Epic thread revival.

2022 was a rotten year for me health wise so the bike pretty much sat all 2022 maybe did a few hundred miles. But here is 2023.

Went for my first official ride today, mostly to warm it up get some fluid circulating and yep still pops. Wasn't super terrible but it was right at freezing today. I've talked to you guys, a few other knowledgeables and it had them fairly stumped.

So after my ride today I figured I'd just saybhecknwith it and tear into the bike, and it has to be something obviously we've overlooked. I bought a set of Taylor 10mm plug wires (I know super overkill) I picked up super cheap from Tons on ebay. Forgot you have to pop the tank off to get at the coil. Start prepping to drain the tank, get my gas can out and my mightyvac hand pump to keep the petcock open. I made a hose years ago to do this. Pop it on give it a quick squeeze fuel.comes out and stops. Pump it's few times same thing. Not holding vacuum. I pull the mighty vac off and use (stupidly) my mouth to suck on the vacuum line and got hose full of ethanol free 93 octane. Guess I needed a blood octane boost. After I chug a beer to wash the taste out I realize. I found my vacuum leak! I know the diaphragms are notorious to go bad but the last one I had fail failed so bad it couldn't open.

Grabbed my phone and instantly ordered the correct Golan Petcock. Yeah I know all about the Golan/Pingle debacle please don't start. I like the Golan has detents and I honestly think it's a better looking petcock. But did I mention those detents?



So I got the bike stripped down and old plug wires removed, old Sreaming Chicken wires and honestly still tested very well at 5250ohms each. But they are showing signs of aging especially where they were clipped into the top bar clips. The Taylor ones at 10.4mm make the SC ones look anemic .. probably didn't need to change them but I'm prepping to do the Crows Nest Highway soon. So I'm doing everything I can to negate any minor failure. Including new fuel lines and I built my own vacuum line now fromtbe carb directly to the VOES. Don't need that stinkin tee and hard line to the petcock now.

Pulled a the connectors apart and dribbled in this new stuff a fellow mechanic turned me on to that proves connection resistance. I think it's a bit of an acid as it does tickle a bit on bare skin. But it solved an air bag out of range code on a vehicle we worked on so I figured it couldn't hurt some of these old connections. Plus it.has some sort of protection agent as I have heard packing connections full of dielectric grease is not good anymore should there be any moisture in the connection before packed it leads to bad things.

Anyway I'm 99.9% sure my pop will be a thing of the past with this. Plugs have 300 miles on them and they are still showing super lean even with my overkill jetting. And I will have to redo my idle mix adjustment for sure and I bet it will bring it down to that 1 turn out mark where currently the bike hardly runs.

So stay tuned I will hopefully have the bike back together by next weekend. Decided while it's apart to get a few goodies coming.

 

I am pleased to finally announce it is SOLVED! Bike is back together and went to top off the tank and no more backfire or loud pops. I now have a very livable bumble quiet pop on decel which is what I feel normal. I was still fairly chiiy out so I have not messed with the idle mix screw and still a hair on the fat side at idle. No black smoke but could smell it was a bit rich pulling up to the gas pump.

Topped off the tank, hopped on tbe stretch of the freeway she pulls like a freight train now have to watch it as 70 comes quite a bit faster now. Then hopped off to roll down a hill it always popped and banged down in 3rd. Now not hardly a noise other than normal noted and a occasional bumble out the pipes.

I appreciate eveey and all.of your input on this. She is running **** now and cannot wait for warmer weather.

And anyone on the fence about a Golan Petcock, go for it. It's an amazing hunk of billet. Like it far better than the Pingle I had on my old sporty. I just have to remember to shutngas off again. Not only that the larger stem makes it easy to reach down and flip it 180 to reserve. All I had to do is trim about a 1/4" off the supply tube to get it close to the factory's tube.


I also think with the vacuum leak solved the Voes is kicking in far earlier as 50-70 pulls way harder now. My only thought now is to.take some.plates back out of the Supertrapps and see if I can pick up a few points more on the butt Dyno. But our local wrench now has a Dyno but sadly the long time Mayor of Speed Town is winding down to retirement and not in all the time. I'll miss Greggs knowledge at Cobra Cycle in Burlington. Hopefully I can get his number to stay on touch. He's a huge wealth of knowledge that even this problem made him curious.

Thanks again.