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Message started by howlit on 12/12/04 at 13:57:44

Title: Power loss???
Post by howlit on 12/12/04 at 13:57:44

Hello:

I was cruising around the other day...it's getting nippy. :)

As I was maintaining a speed of about 60-65mph, I suddenly lost power for about 1/2 a second. Then a backfire happened and I had power again. I wasn't sure if this was due to lack of fuel and that I might need to switch to reserve.

After pulling over, I opened up the fuel tank and I had plenty of fuel. I decided that maybe it was just a fluke. On the way home I reached the same speed and was maintaining 60-65mph and I lost power for 1/2 a second again followed by a backfire.

I am no expert by a long shot, but I think that is not healthy. Can anyone clue me in to what might be happening? Personally, I think that it might be the spark plug. Not totally sure though. I also thought it might be the gas, but other than those two instances nothing else has really gone wrong.

Any help would be appreciated.

Tim

Title: Re: Power loss???
Post by Savage_Rob on 12/12/04 at 18:28:33

I had a similar thing occur but I know what happened... I accidentally moved the sidestand downward slightly. That caused it to engage its interlock and kill power. It only happened for a second and only moved a few inches and then sprank back but it gave identical symptoms to what you described.

Title: Re: Power loss???
Post by Kropatchek on 12/13/04 at 04:58:56

The sidestand could be the problem.
Check the spring tension and maybe fit a stiffer spring.
It happened to me aswel. After fitting the dual spring configuration I have not expienced this problem again.

Greetz
Kropatchek ;D

Title: Re: Power loss???
Post by rkutzner on 12/13/04 at 16:51:22

Here's another take at what might have happened according to your symptoms. I am NOT ruling out the kickstand problem, just looking at it from another angle 8):

1. As it gets colder (you said nippy) your bike runs leaner.
2. If the fuel ratio gets too lean, it WON'T ignite. That's your lack of power, you may have been decelerating imperceptably.
3. The unburnt fuel collected in the muffler and fired there....that is what a backfire is. (The kickstand problem would do the same thing, unburnt fuel would get to the the muffler and backfire there)

How new is your bike? My S40 had the idle mixture screw at a MEASLY 1/8 of a turn out. It backfired alot in warm weather, let alone cold. I adjusted it correctly and ended up at 1.75 turns out. Most backfiring went away.

But now that it is getting cold here in MD, I notice when it gets below 45 that the power drops off very noticably at the middle and top end and backfires increase. I need to rejet the needle and maybe the main, looking into Supertrapp so I can jet it right on in the spring and add disks in the summer and remove a few in the winter to 'adjust' the jetting for all seasons without having to get into the carb after it is set up.

If I knew the rpms at 60-65 I could guess the fuel circuit in question. Doing that 'spacer' mod (I'd start with a 1/2 spacer) and going to a slightly larger main (147.5 or 150 with stock setup) should fix this, along with properly adjusting the idle mixture screw which can bleed some fuel at all rpms. Right now I just run with the choke half open.....but my trips are all under 10 miles, wouldn't wait til spring if I was riding alot more.

Title: Re: Power loss???
Post by howlit on 12/14/04 at 10:38:47

I am definately going to take a look at the kickstand. Though I don't remember hitting any bumps, though I am beginning to wonder if I relaxed my foot and dropped my heel. I will have to check.

Is it easy to stiffen up the spring? Or add a second spring?

Otherwise, if it is not that and requires rejetting, then I am going to have to wait till the spring. I noticed that many people talk about different exhausts. Did we finally get a comparison for the Technical area?

Is there one that is particularly easy to install and works very well?

Title: Re: Power loss???
Post by Greg_650 on 12/17/04 at 05:10:39

To end the issue of the sidestand spring (which is actually 2 springs in one) and the sidestand switch....

(note: bear with me, I've removed all this stuff on mine)

Get a helper to operate the sidestand, and while the bike is in gear and you're holding the clutch lever in, try to start the bike. Have the helper, move the sidestand slowly upward to the stop and see where the bike will actually start.

Since the bike needs to be in nuetral with the stand down or up when in gear, this will tell you where the sidestand operates the switch. If the sidestand needs to be almost all the way to its stop, then maybe you have switch position problem or maybe a bent sidestand.

Just an idea....

Title: Re: Power loss???
Post by Savage_Rob on 12/17/04 at 11:42:41

In my case, I had just kicked the left side passenger peg up and accidentally clipped the sidestand with my boot on the way back. That's how I know for sure what did it on mine. I just recalled the same symptoms as Howlit described.