Honda Shadow Forums banner

Sputter Sputter...

7K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  bleedingsujit 
#1 ·
today my bike started to sputter all of a sudden on my way back home. It didn't die or anything and still idles fine but when put in any gear, it sputters badly above 20 mph as if it's misfiring. I kept rolling the throttle but it just kept jerking badly. I couldn't get it past 30 mph at all. I did a few things myself recently.
Last Sunday I:
changed oil and filter
changed air filter with K&N air filter
changed brake fluid
changed shaft drive oil
And since it might be relevant:
I had changed my spark plugs @ 7.5k miles. Bike is currently sitting at 12.7k miles.
I bought a full tank of regular gas at Chevron yesterday.
I was thinking spark plugs till i read that K&N air filter might be the one to blame. I didn't have the tools so I left the bike at my in laws place that was very close luckily. It was all fine after the service and I rode it without any issues for at least a 100 miles and now it's sputtering. Has anyone had this kinda problem in general or with the air filter?
 
#4 ·
23 miles since putting new gas. I had already ridden 183 miles when I filled up yesterday at chevron which is 0.3 miles from my apt. Rode 23 miles to college this morning without a problem. On my way back, after riding about 2 more miles, it just sputtered the hell outta itself.
 
#7 ·
I didn't think the gas I bought could be doing this because I've been buying my gas there for nearly 2 years now. never had a problem. I also doubt my fuel filter would need replacing so soon. Does anyone know a common place where I would find this heet water remover? once again guys, thanks for all the input.
 
#10 ·
One way to see if it's the vent tube on the gas tank, When it's starting to sputter shut it down and open the tank cap, If it makes that vacuum noise like the tank is sucking in air when you open the tank it has vacuum in it, After the cam is put back on it should run good until it starts to get vacuum again from the fuel being used. When you worked on it maybe you pinched the vent hose between something and it's not venting.

Dauntae
 
#11 ·
I agree with what you're saying Wallasan. I'm not going to vouch for the gas being good. as for Dauntae, you may be right in your observation, to make it up to my in laws work, I pulled over many times on the road and every time i turned the bike off for a min or so, it would ride fine the next time it started, for may be like a mile and sputter again and I would have to turn it off again. I basically rode a long way in the left turn lane only. it was quite an experience.
 
#12 ·
But did you check the fuel filter? Just because you doubt it, doesn't mean don't check it. For a couple dollars it's an easy fix. At 23 miles, you have probably just consumed the fuel in the reserve. Drain the tank, replace the fuel filter, and fill back up, then give it a go.


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app
 
#13 ·
I just got here and started the bike and rode it for 20 miles and couldn't replicate the problem. I bought the yellow bottle of heet just in case but decided to try the bike before putting it in the tank and a now it's running fine. I have no clue what happened. But I am guessing that it's going to come back. I poured that bottle of water remover as a precaution. Once again thanks a lot for your help guys. I'll keep you posted if it happens again.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Motorcycle.com Free App
 
#14 ·
I was right with my assumptions. The problem has come back n guess what? It died 2 miles away from the service center. What a luck! This time the problem came back after riding an additional 180 miles approx. since the problem was initially reported. Now the issue is that when i roll the throttle, it doesnt rev. n then it sorta like misfires n jerks thw bike n so on. A few times it even shut off as soon as I let go on the clutch n roll the throttle. And yet it idles like nothings wrong at all. Really out of clue here. Typing this while sitting in the banks parking lot. Very hot here today.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Motorcycle.com Free App
 
#15 ·
I got the bike 10 days ago after the dealer kept it for a whole week and still couldn't manage to replicate the problem even though the bike got to the shop in a "not running" condition and that i let them ride it an additional 50 miles to see if the problem would come back. Nope, nothing happened. I let them do the following service:
spark plug change
adjust idle throttle (they said the throttle didn't have any free play and idle rpm was too high)
valve adjustment
Since the day I got the bike, it has felt really different riding it. the idle vibration is higher that what it was before. it doesn't feel as responsive as it used to. then today after putting nearly 300 miles on the odo since getting the bike back, the problem came back. throughout the week i rode 20 miles one way and no problems, today i rode nearly 70 miles and it sputtered again. on a straight road at 60 mph, i could hear something different, it felt like something on the bike was falling apart, as if whatever it was, was rubbing against something, and the friction was increasing or so. slowly and gradually this kept going on leading up to the bikes demise in the middle of the highway. 60 miles away from home and this happens to me.
And this is what i don't get:
After turning of the bike and letting it sit for a minute or so, i was able to ride another 15 miles more before it started to sputter again. then I put the bike on neutral while it was doing abt 50 mph, shut it off, 5 seconds later, turned it on, put it in gear and it runs again for another 15 miles or less. I just made it home, a whole 2 hours late.
I'm really clueless as to what's going on. I mean I can't be on only one to be having this kinda problem. starting to get really disappointed with my bike.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top