Motorcycle Repair: fouled carbs, air fuel mixture, market pipes

Question
I have a 84 1000cc Virago with after market pipes.After riding about 50kms my plugs are totally fouled.Rich mixture i'm assuming.Now do i replace the jets, lower the float level.I'm running with hot plugs.Jets are factory specs.

Answer
Hi Eddie,

Check the following; dirty or otherwise restricted air filter or air intake and if choke partially on by mis-routed choke cable, etc... Verify these are ok, and then think about tuning the carburetors to obtain the correct air-fuel mixtures.

Install new or clean normal heat range plugs.

Send me an email and I'll return several information files on tuning, cleaning, and synchronizing the carbs. my email is: mshively1@woh.rr.com

Rejetting and tuning carbs often requires removing and reinstalling carbs many times before getting the air-fuel mixture correct. Make one change at a time to know what effect the change has made. Too many changes will result in wasted time un-doing and re-rdoing the work.

Work patiently. Review the repair files information before beginning the work, and while working.

Buy the service manual for your MC. The info in my files are not in the manual, rather a compilation of many years of experience. Use the manual as a reference.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively