QuestionI recently purchased a 1986 honda vt700c. It will idle with the choke when cold. when it warms up, it will idle without the choke but is rough. i have it adjusted to 1100rpm. the RPMs will jump up a couple hundred rpm then go back down. When taking off it has poor power. on hills it will sputter and stall. once i get into 3rd it runs a little better. if i throttle it quickly it seems to be worse. if i apply the throttle lightly it seems to perform more smoothly. it will bog down then pick up, bog down and pick up. Does this sound like the carburetors need to be cleaned? any advice would be appreciated. thanks.
AnswerHi Lee.
If this bike has spent time in seasonal storage during it's life, then the carbs definitely need cleaning no matter what else needs to be done with the bike. There are other things wrong with it, though. Get the repair manual, because you will need it.
1) Pull and clean the carbs.
2) Check the valve gap and timing.
3) Synchronise the carbs.
4) If the oil change is due or you are unsure, then change the oil and filter.
5) Check the air filter. If it is dirty, then replace it.
Once all of those things are checked and corrected, you will be amazed at the power that you have in that machine. So take it easy until you get used to it again.
Good luck.
FALCON
