So, I was out a couple Saturdays ago on my FXR stopped and got lunch and filled up my tank and rode home. On the way home it was running like it was almost out of gas, which i thought was weird seeing as I just filled up. I switched over to reserve and continued to do the same thing, it felt under powered and like it might have been missing occasionally.

I made it home and drained the gas tank thinking it was dirty gas. After doing this I put new gas in it and went around the block and it was doing the same thing. Grasping at straws I took the coil in and had it tested, which turned out to be bad. Replaced the coil and went to start it up today and it will start but will not idle without the choke almost completely on.

Any ideas on what is going on with this and how to fix it? I would greatly appreciate any advice I could get on this.

 

Have you cleaned the carb recently?

 

I would drop the float bowl and check for debris, based on the fact that you have to use the choke. So obviously it's not getting enough fuel. Might be time for a rebuild and check your fuel line they also can start to crumble on the inside which would be evident in the float bowl..

 

Gas cap plugged, if vented? I had a vented gas cap stop venting and bike ran like crap until I opened the cap a bit while riding. Changed the cap next day.

 

Cleaned it this spring. The tank had a bunch of debris in it from someone working on it, so cleaned the tank and rebuilt the cv carb.

 

If it won't run unless you use the choke you would assume it has to do with the fuelsupply so check:

- tankvents (remove fuelcap and see if it runs better)
- check fuellevel (whilst the cap is off you might as well )
- check petcock (remove fuelline and see if there's a good steady stream of fuel)
- check floatbowl level (shut off petcock, drain the bowl and see if it was full)
- remove carb alltogether, clean and whilst you're there check all the seals to make sure there's no intake leak.

On the subject of fuel:

When I build a bike I always run the fuellines through heatresistant/reflective sleeves and I use reflective foil in the bottom of the fueltanks.

It might be all in my head but it seems to make the bike run a tiny bit better on extremely hot day's...

 

Could be way lean too. Check the intake seals.

 

Your bike should have the drain on the carb bowl, use a long screwdriver from the left side of the bike, could be as simple as water in the bowl, open the drain, with a air hose and nozzle, blow hard in the two holes at the center-bottom of the carb bore, then open the petcock and flush the bowl some.

Was the gas you drained cloudy?

 

I'm wondering what that means.

 

I had someone do some motor work on it, cams hi comp pistons, and when I got it back there was quite a bit of debris in the bottom of the tank, which would cause my needle and seat to get junk in it and overflow my carbs.