Im lost!!!!!

[B600]

Ok, i have my 95 Katana 600 running... however i can not take the choke off or it will die. Also while having the choke on in idle it bounces from 2000 rpms to 3000 rpms and then back to 2000 rpms, if i hold my hand over the air intake it idle steady at 3000 rpms (still cant take the choke off after warm up). Any suggestions?

[Slofuze]

I'm not a mechanic, but to me it would seem that it would indicate a need to have your carbs cleaned and synced. Others here are much more qualified to answer your question. Arsenic, Hardlydangerous, and CP come to mind. Try to pm them.

[Maxxrox]

Sounds like it's runnin' quite lean. Lowering air throughput has a few effects, like richening the mix, heh. Since the tach is jumping, it's likely a case of clogged carbs.

If the bike's been sittin' for a while, it may need a thorough cleaning. Make sure your filter is in (and correctly installed, heh) and your exhaust headers aren't detached or anything crazy. You don't have a high-flow filter installed, do ya?


--B

[steves]

It sounds to me like the pilot circuit is dirty, and the carbs are probably out of synch.

[hardlydangerous]

Yep sounds like the carbs need a good cleaning or you have a major ai leak somewhere

[gazoo]

i just got my kat running also . (95 750 ) . i didn't need the choke to start it . i did'nt let it run for more than 3 minutes . then i let it cool for a while while i cleaned it . i then restarted again and it fired right up , no choke . just for experimental sakes i put my hand over the intake box and she died right away . total oppisite of your situation . i did have to clean the carbs out though ( twice ) .

[squiggy]

if i hold my hand over the air intake it idle steady at 3000 rpms

I assume you mean you have the airbox on? Is the air filter on as well?

[B600]

The air box is on and the filter is in and installed correct. My air filter is i think the mechanic called a sock? I will try getting the carbs synced and hopefully that will fix or at least get me going in the right direction. Thanks guys!!!!

[joseph2027]

check the comp. you may low comp.in one or more piston. my 86 shadow did the same thing and thats what it was.

[Mikey Dank]

There's no point in synching if you have a vaccuum leak, right? That's the only thing that's kept me from synching mine up, I was under the impression it was a waste of time?

[squiggy]

Is this issue new to the bike? Was it working before and then it started running like this?

Is the bike running like this after a rebuild of some sort, i.e. carb rebuild, engine rebuild?

Is this a simple out-of-adjustment idle screw on the carbs, the reason it wont idle?

[B600]

The bike idled weird when i bought it, I rebuilt the carbs due to something going on it the fourth cyclinder causeing the bike to flood. The carbs got all new seals, o-rings, and a good thourgh cleaning. I put the carbs back on the bike and it ran like new, well until i decided to ride for more than ten minutes. The problem came and the engine flooded again, so this time i bought used carbs off a bike that was working and did a rebuild on them. same thing i put them on and rode for about 30 minutes and it flooded again so i replaced the coil packs and blew a fuse got frusturated and it sat for about a year. and now i am here, the bike will start but the tach jumps but if i put my hand infornt of the air box it will idle even at 3000 with the choke on, i take the choke off and it dies. I am lost and frustrated at it again and i want to get it runnin.

[gazoo]

your're doing something wrong . if the new carbs worked fine on the old bike , why rebuild them ? seems that they went haywire after you rebuilt them . remove carbs and go through them again . set everything to spec , especially float height . there are alot threads on here that explain exactly whats wrong and what you need to do to fix it . good luck

[Mikey Dank]

have you looked at your fuel petcock? If it's still flooding after you say you replaced the o rings on the float needle seat and your float needles look fine, your petcock may either be stuck in the prime position or someone has gutted it to constantly run on prime.