Motorcycle Repair: Carburetor Synchronization, honda shadow spirit, air fuel mixture

Question
I have a 1996 Honda Shadow Spirit 1100cc.  I did a tuneup except for synchronizing the carburetors.  The left cyclinder is running very hot.  I have Cobra pipes and the chrome on the pipe coming from the left cylinder is extremely hot and the chrome where the pipe bends has been damaged by the heat.  That area of the pipe has always been hot since I bought the bike 3 years ago, but seems to have gotten much hotter since the partial tune-up.  Could the carbs being out of sync cause this?

Thanks,
mreeves@rogers.com

Answer
Hi Mike,

Synchronization out of service limits would not cause the problem. Synchronization balances vacuum thru each carburetor Venturi (center bore).

The carburetor air-fuel mixture may need tuned to correct the problem. Learn how to read the spark plugs to help determine what changes to make.

To save time, make one change at a time when tuning carbs to know what effect each change has made.

Review my tech files to learn about tuning and cleaning carbs, reading spark plugs, and more. Email me as necessary for assistance. Check your email.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively