I Know the answer to this (I Wish)

[masontrep]

So, I have searched and searched, but I have not found what I think is the answer to my problem. Although, I am sure it will be clean 3 times, lather, rinse and repeat.

So my problem is this. When I go to start the bike, with choke/enricher out all the way, starts up no problem. (Other than the need for a new battery, but thats for another story) Once it idles up, i half choke it. Still running fine, then this is where things go off, after about a minute on half, it will start to, what sounds like backfiring. Not real loud, just a nice little pop pop. At this point I kill the choke and it idles right up to about 800 to 1k Sounds fine from here on out, and runs great. I'm guessing something with the carbs, but I could be wrong. Any ideas of where to start.

FWIW - The bike has been running great for the last month. This did not start until after I gave it a good cleaning about a week ago.

[Ken Talbot]

At first glance it sounds like dirty low-speed passages in the carbs, but they don't usually decide all of a sudden to get dirty.

Before we go off and tell you to go back into the carbs, what kind of cleaning are we talking about here? When the engine was running great, then you did "something", then it started running "not great", we want to have a closer look at what that "something" was.

[prometheus578]

"Maybe it's too clean?"

Use a high pressure hose, mayhaps?
You may have bad wiring... including the coils waires, etc.
They don't like to work when wet, and as some have found out, when riding in the rain. Check your ignition parts, from the black box to the spark plugs. Also, a bike too rich will pop and backfire, such as you're doing when choking especially if there's other things involved.
If, due to moisture, you're getting an inconsistant firing on one or two plugs, this is going to be compounded by the extra fuel when choking. Pull the plugs and see which are black and fouled. There will be the answer as to which cylinders are affected. You just then have to find the cause.
As for choke use in general... I leave it on for as short a period as I can. Start the bike on full choke... put on my jacket... go to half choke.. put on helmet... turn off choke... put butt on seat and away we go.

[masontrep]

Originally posted by Ken Talbot
At first glance it sounds like dirty low-speed passages in the carbs, but they don't usually decide all of a sudden to get dirty.

Before we go off and tell you to go back into the carbs, what kind of cleaning are we talking about here? When the engine was running great, then you did "something", then it started running "not great", we want to have a closer look at what that "something" was.

Sorry, the cleaning was to the bike in general. Wash wax etc.. Nothing was done other than that. I did take a ton of degreaser to the front of the engine though. It had quite a layer on it from the PO and I never got the chance last summer to rectify that. It getting better and looking cleaner at least. But thats really all I have done. Since I bought it last summer, the thing has ran well.

I did change the oil back in early march, but it ran well after that. My guess would be what Prom said. I will take a look this weekend.