I started having problems.  It was good.

thx.

[Spanner 1]

O.K., then I'm votin' bad battery 100% 

[dave500]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll try to chase down any potential battery problems.  I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track since I'm currently trying to tune my jets too.

I cleaned the tank and carbs 3 times this week.  I did the tank once with vinegar, and twice with kleen strip phosphoric rust stuff.  I think I didn't rinse well enough the first times, and further I neutralized the kleen strip the first time I used it and had flash rusting.  Second time was better, and very thorough with the rinsing.  Took my carbs apart again when it was acting like this to double check the float heights and there was no debris in the bowl.

pipes feel the same when this happens.

I had a voltmeter til a few days ago, but I think I fried it.  Ima pick a cheap one up tomorrow and start watching the battery more closely.

Thanks again.

you may have just blown the meters fuse if you had the wires hooked to read amps and selected volts maybe?or visa versa?

[c(b)hris]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll try to chase down any potential battery problems.  I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track since I'm currently trying to tune my jets too.

I cleaned the tank and carbs 3 times this week.  I did the tank once with vinegar, and twice with kleen strip phosphoric rust stuff.  I think I didn't rinse well enough the first times, and further I neutralized the kleen strip the first time I used it and had flash rusting.  Second time was better, and very thorough with the rinsing.  Took my carbs apart again when it was acting like this to double check the float heights and there was no debris in the bowl.

pipes feel the same when this happens.

I had a voltmeter til a few days ago, but I think I fried it.  Ima pick a cheap one up tomorrow and start watching the battery more closely.

Thanks again.

you may have just blown the meters fuse if you had the wires hooked to read amps and selected volts maybe?or visa versa?

why didn't i think of that?  thanks.

[dave500]

ive done that before,,the fuse in this one was under the circuit board and fiddly to get to,,then it was soldered in aswell!while it was apart i butchered the case and soldered on terminals to make the fuse an external blade type,,i didnt want to go thru that kerfuffle for a split second mistake again.