Hi guys, I've spent a few days on this and I'm going nuts trying to get this bike running

About a year ago I rebuilt the carb, replaced the plugs, changed the oil, and it ran like a top, excellent performance around town but it was weak on the freeway. 65mph and it felt like the bike was struggling a little and would occasionally miss. I figured I just needed to adjust the TPS since I had disconnected it and just eyeballed it to the middle when reinstalling.

I rode it for a month and it ran great, then I didn't get a chance to ride for about 3 weeks and it had a hard time starting and ran really rough. It would barf fuel out the air filter and misfire. I got busy with work and it sat for about a year until a few days ago.

I properly adjusted the TPS, tried to start it and it just barfed gas. I had set the floats pretty high last year so I figured too much gas in the carb, so I bent them back down to a normal level. Tried to start it again and it just sneezed gas out the filter this time, turned over a few times, sputtered, but wouldn't start. I tried push starting it, no dice.

Where do I go from here? I'm pretty sure it gave a half-assed ignition in one cylinder while I was cranking it so I'm pretty sure there's a spark. I know there's fuel going to the carb... too much of it maybe... So I'm lost now. Engines are supposed to run with fuel and a spark, right?

Woohoo got it running, just took another jumpstart!

Now it runs rough, really really rough, to the point where if I take it off the choke it'll stumble and I'll hear the carb squirting gas. I'm guessing its another carb issue.

When I adjusted the float everything inside looked clean and orderly. Where should I start?

It sounds like carb fuel problem have you ran any seafoam through it?

By the way from Hollister Ca.

Thanks! Nice street glide btw


So I've been doing some reading, does my bike have sticky valve syndrome (SVS)?

I took a few videos, the carb is clicking and sputtering


https://youtu.be/NtrIHvJoJtI

https://youtu.be/JZFMZAv37b0

I've been looking for a diagnosis and a fix, is anyone here knowledgeable on the subject?

No sticky valve syndrome was not in that year. I was thinking either your carb is gummed up with bad fuel or you're jetting
And thanks for the compliment

ultrastar wrote:
No sticky valve syndrome was not in that year. I was thinking either your carb is gummed up with bad fuel or you're jetting
And thanks for the compliment



What he said^^^^^^there, and before, regarding the Seafoam. Drain the tank, add fresh fuel, and at least 8 ounces of Seafoam to the new fuel and get the treated fuel circulated through the carb

If you didn't change the needle and seat when you "rebuilt" the carb, that'd be something to do.
The bike should need the Enricher(it adds fuel and air, it doesn't "choke" anything) to start. It will also need about half out on the Enricher, to run decent enough to ride, until it gets warmed up.
Make sure the idle is set to around 900rpms.

The float level needs to be 4 to 5mm above the bowl to carb mating surface. This is checked with the carb on the bike, the bowl full of fuel, and a hose connected to the bowl drain. You check it with the bike upright, not leaning on the side stand, and it gets checked on the intake manifold side of the carb, not the air cleaner side.

Set the float properly, and replace the needle and seat, if its still the original.
As Ultrastar mentioned too, see what the jetting is when your in the carb, and report back. We see all sorts of experimental jetting, here on the Forum.
Treat the new fuel with Seafoam.
Make sure the hot idle is set to around 900rpms, and leave it alone. Don't turn it down just because the bike will idle around 600 rpms when it is well warmed up, and has a really cool potato potato sound, people are sure just drives the chicks wild.

I've never figured out why people are hell bent to mess with the TPS, when it has tamper proof screws on it.

Hey thanks for the advice everyone. Today I got it running, took it for a ride and noticed a few things.

1. I held a piece of paper up to each exhaust tip, on the rear cylinder when the engine would miss, it would suck in the paper, which leads me to believe the exhaust valve is sticking open on the intake stroke = SVS

To try and cure this, I added 8oz of techron to the gas tank and ~6 oz of seafoam to the oil. I'll change the oil after I run this tank out of gas.

2. I'm running super rich, I think its my PMS setting. At idle, if I turn the throttle a 1/4 and let off the revs don't just come back down to idle, the engine surges for about 3 seconds and then slowly lowers back down. I believe its been doing this since I rebuilt the carb last year, I believe the previous owner put in a barron's kit with a 172 main, 37 pilot and I believe I put the ring on the 4th groove of the needle, I'll pull the carb tomorrow to check. I think I also set the PMS screw 3 turns out. What should I do to fix the rich/surge condition? The bike has a big air kit and some pretty free flowing (loud) exhaust

3. Since I changed the TPS angle, the bike has a different sound. It used to sound like potato-potato but now its more like clack-clack like a helicopter. I'm thinking that has to do with the ignition timing curve since I haven't messed with the cams. What direction should I go to get the best performance? I want to do some touring so I'd like it to run properly at 65-80mph.

I'll go out on a very strong sturdy...heck! hugely bigly safe limb here, and say your idle is way to low. The "potato potato" thingie, is the big giveaway. Get it up to around 900rpms, and see how it runs.
As mentioned SVS is something that didn't rear its head, until around 2005. It was initially attributed to improperly machined valve guides on the early 1700's, but improper jetting has been known to cause similar issues.....not on 1600's though.

Check your jetting, and let us know. Write down everything stamped on the jets, not just the size.. Use a magnifying glass.

Clean the back side of the slide with a 3m pad dipped in seafoam, while you have the carb apart.

The Seafoam and Techron will do only good things for the inside of the carb.

3 turns out from lightly seated with the PMS, is just a bit more then 2 1/2, which is pretty close to stock.

I have 37.5 mikuni Pilots in both of mine. Heck?? I may have a 40 in one of them. Its been awhile. I have a 167.5 Mikuni Main in one, and a 170 Mikuni Main in the other.

You're really not that rich. Make sure the Enricher is closing completely. You should be able to slide a piece of paper between the knob, and the rubber bumper it closes against.

Lube your throttle cables.

With your idle set in the potato potato range, I'm not at all surprised it sucks the paper in a bit at the back. Search the Forum for what 900rpms sounds like, and turn your idle up to match it as much as possible. Yes, it makes a difference. You want the 45 pound crank turning with determination, not indecision.

The Seafoam won't hurt anything in the oil, but you still might want to change the oil and filter in about 250 miles. It'll clean the inside really well, and you may as well get that out of the motor, while it's flowing around the inside. Change the oil when the motor is hot.