Not sure whats wrong?carbs?

[Jarvo]

ok so got my bike fired up the other day for the first time since last year, No problem in starting it but sounded a bit ruff so i gave it a few revs and cleared up and sounded nice so i decided to go up and down my street a few times and it seemed to be holding back like when i gave it some welly it would sound like its going 50mph but seemed like it was holding back if you know what i mean.
so i took it back into the garden and as i took off my lid i noticed there was a lot of heat coming from the engine a lot more than i would expect from such a short run.(only 10mins most)
I havnt got a temp gauge on the bike but i couldn't keep my hand on any part of the engine for more than a second.
So i havnt started it since as im afraid of the engine seizing.
Now ive done a little reading and think maybe it could be running rich as that would explain the temp problem but i can't afford to send it in to the shop and i have not a clue when it comes to carbs so any help from you guys would be much appreciated.
I should add that the bike has had
new oil+filter
new plugs
i cut down the can and added a baffle as its strait through headers.(tis loud)
And i had to re-wire part of the loom as for some reason i had no power at the starter.
cheers

[Wild-Bill]

Chances are you've got a partially clogged idle circuit. Time to clean.

[Kreylyn]

Lean engines run hot.

Modified exhausts can increase the leaness of a already stock lean bike.

If you have not adjusted the carbs to compensate for the exhaust mods, you probably need to. A jetkit is an improvement for a stock setup even.

Krey

[steves]

Clean the carbs, fatten the mix up, and test again carefully.

It is possible to burn exhaust valves when running too lean/open headers.

[Jarvo]

Thanks guys looks like i got some head scratching to do then hmm gonna look up carb cleaning now as ive never stripped carbs before so should be fun lol.
Kreylyn how do i go about adjusting the carbs or can you point me in the right direction of a good write up
Also do you think i could have done any damage to the engine?
cheers

[Jarvo]

Ok so not sure if ive done any lasting damage to the engine but there is a bit of a top end rattle but it still runs so may at some point have sort that but for now thought id strip the carbs and see whats going on.
This is a 88 model by the way,ok so first i checked plugs doesn't look good.

Then i took the carbs off and found that a hose is missing between the first two carbs and the hose between the last two doesn't go any were so i presume these are drains anyway you can see them in this pic.

Next i removed the carb tops and needles to inspect not sure if the needles are stock but they have 4d13 on them i think(bad eyesight lol), and e clips set at 3 from top and diaphrams are in good order no wear.




next i removed the air pilot jets and put them to soak in carb clean.then turned the carbs over and removed the float bowls things dont look to bad but pulled the filters and jets anyway and put them to soak.








Last thing i decided to pull af screws and counted the turns at 1.5

Thats as far as i got this evening but ive now got some carb setting info so maybe someone could tell me why bike is running so lean?
Ok so here are the settings that i know.
:Standard air box and filter.
:Straight through headers and db killer in end can.
:Needles are set at 3rd notch from the top and as far as i can see the
number on them is4d13.
:Main jets 137.5 in outer two carbs and 135 in inner two carbs.
:32.5 pilots
:Af screws at 1/half turns out

[arsenic]

A/F screws need to be at 2.5 turns out.

[Jarvo]

Thank you arsenic for your speedy reply. do you think that was the problem then?.

[kevin2502000]

If that is a picture of a new plug, it's running really rich.

[arsenic]

Not if the A/F screws were at 1.5 turns out it's not.

[Jarvo]

Someone has mentioned that ignition timing could be the problem what do you guys recon?

[steves]

Ignition timing on the katana is fixed, so unless the cam chain tensionor is gone, or someone installed the cams incorrectly that should not be a concern.

[kevin2502000]

I was always under the impression rich equaled black and sooty, lean white. That looks pretty black to me if it's a new plug. Set your a/f screws to 2.5 then and then if it still runs like crap and your plug is black, it's rich. You could be lean down low and then rich mid and upper. Read the carb tuning link on my signature and it will walk you through diagnosing it.

[Jarvo]

Ok so i set the af screws back to 2.5 put the carbs back on primed them and the bike burst into life still not running the best but seems a little better not getting hot as quick as before.
Today i took the carbs back off to gain access to the valve cover to check clearances and as i pulled them off i noticed fuel in the rubber boots not loads but i dont know if i tipped it out as i wangled the carbs out or if the carbs had spit it in there?But i hadn't long run the bike so maybe i'm being a bit paranoid also my new engine oil smells like fuel.
What do you guys think?

[arsenic]

I think you're carbs flooded the oil with fuel.