Motorcycle Repair: Lose of power and surging, vacuum lines, valve clearances

Question
Hi agian Chris,
is getting the carb mixtures reset the same thing as carb sync?
I have a clymer manual for the VFR and am looking into it.

Since the bike was jetted because it had an aftermarket exhaust, should I add/remove shims/washers for the jet?

How do you check if the fuel pump is functioning properly?
Thanks agian
Bobby

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Followup To
Question -
Hi Chris, I have a 1993 Honda Vfr750.  It has aftermarket exhaust, air filter, and has been jetted before. The bike has always ran rich.
Recently the bike has started to all the sudden lose power.  I doesnt run as smooth, powerful, or fast as it used to.  And at about after 7k RPM, the bike seems to be surging; surging as in bike seems to kick forward.  The bike is unable to go high speeds due to this surging.  
I've pulled the carb's out, cleaned them, check the diaphragms, spark plugs, leaked the float bowls, fuel lines, and vacuum lines to the best of my ability and have found nothing.
What should I be double checking or focusing on?
Thanks
Answer -
Hi Bobby.
 Since the bike has run rich since it was rejetted, I would say that is most of the reason for the surging.

 Get the carb mixtures reset by someone who really knows carbs.  They need to be leaned out enough so that they are not running rich, nor so much as to make them run lean.  That would be just as bad.

Also, check the ignition timing and valve clearances as well as making sure that the carbs are properly synchronized.

If the bike uses a fuel pump, then check that to make sure that it is functioning properly.  It most likely is, but it won't hurt to check it.

Lastly, check the ignition wiring as well as the ignition components for shorts and failures.  Make sure that none of the spark plug or ignition system wires are arcing against the engine or frame as well.

Start there and let me know what you find.
Good luck.
FALCON

Answer
Hi Bobby.
 Resetting the mixture is completely different from synchronising the carbs.

The mixture is the actual air/fuel mixture that the carbs send to each cylinder.  The synchronisation is the to insure that all of the carbs pull together at the same rate and time as each other when the bike is running.  For that you need a carbuerator synchroniser tool.  It is basically 4 mercury tubes that get connected to the intake manifolds and measure the vacuum pressure that is being produced.  When all of the connected lines show the mercury levels to be even, then the carbs are synchronised.  If they are not even, then the carbs are out of synch and need to be adjusted to match each other.  The repair manual has the proceedures for this adjustment.  I will not go into it here, as most bikes are a bit different from each other as far as which is the "base" carb.  Refer to the manual for that.

Good luck.
FALCON