[thedaydreamer]

I just got a 2006 VTX 1300R with 50k miles on it, vance and hines longshot pipes

The owner had passed and his friend took it over for a short time, the manual has really good service notes that he did and it seems that he changed oil, filter and plugs every 4k miles for the bikes entire life

The guy who had it said he cleaned the carb and changed the petcock to the tank and no issues with it

I went to the house to see it, it fired up, I rode it around and bought it,,,,I have been riding the bike around town for 3 days, not much maybe 15mi a day

The other day, I was close to home and it started sputtering and hesitating and stalled out, I chocked it, it came back on, then slowly died out again

So heres what I have done so far,,,,,oil looked good, changed 1k mi ago,,,,coolant levels look good,,,,Took bottom float bowl off, there was some sediment in bowl, cleaned and inspected jets and passages, clean with carb cleaner,,,,,,,,removed and inspected fuel petcock, drained tank,,,,,replaced all 4 plugs, at removal looked like a little "rust" on plug, crud it boot,,,but i dont think its a spark issue,,,, it said valve adjment was at 16k miles, it now has 50k

Bike will start and idle, throttle rips loud, but sounds kind of lean with some tinny sounds and popping (just my guess)

I let it idle but something sounds off with the idle, gallopy, lean, somthing just sounds off to me,,,,but throttle response rips, touchy and strong

Pop in it gear, get about 500ft, it starts to sputter and hesitate then stalls out and wont start again till later

It has the V&H Longshots,,,main jet is 185 and pilot is 55

why would it ride fine for 3 days then just sputter and stall all of a sudden?

My guess so far is that maybe its not tuned or jetted properly, maybe too small main jet? Maybe air fuel mix off?

Any ideas you guys can give me or some direction as to what to do next would be great, Id love to get back on this thing!



TY all

Thedaydreamer

 

[Porky]

Try this first, it can be a life saver: Pour around a half can of Chevron TECHRON and ride it hard and it will usually clean the Carb and fuel system spotlessly. Put a new Air Filter on!

Sam

 

[amc49]

If they use ethanol in local fuel could just be that.

 

[thedaydreamer]

I use ethnal in all my bikes with no issues, this one just started to hesitate and stall,,,,,I am going to fully rip the carb apart and service it, or try the techron

 

[amc49]

Ethanol is fine if you drive them enough but let them sit and you WILL have issues. If the bowl sediment was red rusty color you are getting close.

 

[SemiFast]

Took bottom float bowl off, there was some sediment in bowl,

You probably found the problem right there.
Likely still trash in the fuel system somewhere. (The pervious owner cleaned the carb and replaced petcock? I'm thinking fuel tank may have contamination).
Siphon off the bottom, lowest part of the fuel tank and see what you find. If you find any rust (or whatever) in the tank it will make it's way into the small ports (passages) and jets in the carburetor. Tuning could be off but running okay at first, and if it's not fouling spark plugs then something other than just faulty tuning is happening.

S F

 

[thedaydreamer]

full carb clean today, bike fires up, but will only run on choke, but the idle if off and does not sound right,,,,I think its out of tune and not sure if its a jetting issue or an air fuel screw problem, the idle was gallopy, stumbly and off, the moment you push choke in, it dies, then it starts right back up, rev it, rev it, ,,,let go of throttle, it dies, but it will idle with choke, just does not sound smooth

 

[Retired Guy]

Partially plugged fuel filter, fuel pump starting to go south?

 

[thedaydreamer]

I inspected this bike and there is no fuel filter at all, I going to check the valve lash and see,,,,,,

 

[thedaydreamer]

Can you use a standard fuel filter on the vtx? like the little cone one? there is suposseed to be a little filter that fits into the carb that the hose slides into, but there is no filter at all on this bike

 

[Retired Guy]

It should be okay to install one.

 

[Porky]

It is not the valve lash.

