Motorcycle Repair: my triumph thunderbird, triumph thunderbird, infinite wisdom

Question
Hi I just bought a 1997 triumph thunderbird with 4000 miles on it. I have been riding and about 5 - 10 times now and it will start to hesitate and then Not respond to the throttle, as if it is running out of gas and the die out. So I coast to the side of the road and it starts up again. It is not running out of gas, I checked. The dealership that I bought it from claimed that they replaced the carburetor> I am not so sure of this. I had to pull teeth to find the used bike, because they wanted me to buy a new one. So that is it. I anticipate your infinite wisdom.
thanks,kate

Answer
Kate,
you may have gas in the tank but it is not getting
to the engine. I suggest checking the vacuum
fuel tap, the hose can get pinched since it runs
close to the frame. The other possibilities are
gas cap vent, try opening the cap when it starts
stalling. When it is plugged it creates a vacuum that prevents fuel from flowing. I believe some thunderbirds also have a vent near the back of the gas tank, this is an air valve and could be plugged.
You may need to remove the fuel tap completely
and see if anything is blocking it.
Lastly and less likely is an electrical component
like the ignition coils cutting out when hot.