Motorcycle Carburetor gearheads or just an average biker

Posted by Lawnmowers on May 25th, 2016

Whether you're one of those  Motorcycle Carburetor gearheads or just an average biker who wants to keep your bike in its best shape, you need a copy of your owner's manual and you should check it often.

When typical starting requires heavy and prolonged choking to keep the bike running, when stalling and hesitation occurs even while "warmed up" and when backfiring pops while the throttle is shut off while cruising, most people will start fooling with the air screws to try to overcome the problem, only making it worse along with reducing their gas mileage.

Running with dysfunctional air cut-off valves can cause severe engine damage or failure.

When the valves are dysfunctional, the engine pulls nearly total air into the low RPM range through the carbs and on to the combustion chamber.

The fuel-air ratio is extremely poor with pre-ignition long before the normal 38 to 40 degree firing point, generating an enormous amount of heat, with no power, which is trapped a longer period of time in the cylinder before the exhaust valve opens.

This heat goes mostly up through the cylinder head, gradually incinerating the head gaskets and allowing engine coolant (antifreeze) to seep into the engine.

You can easily spot when you are in trouble by a puff of bluish-white or white smoke on first starting the engine. Don't leave it alone.

Change the head gaskets immediately or you could take out your bottom end bearings, ruining the engine.

For those of you installing new exhaust systems, you will discolor your head pipes, either blue (lean state) or gold (rich state) if the signs are ignored.

You an destain your pipes using Blueway or Blue-Off but be careful not to rub the chrome, just dab Carburetor float gently.