86 500 sputters and stalls

[Kahla]

I picked up an 86 500 in great condition a couple weeks ago, I've ridden it down the block a few times and in a parking lot and my boyfriend has taken it for a couple harder rides with no problems.

Today I tried to take it to the grocery store, it fired up fine, I let it warm up while I put my gear on and attached the shopping bag, and for about 4 blocks it ran great. Then in the middle of the street it died. I was giving it plenty of gas. Fired up again, made it 10-20 feet and it sputtered out. Lather, rinse, repeat for the longest 8 blocks of my life that it took to turn around and get it home.

- Last night was cold, but not extremely. Another time it had been cold and my boyfriend let it warm up for the same 3-5 minutes and it was fine.

- Starts best with full choke, didn't make it far enough to even think about easing it off.

- It has aftermarket pipes from the previous owner. We'll take it in to our mechanic soon for a once over, so far my boyfriend thinks that it's probably running a bit lean and told me to just hit the gas a bit harder.


Thoughts? It's my first bike, and my guess is that it was still too cold, but my concern is that it ran great for 4 blocks before sputtering the first time (thankfully on a small residential street instead of the middle of Sunset Blvd) and then there was nothing I could do to keep it running.

How long should I let it warm up after a semi-cold night? I know every bike is different, but is 4-5 minutes not enough after a 40 degree night? Is part of the difference that my BF immediately takes it out on the major streets (20+ mph) while I'm crawling through a school zone with a dozen stop signs and crosswalks?

I'm sure it's mostly me and not the bike, so hopefully someone can help me figure out where I'm going wrong.

[Dick_04Shadow]

Are you out of gas?

[Kahla]

Nope, filled it up the day we bought it and have only gone maybe 30 miles total. Also had the fuel switched on.

[Kahla]

It'd be funny if I was though, since just last night my boyfriend told me about taking his first bike (triumph tiger in the 70s) on the London subway, wrestling it up and down the stairs, and being told by the mechanic "Gotta put some petrol in it, mate".

[ernie12b]

has it been sitting long? could be lots of things with a 26 year old bike .

[Kahla]

It sat for a year until the previous owner sold it to a shop last month. They gave it a once over, cleaned the carb, changed fluids, etc and got it running well.

We've had it out about a dozen times and this is the first bit of trouble, so I'm inclined to think it was me and not a mechanical problem. Or I just got lucky and the issue decided to appear when I was on my own.

[justinmahn]

Sometimes the cobwebs are the only thing holding the bike together. When you blow them out, the gremlins are loosed!

[davelisowski]

i'm no expert, but spark plugs, carbs, fuel lines, jets, carb sync, piston seals, air/fuel mix, etc.

so forget my lack of knowledge... did someone get you a riding bell? you might need one

[Kahla]

Originally Posted by davelisowski

i'm no expert, but spark plugs, carbs, fuel lines, jets, carb sync, piston seals, air/fuel mix, etc.

so forget my lack of knowledge... did someone get you a riding bell? you might need one

You may be on to something, seems it was just a case of gremlins.

Took it on my first major street ride today and it ran like a champ. My boyfriend looked it over and thinks it hadn't warmed up enough, and then I flooded it. We don't get much weather like that down here, so it may be awhile before I can test his theory.

[gypsy]

there is a fuel filter. maybe one in the tank and another near the fuel pump.... even being all tuned up, well a filter can be clogged and letting in gasoline sporadically. any way sounds like a possibility to me. good luck getting to know your bike. and truly, enjoy the adventure.