After 400 trouble free miles my '92 FXR with an SS Super E carb started surging and cut out on the freeway. After pulling over I was able to restart and limp home.

My indie swapped plugs, cleaned carb, replaced coil.

Gave it back. Ran good for about 50 miles then cut out on freeway again.

Replaced ignition for Accel.

Now it's idling fast or else wants to die and sounds like its backfiring from the front of the motor...

Any ideas?

 

Sounds like an air leak at the manifold to head joint.

 

Did you get gas just before the trouble started?

 

Yes on gas and yes, likely, on leak. Would that effect the idle speed as well?

 

If you got bad gas it would mess up a lot of things.
Intake leak is easy to check for just start the bike and spray some carb cleaner where the intake meets the head. If RPMs increase you have a leak.

 

I have bad gas......

 

I'm sure gas was probably fine. Local Chevron has never let me down so far. I'll check for leak. Thanks

 

Hopefully it won't develop a leak later...

 

Would he have had the header off to swap out the ignition? trying to figure out how it happened. Buddy has tools but is it safe to drive short distance (5 miles) in this condition or better to bring the tools to the bike?

 

I can't think of a good reason to pull either headers or intake off to change an ignition.
That said people do strange stuff.

Before you decide to change the intake seals I'd do the test just to make sure that is what your problem is.

If it will go 5 miles I don't think it will hurt it.