Motorcycle Repair: bike kills on highway, wierd noises, bare wire

Question
i rode the other day for about an 20 miles and i was cruising at 70 and all the sudden the bike starts losing power. i pulled the clutch in and tried to rev but it wouldnt respond. so it eventually cut off and i pulled it over and after about a minute or 2 i was able to crank it again and drive it home.  it is very random when it does do it. i can ride all over town without it doing it but then when i go to ride again on the highway it sometimes does it. It has only happened 2xs so far with in the last 2 months and i have noticed a increase in the temp. it seems to do it more often when it is warm outside it happened today it was about 78 degress but i rode it later that nite and did not have a problem. any suggestions would be great. thanks!
let me also add that the bike is not sputtering or klonking out. it just simply starts losing rpms and power then dies. it is real smooth when it dies. no jumping or wierd noises. thanks in advance


Answer
Hi Angie.

There is a lot to look at in deciphering the real issue here.  You could have a heat-related mechanical issue, a flooding issue with the carbs, an electrical issue (general or heat affected), or any combination of those things.

You could be having issues with the ignition coils, depending on the age and/or mileage of the bike.
Check the plugs to see if they are fouling.  Check the connections and wiring of the ignition circuit.  Make sure that nothing is worn to bare wire anywhere and that there are no possible shorts in that circuit.

Make sure that the air filter is clean and that the carbs are clean and synchronized.

How old is the oil? If it is over 2000 miles since the last oil change and you are using cheap oil, then replace it with good 20W50 oil (Spectro Golden is most often recommended by some of the better mechanics).

Start with those and let me know what you find.
Good luck and ride safe.