[Kevin Nash]

First of all, great forum! I’ve been reading/using this site a lot. I’m a NOVICE so any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.

I’m working on a 2007 VTX 1300R that my brother bought new in 2008. He had Cobra pipes put on by the dealer when he first got it, but no other mods have been done. I’m not sure if they adjusted the A/F when they installed the pipes, but it’s always seemed like it‘s run lean when idling.

Here’s a quick history from the last month or so:
1). The bike periodically would not start like it wasn’t getting any gas. I could ride it, park it, not be able to start it 20 minutes later, and try it again 20 minutes after that and it would start right up.
- Therefore, I replaced the Petcock and the vacuum hoses, and haven’t seen the issue again (yet at least).

2. The bike ran well after that, except it would backfire when decelerating while riding.
- From reading the forum, I installed Glen’s A/F to adjust the the mixture
- I made sure that the existing needle came out with the spring, washer and rubber grommet, and put Glen’s back in with the same 3 things in the right order.
- When I first put the air box back on, the idol adjuster got stock behind the box so it didn’t seat correctly. So when I started the bike it was running very lean, and I had to give it gas to start and keep it running.
- Not knowing what the problem was, I made adjustments to the idol and A/F to try and richen it up.
- I then found the problem with the air box and reseated it correctly (I think)

3. NOW, I’ve adjusted the idol to about 900 using an inductive tach and backed the A/F valve out about 2 1/4 turns.
- it seems to idol pretty well now, but as soon as I give it throttle, it coughs bad or dies completely.

As you can see, I haven’t done much (Petcock, vacuum hoses and Glen’s A/F), but can’t figure out what is causing it to run rich and die. It’s got to be something really stupid I’m doing wrong, but can’t figure it out.

Should I put the original A/F valve back in? Vacuum problem?

Any suggestions on what to try next? Thx for your help!

 

[Vinish]

Does your current problem continue even after the bike warms up? I would check do the following things:
1) Check all your vacuum lines for cracks and proper attachment
2) Install an aftermarket high flow reusable air filter like from K&N
3) Do the pair mod with dimpled blockoff plates
4) Rejet/tune the carb using ONLY a Factory Pro jet kit following the instructions available here on the Cafe in the thread titled something like, "carb, what affects what"

 

[Kevin Nash]

Does your current problem continue even after the bike warms up? I would check do the following things:
1) Check all your vacuum lines for cracks and proper attachment
2) Install an aftermarket high flow reusable air filter like from K&N
3) Do the pair mod with dimpled blockoff plates
4) Rejet/tune the carb using ONLY a Factory Pro jet kit following the instructions available here on the Cafe in the thread titled something like, "carb, what affects what"

Thanks for your response Vinish!

Quick update:

• I cleaned the carb over the weekend following the instructions from the link above.
• The carb overall looked pretty clean, but I still cleaned everything thoroughly.

All the gaskets appeared ok and nothing else was overly worn

• I did find that I do NOT have the stock needle. It was set at the 3rd spot with a washer under it
• Also, the main jet looked like the picture of the stock one, but didn’t have a K or any indication of a number on it. So I’m assuming it’s not the stock one.

The thing that still boggles me is why all this trouble started after I installed Glen’s AF. The bike ran well before that. I just installed Glen’s AF because it popped on decel at times. Seems like there must be something I did wrong related to that? When I cleaned the carb, I double checked the AF has the spring, washer, and oring, and that there is nothing in there from the previous AF needle.

I’m going to install some new vacuum hose tomorrow in case it’s a vacuum leak and see if that does anything.

I’d ideally like to wait on the Pair mod until I get it running well again so I don’t introduce more issues than I already have. Make sense?
Should I buy new stock jets, or FacroryPro like you suggested? From reading other posts, people say stock jets should be ok?
I’ll go ahead and order a high flow filter as you suggested. However, I did test running the bike without the filter and the air box open, and the issue still persisted

Anything else I should check or do after I replace the vacuum lines again?

Thanks!

 

[Vinish]

If you are going to buy jets, decap the airbox, and install a high flow air filter, you really need to rejet/tune the carb using ONLY a Factory Pro jet kit. How many notches does the current needle have? The Dynojet and Factory Pro needles have different numbers of notches/grooves. One had 5 and the other has 6. Unfortunately, I cannot remember which is which but someone else is likely to chime in to correct my feeble memory.

To test your A/F screw, try putting the stock screw back in and see what happens. It is also possible that while installing Glen's A/F screw you messed something up. Check the integrity of the large rubber boot/membrane that connects the needle slide to the carb. Does it have cracks or tears? Is it installed around the lip of the carb opening correctly? Are you able to depress the needle in its holder slightly? If not, the "tit" on the yellow plastic needle retention part needs to be slightly clipped.

 

[JP-Music City]

First of all, great forum! I’ve been reading/using this site a lot. I’m a NOVICE so any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.

I’m working on a 2007 VTX 1300R that my brother bought new in 2008. He had Cobra pipes put on by the dealer when he first got it, but no other mods have been done. I’m not sure if they adjusted the A/F when they installed the pipes, but it’s always seemed like it‘s run lean when idling.

Here’s a quick history from the last month or so:
1). The bike periodically would not start like it wasn’t getting any gas. I could ride it, park it, not be able to start it 20 minutes later, and try it again 20 minutes after that and it would start right up.
- Therefore, I replaced the Petcock and the vacuum hoses, and haven’t seen the issue again (yet at least).

2. The bike ran well after that, except it would backfire when decelerating while riding.
- From reading the forum, I installed Glen’s A/F to adjust the the mixture
- I made sure that the existing needle came out with the spring, washer and rubber grommet, and put Glen’s back in with the same 3 things in the right order.
- When I first put the air box back on, the idol adjuster got stock behind the box so it didn’t seat correctly. So when I started the bike it was running very lean, and I had to give it gas to start and keep it running.
- Not knowing what the problem was, I made adjustments to the idol and A/F to try and richen it up.
- I then found the problem with the air box and reseated it correctly (I think)

3. NOW, I’ve adjusted the idol to about 900 using an inductive tach and backed the A/F valve out about 2 1/4 turns.
- it seems to idol pretty well now, but as soon as I give it throttle, it coughs bad or dies completely.

As you can see, I haven’t done much (Petcock, vacuum hoses and Glen’s A/F), but can’t figure out what is causing it to run rich and die. It’s got to be something really stupid I’m doing wrong, but can’t figure it out.

Should I put the original A/F valve back in? Vacuum problem?

Any suggestions on what to try next? Thx for your help!

Kevin: I live in Brentwood and ride a 1300r. [email protected]. Jeff

 

[DadMan]

Hi Kevin,

If you can, be sure to read your spark plugs. They can tell you if you're really running rich or not. You'll need to run your bike till it's warm and the choke has been off for a while or you'll get a false reading. I understand this may not be feasible now but once you get your tune close enough, the info is invaluable. See link below. Carbon fouling is running rich. While you're at it, double-check that they are the right plugs for your bike and check the gap. When in doubt, replace them.

How to Read Your Spark Plugs | YourMechanic Advice

Car spark plugs create the spark necessary in the combustion cycle. Check your spark plugs to improve your engine efficiency and performance.

www.yourmechanic.com