 

[thedaydreamer]

so my main jet is 185 and pilot is 55,,,,I have the v&h longshots,,,I am running lean in my belief

I am going to get 200mj and 58pj and the glen vtx af adj mod so i can adjust on the fly

where can I buy these jets for this carb?

 

[SemiFast]

bike fires up, but will only run on choke,

That is THE classic example of plugging in the carburetor. You must be positive the small ports inside the carb body itself are totally clean and totally clear.
I'd still recommend checking the fuel tank too.

Can you use a standard fuel filter on the vtx? like the little cone one?

If the fuel you use has ethanol in it those filters will self destruct over a fairly short amount of time.

S F

 

[amc49]

Yes to the above.

Good luck with the jetting, commonly a mistake but everybody has to go through it to find out, you can't tell them. CV type carb auto adjusts for jetting, what they are intended to do.

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/2006/vtx1300r-a/carburetor

There you go, CV carb. Part #14 going bad can make your problem. No header out of the last 30 I put on ever needed an idle jet change, typically a mistake.

If red rust then use a PAPER filter element filter only, the rust typically goes right through a plastic filter element like the cone one, the pores are way too big. Sintered brass filter will work.

 

[thedaydreamer]

Thanks for the replys,,,,amc49 just a little confused about your post are you saying that there could be an issue with #14
My bike has a 185mj I talked to glen himself and he said was shocked because honda stock mj should be 195 and he said thats even a bit lean,,,he said over the years with those longshot pipes that 200mj and 58pj seems to be a real sweet spot, even on this site I have heard of that combo

The bike feels out of tune, it starts right up, even with choke off, but you have ot rev, when you stop rev its stalls,,,,,the idle just seems skippy, galoppy off,,,,I think its the mixture screw is off and I did NOT check it,,,but I think the larger jets will help,,,,its just my initial instinct,,,but I do NOT know for sure ,,,,,yet,,,,,HAHAHA

I just want to ride the dam bike LOL

 

[amc49]

Bigger main jets do not affect idle at all and in all my years of jetting I have never jetted idle up, except maybe once. They just don't need it. You must have the mixture screw ports dead clean though.

A leak at part #14 will be a vacuum leak and mess the idle up. However carb mounts to bike if rubber can leak and the same.

Pull plugs and see if they are wet or black, both bad.

 

[SemiFast]

there could be an issue with #14

Possible depending on the symptoms it is displaying. Have you checked the air cut off diaphragm (#14) condition and that the ports are clear going to it?
Very, very rare that you need to change a pilot jet unless there has been some very radical reduction of air inlet restriction.
There are some jet kits that call for a reduction in main jet size along with changes to the jet needle / needle jet that makes midrange tuning richer. It is all wrong but they do exist.
Does your slide diaphragm (#22) have an adjustable jet needle #(2) in it?

S F

 

[thedaydreamer]

HI something I noticed, the old owner said that he cleaned the carb, I am noticing that parts are missing,,,,can some verify for me on the carb sheet 2 posts up that part 8 and part 14 are spring loaded? I almost positive that when I took apart 8 that there was NO spring in there, what would be the indications of that and how would I replace the spring? ace hardware?

2 major things I did not do when looking at this carb, I did not have a "D" tool to turn the mixture screw, so I dont know where its set at, and I could not get 22 out because the screw wass stripped, so I could not inspect that part of the carb

 

[amc49]

No, needle has no setting ability, it uses the typical fixed plate to hold it while allowing the needle to wobble loose as correct.

Yes, both 8 and 14 have springs, missing spring on 8 means accelerator pump does not work and if any symptom it would be hesitation at racking the throttle open more, You never know though, accel pumps can siphon if assembled wrong and that might possibly mess the idle up to die. Part 14 not only has to be supple rubber but no leaks in it and the cover must seal tight to not leak too. The actual idle mixture adjustment may well have a limiter tab to stop the needle from turning any more than 3/4 turn or so, you have to figure out how to defeat that if so. I tend to grind the tab off to do it or cut a notch in float bowl so it can swing freely past it.