Motorcycle Repair: back fire /smoke from air cleaner/ ruff idle, john clifton, starter bike


Question
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Followup To
Question -
1989 XL883, SEEMED TO RUN FINE ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, BUT ONCE HOME IT BEGAN RUNNING AND IDLEING VERY RUFF AND STALLING.

UPON TRYING TO RE-START IT SEVERAL TIMES, IT BACK FIRED FROM THE AIR CLEANER AND PRODUCED SMOKE FROM SAME AREA, IDLED VERY RUFF AND SPUTTERED VERY BADLY WHEN THROTTLE WAS APPLIED.

I DID NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS.

I PULLED THE AIR CLEANER COVER AND FILTER OFF AND THE INSIDE OF THE AIR CLEANER WAS WET WITH GAS.

THIS IS WHERE I STOPPED.

PULLED THE DIP STICK OUT OF THE OIL COOLER AND COULDNT TELL IF IT SMELLED LIKE THERE WAS GAS IN THE OIL OR NOT.

ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALER, IT RAN OK AND THERE WAS NO SIGN OF SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHUAST, BIKE HAS 17,000 MILES AND RAN VERY TIGHT GOING 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY WITH NO HESITATION AND SHIFTED VERY SMOOTHLY.

BOUGHT THIS ONE FOR WIFE TO RIDE AS A STARTER BIKE.

HELP!

THANK YOU,
JOHN CLIFTON
Answer -
Pull your spark plugs and tell me what color they are.
Mike

Plugs are soot black

Answer
Since your plugs are soot black then your fouling plugs. There are a couple of reasons for this problem. You either have a bad coil or the carb is not jetted right. I would start by testing the coil and plug wires with an OHM meter and see if they are good. If they are then you need to rejet the carb.
Good luck and happy riding
Mike