I have a '92 F2. I got it in October, rode it for a month, then put it in the garage for the winter without treating the fuel. After three months, I rode it back to my apartment. It sat outside for a month before I tried starting it again, and it wouldn't so the battery died. After jumping the battery, I got the bike running a piston down. I figured I could just change the sparks and it would be working fine (they were probably old anyways). I changed the sparks, fixed the radiator fan that mysteriously stopped working, and the bike ran perfectly. But the next day, after starting the bike, it sounded really rough, even after it was warmed up. It progressively sounded rougher and rougher until it eventually just died. At this point, I'm not sure what the problem is (I'm a complete noob). My friend thinks that sediment could have clogged the carb jets because I didn't treat the fuel. Any other thoughts?

 

clean the carbs! You won't be able to diagnose other problems until the carbs have been eliminated as the cause.

 

+1 clean them bad boys out. also peek inside your gas take with a flash light and check for rust.

 

+2 on cleaning the carbs

 

Just to make sure the problem wasn't electrical, I checked the R/R voltage and it is normal. And because it was running great for a day makes me think it's not the carbs, otherwise the bike wouldn't have run at all, or at the very least been extremely rough. So it makes me think that just a fuel line is clogged, basically as a single point of failure (in turn making all the carbs fail and then my bike not starting at all). Makes sense to me, except I don't know how to do a fuel line flush. Can anyone tell me or point me in the right direction? Any other thoughts?

 

Well the fuel line is very basic on these beasts. It leaves your tank via the petcock, goes down a thin line, and into your fuel rail on the bottom of the carbs. The float bowl limits the level of fuel allowed in.

Take your tank and empty it, then pull out the petcock and blow compressed air through it. I wouldn't bother with the fuel line but hey, blow fuel down that as well. Next up, clean our your carbs since that is probably where your fuel delivery system would get gunked up.

 

Sounds good, thanks!

 

4 hours and an entire 16oz can of carb cleaner later, the bike is fixed! Carbs 3 and 4 were completely clogged up. Just gotta let the alternator charge the battery for a little while and I should be good to go! Thanks for all your help!!

 

Good Job. Rock on

 

And for the next upcoming winter you can put some stabilizer in the gas, and turn your pet **** off. Then at the start of next riding season drain the tank and use the gas for the lawn mower.

problem with gas now having a higher percentage of ethenol you will see a higher build up of residue at the bottom of the tank and more of it the longer the bike sits.

Also make sure the tanks full, leaving it half full allows for the exposed areas to rust more. my bike before i got it sat in for 2 years with hardly any gas in it, you wouldnt believe the amount of rust that developed.

last thing you want with carbs is unwanted gunk getting in them, cuz that just means cleaning.