Hitchcocks Forum

Hey group

After a long & tiring afternoon spent replacing a broken kickstart pawl am facing a new challenge now, after 8-9 kicks my 500 bullet has fired but when opening the throttle the engine died immediately, I have again made a long kick the bike fired but again when opening the throttle the engine died, this happened 3-4 times...then I decided to put it away and seek for an advice.
Any idea what seems to be the problem?
NOTE: the bike was sitting for a couple of months, since January, and back then I had the air filter and the carb intake hose replaced.

Regards
Patrick

I'd start by cleaning the carb jets and checking for air leaks in the filter/hose as that appears to be the area that has been changed (judging by your comment).Of course it could be a myriad of other things but you have to start somewhere.

I'm only saying this 'cos I MAY have done it in the past myself.... but the petrol is switched on and choke in appropriate place?
Good luck, Chris

As said, the jets could be cleaned after eight months idleness. Possibly eliminate the easiest first before striping things down. Fit new spark plug and check battery condition. Has it still got acid in it. check for decent spark with plug out, if good then refit and try again. gwilly

presumably you're not trying to use 8 month old petrol? If so that would seem a good place to start, with some fresh stuff.

Give it a squirt of Easy Start, Aerostart, or Start ya Bastard into the carby and it should help. It has a tendancy to wake up sleepy motors

Yep old petrol and dirty carb would be my bet.

I also agree that it is almost certainly a carb problem caused by the foul concoction that these days masquerades as petrol. The shelf life of some of it seems to be so short that they must have problems trying to get it from refinery to forecourt before it goes off!

Thanks all of you for your advices…
I have removed the carb, and strip it down of all its parts (with the help of you tube)...It may sound stupid but how do you usually clean a carb??soak it in petrol, blow compressed air??
Pat

How dirty is the carb, can't be that dirty if it has been running in the last couple of years. Wash it in petorl or kero and make sure the jets are clear, get a wire from a wire brush and poke it through the pilot jet because this jet has a lot to do with the starting. I had to clean up a set of VFR carbs last week and they had had water in them for several years and the tank was full of rust so the carbs were full of rusty sort of mud. Hot soapy water got the bodies clean enough,wash with carb/brake cleaner, strip all the jets and wire brush through them, blow air through everything, put back together and all good. I doubt very much your carb would be anything like this