I have 1997 new to me F3 with 23,000mi. was not run for over a year. I put in new plugs, removed carbs.(pain in butt) removed main and pilot jets and cleaned them. Sprayed carb cleaner in all holes and felt pretty good about clean job. Reassembled It starts fine on choke and will idle fine. If I crack throttle it tries to die. It won't idle without choke at all. If I blip throttle small and fast I can get it past 3-4000 rpm and it runs fine both choked and not choked. On the street it runs fine as long as it is over 4,000 rpm but will quit below that. I tried to bepass fuel pump and no change. Could it be the tps? or the regulator under right side of seat? A vacuum issue(all hoses are connected as should be)? If it is the carbs, I would not know how to clean any better. Carb boots appear good. 1 + 4 main jets are 142 2+3 are 145, pilots are 40. Has kerker slip on and K+N filter. Gas is new with sea foam. I will idle with choke but not without. Won't transition. Any info would be great, would like to track next weekend. Thank you.

 

if you poke around the howto's on the board here, Someone did a tutorial on cleaning the carbs, should take you an afternoon, however, they should be synced after you clean them.

 

did you by chance mess with the idle air screw yet if not. give it a half a turn clock wise and see if that helps at all. or until it will idle then go from there.

 

Where are air screws located? If they are on bottom they are plugged with brass cap.

 

Here is the idle adjust screw. It's on the left side of your bike about where your legs come down the side of the bike. Good luck!

 

Yes, they are under the brass caps. And if the bike won't idle, they are clogged. You may have cleaned the carbs, but you didn't clean the one thing that really needed it.

 

Oops. I guess i posted the wrong thing I thought you all ment the idle adjust screw

 

I have seen pilot jets with corrosion in the openings, you clean it with carb cleaner but the hole is still about half as big as it should be, I just get new pilots now.

If you messed with the mixture screws all bets are off.
If you messed with individual carb idle speed you could
have caused what you are seeing also.

The fuel pump could be on the way out too.

 

How do you remove the brass plugs? once the plugs are removed can the screws come all the way out so I can clean the holes? Thanks.

 

what brass plug are you talking about?

i would check the idle screw, vacuum hoses (double check), fuel pump, and the fuel filter. i just had this same issue the other day! it turned out i missed a vacuum hose.

check the hoses for the vacuum solenoid too!