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But it's not because she knows I love to ride. And it's not because my XS is named for that youthful vision I still hold of her, that exotic dreamlike woman who was much too warm and beautiful to even go out with the likes of me. And it's not because she knows I love tinkering with old cycles, bringing them back to life. I have eight - well, seven and one ran-out-of-oil seized engine paper weight - and six of them would make any old tinkerer proud.
No, my wife loves my XS11 because she believes - and frequently tells me - that I could use a bit more humility in my character. In the interest of full disclosure, she believes a could use a really healthy dose of additional humility in my character.
The XS is delivering it. In spades. All of my bikes started out as rusted, frozen lawn statues. Six of my bikes now look pretty sharp and run wonderfully. Then we have my big Yamaha. My Succubus, who is trying to screw my ego to death though I am wakeful.
Because of a recent shuddering problem on acceleration, which faithful readers may well remember, I replaced the carbs with my backup carbs after a "thorough" cleaning. This was supposed to present two advantages. 1. The backup carbs were much lower mileage, which should mean much lower wear on the emulsifier tubes. 2. My backup carbs did not have broken air screws jamming up any holes.
I mounted them. I started my bike. Thank God it wasn't in gear, else I would have been sleeping with it ever since. You see, the back garage wall, with an XS-shaped hole in it, would have provided me with a new door into my bedroom. As soon as the bike started it shot to about 6,000 rpm. Wouldn't come down. The engine sounded really angry. The throttle screw is fully relieved, the air screws were out only 1/2 a turn at the end before I pulled the carbs, the throttle cable was unsnagged. The carb holders are new, the clamps were tight, the vacuum lines new and properly attached. The slides move up and down and the diaphrams looked good when I cleaned and inspected the carbs. I have a broken mount for a carb vent on the stock airbox, but that wouldn't seem to be the issue since many run simple filters on those when they run pods.
So my carbs are again on my workbench and my ego is so far below my garage that it would need a Winchester to find air. My wife believes this will be a good thing, in the long run, but I believe I am too old to worry much about the long run.
The plugs are black and sooty and the bike backfire coughs sometimes. When I took the carbs apart she had 127.5 main jets, 45 pilots and plugged towers. I replaced the mains with the 137.5 mains I had in my other carbs. The pilots I cleaned and reinserted.
What should I clean? What should I adjust? My first guess would be a massive air leak into a cylinder. But 'm out of guesses about were to look.
Help.
Patrick
No, my wife loves my XS11 because she believes - and frequently tells me - that I could use a bit more humility in my character. In the interest of full disclosure, she believes a could use a really healthy dose of additional humility in my character.
The XS is delivering it. In spades. All of my bikes started out as rusted, frozen lawn statues. Six of my bikes now look pretty sharp and run wonderfully. Then we have my big Yamaha. My Succubus, who is trying to screw my ego to death though I am wakeful.
Because of a recent shuddering problem on acceleration, which faithful readers may well remember, I replaced the carbs with my backup carbs after a "thorough" cleaning. This was supposed to present two advantages. 1. The backup carbs were much lower mileage, which should mean much lower wear on the emulsifier tubes. 2. My backup carbs did not have broken air screws jamming up any holes.
I mounted them. I started my bike. Thank God it wasn't in gear, else I would have been sleeping with it ever since. You see, the back garage wall, with an XS-shaped hole in it, would have provided me with a new door into my bedroom. As soon as the bike started it shot to about 6,000 rpm. Wouldn't come down. The engine sounded really angry. The throttle screw is fully relieved, the air screws were out only 1/2 a turn at the end before I pulled the carbs, the throttle cable was unsnagged. The carb holders are new, the clamps were tight, the vacuum lines new and properly attached. The slides move up and down and the diaphrams looked good when I cleaned and inspected the carbs. I have a broken mount for a carb vent on the stock airbox, but that wouldn't seem to be the issue since many run simple filters on those when they run pods.
So my carbs are again on my workbench and my ego is so far below my garage that it would need a Winchester to find air. My wife believes this will be a good thing, in the long run, but I believe I am too old to worry much about the long run.
The plugs are black and sooty and the bike backfire coughs sometimes. When I took the carbs apart she had 127.5 main jets, 45 pilots and plugged towers. I replaced the mains with the 137.5 mains I had in my other carbs. The pilots I cleaned and reinserted.
What should I clean? What should I adjust? My first guess would be a massive air leak into a cylinder. But 'm out of guesses about were to look.
Help.
Patrick
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