QuestionI KNOW YOU'RE A HONDA GUY BUT I PRAY YOU CAN HELP ME. I HAVE A 1980 YAM XS650 SPECIAL. ABOUT A WEEK AGO I RAN THE TANK ALMOST DRY (TANK HAS BEEN KREEMED BY PO). SINCE THEN IT INTERMITENTLY CHUGS LIKE IT'S RUNNING OUT OF GAS WHEN I RIDE BUT LIKE A KACHUNK. I HAVE AN IN LINE GAS FILTER AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD. I REPLACED THE PLUGS AFTER THIS HAPPENED. NO HELP.THE ONLY OTHER THING I DID TO IT BEFORE THIS STARTED WAS TO ADJUST THE DRIVE CHAIN TO HAVE ABOUT 3/4" SLACK. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP. CHRIS
AnswerChris, did you check the chain slack at several locations on the chain, as you spun the wheel? If the chain has a severe tight spot it will cause the condition you sort of described. A wobbly rear wheel due to bad wheel bearings can induce some odd behaviors. Make sure that the front brake isn't dragging for some reason.
If you were on reserve in the fuel tank, anything and everything at the bottom of the tank will head down to the carbs. Check the petcock screen, drain the carbs at the float bowls into a container so you can see if there is contamination present.
Today's gasoline consists of a percentage of alcohol, which can and will separate when the bike has been sitting for awhile. The engine is not tuned for burning alcohol, so will misfire and run poorly. Drain the fuel system and refill with fresh gasoline.
Dunno if the ignition may be causing issues. Good idea to check all components, including the spark plug caps for 5k ohm resistance. I would go over all the electrical connections as I am aware that these bikes VIBRATE a lot and can shake things loose in normal operation.
If the fuel tank has a vent system, check to see that it is open and functioning. Fuel vapors can plug up vented gas caps and cause a vapor lock in some applications.
That's all I got for a non-Honda question....
Check www.bikebandit.com for illustrations of related parts..
Bill MrHonda Silver
