I have a Vance and Hine slip-on, K&N Filter, and DynoJet kit, BUT the bike ran well before sitting the last year.

Before starting it I took the carbs off cleaned everything. Used carb cleaner, compressed air, and small gauge wire. Adjusted the floats. Pilot screws are 2 ¼ turns out. Synced carbs by eye. New spark plugs too.

Carbs back on bike and starts ok with choke on but idles at 900 rpm. Turn choke off and idles jumps to 7000 rpm. This is with idle adjuster all the way out. I can visually see that the throttle butterflies are closed. No throttle cable issues. I can also see that the choke rod/pistons are moving well when going from on to off and vice versa.

I’m thinking I adjusted the floats wrong but surprised that the choke seems to bypass the idle circuit completely. Plus where is it getting the air to run at 7000 rpms. I can see the butterflies are closed. I turned the pilot screws in but changed the high rpm only minutely.

Any ideas? I appreciate any insight.

Thanks
Dan

 

are your carb boots loose or ripped?

 

It sounds like you have a massive vacuum leak.

Spray down the entire carb/intake/head assembly with carb cleaner or starting fluid while the bike is running. If there's a change in RPM, then you have a leak. Pinpoint with the spray where the leak is coming from.

 

I took the carbs off before looking for a leak. They did come off way easier than any time before so there might have been a leak there.

I also found that one of the butterfly plates was a little off. I readjusted and threw them back on and bike is running well again. I haven’t taken it for a ride yet by without load it idles and revs nice.

Thanks for the help
Dan

 

Good to know that all is well again

 

Curious, did you remove the plates when you cleaned the carbs? I removed mine before and had the same problem before. They just werent quite seated properly

 

I did not remove the plates. I either got the one way wrong when I synced them by eye or things moved/settled during installing the carbs. I've since synced with mercury gauge. I wasn't that far off second time around.

I did try to get it inspected today. Rejected. Too loud. Doing a forum search on repacking Vanes and Hines exhaust now. It does sound louder than before.

 

Dayum. Where do you live that they tested noise level? Or was it just a guy saying "Oh. Noise. That's too loud."

In NJ all they (used to) do was check the lights.

Now NJ doesn't do inspections on cars or bikes. Stupid Idea.

 

I'm in Massachusetts. The lady inspecting went through everything and seemed like everything was good. After the bike was off for a few minutes and after checking brakes and stuff, she went over to a guy in the next bay and asked if he thought it was too loud. The guy turned around and said it was way too loud. I asked if they could tell me how much I'm over the limit and he said no. Just going by ear. They didn't take my $15 and said I could try going to another place.

 

Dude that's major BS. I'd take it somewhere else. I highly doubt that your V&H pipe (bad packing or not), is as loud as 80% of Harleys. I wouldn't accept a fail because they said "I think its too loud."

Its like a car failing for bad alignment because someone eyeballed it and said "I think its out of alignment"