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That SL Steve - new forum member - fuel starvation?


I finally did it - went out on the trike! First time this year cos I knew it had problems but it didn't seem worth sorting them cos the weather was awful. So I got the indicator sorted, and the clutch cable fitted, and the brakes done. Then there just never seemed to be the right time to take it out, raining, or too busy or.... just plain funking it?

So today I was dwetermined. I took some spanners cos whenever anyone does the brakes they always adjust them up too tight and when they get hot they bind, so I stopped and adjusted that. I was riding along, thinking "I'd forgotten what fun this is" when she started to not feel right, then I was losing power, then she stopped. Felt like fuel starvation but the gauge was showing half full - however it sometimes does that when she's empty. Someone I know stopped to see if he could help, and suggested taking me home to get Mike as it was looking like rain. I tried putting it on reserve but it still wouldn't start - I do know it takes a long time to wind the fuel through and Ian was waiting. Went back with the car and the dolly and brought her home, shoved her in the garage and shut the door.

Tomorrow is another day.

But I'm starting to wonder if someone's trying to tell me something......

time for some serious service work? bikes are like women - you cannot get away with ignoring them.

Yeh Bobbie, you are getting too old and can't be bothered any more!
But you can't think that or you will be, I know I get the same thoughts occasionally, (must be the similar age thing).
Being on a bike makes us feel younger so can't stop yet.
Lazarus has got it right!
First thing to ask, is have you left it stood over wintyer with normal unleaded in the tank, if so it will be sludge by now. Especially if the carbs were not emptied before you left it, (i.e. turn off fuel tap and run engine until carb float bowls are empty). Always a good tip before a long lay up.
If you were nearly empty of fuel, when it stuttered to a stop, the sludge would have been worse at the bottom of the tank, so now it could be in the carbs.
It may mean they need to be stripped and cleaned, but try this first ..........

Get a can of Super Unleaded and some carb cleaner, (the type you add to the petrol in the tank), from most garages or Halfords etc..
Take off the tank and use some of the fresh petrol to wash the tank out and see if you can clean out the sludge, (could also possibly be rust) so check!
Once cleaned, refit the tank and fuel pipes etc., and put fresh Super unleaded in the tank.
Add the right dose of carb cleaner and try it again. The full bottle is usually enough for a full petrol tank on a car, so you will have to work it out, but a bit extra won't do any harm.
If you do get it running reasonably well, you can keep adding the rest of the bottle when you add more petrol and give it a run and see if it gets this better. If it keeps getting better, keep using the stuff until runs normal.

If this fails and the carbs are bunged up, they may need a strip down and thorough clean I'm afraid. Not an easy job if you have not done it before.

There could be some other problem but, this is the most likely if it was left with unleaded in the tank.

As a general rule, if any bike is not being used much, it is also a good idea to leave it with Super U/L in the tank as this does not suffer the same way.

Good luck.

It could well be gunge in the tank - it wasn't sposed to have been all winter but the foul weather went on so long I couldn't be bothered to get various things fixed as I wasn't going to be riding it anyway!
I've used the carb cleaner remedy before, worked quite well.

The only other thing I slightly suspect is that one of the covers has come off the vacuum take-offs on the carbs - you know the ones you use to balance them, it did happen once before.

If the carbs need to come off it won't be me doing it, used to do that sort of thing years ago but now I know a man who can.

Did you manage to make any progress Bobbie?