Motorcycle Repair: Overheating Yamaha Roadstar Silverado 1600cc, accurate diagnosis, great lenghts

Question
When I ride in hot weather for great lenghts of time and when I stop for a break (travelled 100km or more) my bike won't start.  Fuel spills out of the overflow onto the ground.  I have V&H Longshot pipes but that is the only change made. Some say it is running too lean maybe. I think it is a carburator problem. Have you ever heard of this happening.  Can't seem to get a straight answer out of anyone.  It starts after I push it into the shade and wait for 10-15 minutes. Can you help. My bike is a 1999 Roadstar Silverado with 60,000 km on it.  Also my pipes are really blue and the protective covers are now starting to discolour as well - do you think my bike is running too hot? What do you think I should do?
Thank you
susan_boivin@telus.net


Answer
Hi Susan,

The symptoms describe more than one problem. I would need to inspect the MC to offer accurate diagnosis.

I suspect the problem may be a fuel vapor lock, fuel tank vent obstruction, and/or carburetor tuning. Can you describe the appearance of the spark plugs?

Some questions for you:

Was the MC stored for any period?
Was gasoline stabilizer added to fuel during storage?
Any carburetor tuning performed to accomodate new pipes?


Respectfully,
Mark Shively