Reesy

Thanks. How can you tell if the seat and needle are worn?

Its been a while since Ive been on here. Ill try to explain this the best I can. Its gonna be a long one. I have been riding my XJ 600 diversion on a 98 plate around for a couple of months now and its been fine up until tuesday this week. I was riding it home from work in the rain and I noticed that it felt sluggish pulling off, but i put this down to the crap british summer and thought no more of it. That was until the next day. It was on its centre stand with the engine running to warm the bike up before I set off for work, and I noticed petrol dripping, on looking further I noticed that the petrol was coming from the overflow pipe on the top of the futhest left carb on the bike. This stopped when the bike was revved but started again as soon as it was idling. I put the bike onto its side stand and the petrol stopped dripping. I rode the bike to work and it was fine when it was going but as soon as I stopped at the lights it started dripping again... But if i lean the big to the left slightly it stops. So to cut a long story short when the bike is idling in an upright position petrol leaks from the overflow pipe on top of the carb, But when its idling at a lean or on its side stand it stops leaking. I have taken the carbs of and given them a good clean but the problem is still there. Whats really worrying me is that the overflow pipe drips the petrol directly onto the hot engine and exhaust.. so I have images of me being stopped at the lights and bursting into a ball of flames. Which i dont think would feel very nice!!! Does anybody have any idea what this problem could be, or has anybody experienced this problem before. If so any advice on how to fix it. Please Help!!! I only passed my big bike test in may, and I effing love riding.

It is a H reg so yeah its old. But its only got 3000 miles on the clock. There is agood spark from the plug and the Ht lead looks good fine. And I have set the carb up according the the haynes manual. Ive just come across another post with how to tune the carb properly, so I will do that tomorrow when i get chance to warm the engine. But I have set the float height up properly. Even if I hadnt I cant see how the float height would be causing these probems.

Ive checked the carb rubbers and cant see any cracks or splits. And it looks like its on properly. I took the bike to work again today, and it went great......there!!. First of all it started outside work on the first kick, I then switched the engine off and when I tried to start it sgain it was flooded, I had to push start it. Then on the way home the engine was occasionally wanting to die everytime I put the clutch in and came to a stop. The revs were dropping and I could only keep it going with the throttle. And then other times I would stop and it would be on idle at about 2500rpm again ????? Any more ideas ??????

My bike was running great untill this week. This is going to be a long one sorry. It started on friday, I took my bike to work for the first time. But in order for me to get to work I have to go up a very steep incline. The bike was going great, but just as I was coming to the top of the incline the bike started spluttering and then eventualy cut out. I waited about 20 seconds, and the bike started again with no prblem at all. It got me the rest of the way no problem. But on the way home coming up the otherside of the incline, the same thing happened again. When I got home i took the carb apart and found a little bit of dirt in there, but i also discovered the float setting where wrong. Haynes manual says the height should be about 21mm +/- 1mm. The height was actaully set at about 25mm, so it seems that as i was riding up the hill with the revs high, the float was cutting of the fuel early and the engine was using more fuel than the carb could supply. I changed the setting on the float height and also cleaned out the carb fully, all the jets, needles, float... everything. I even changed the gasket ....again!!! But when I put the carb back on, the bike wouldnt kick start, so I bump started it. After that the bike would kick start, but only sometimes. I took it for a ride and that seemed to solve the kick starting problem. But now I have a few little niggles. The bike started from cold with the choke pulled out, but where as before the bike would run for about ten seconds with the choke out and then when I pushed the choke in it would idle at at about 1400rpm no problem, it now seems to want to die after about 4 seconds of the choke being pulled out. And the only way to stop this is to push the choke in and rev it with the throttle for a few seconds. It then idle but at about 2200rpm.???? I adjusted the the idle screw and got it down to about 1400rpm, but after riding the bike for a few miles, the idle speed was back up to about 2200rpm again, so again i have adjusted it. But it now struggles to idle from cold and I have to turn the idle screw in again to keep the revs up and stop the engine from dying, but obviously when the engine warms up the idle speed is very high again. So im back to square one. Ive set the air screw setting as per haynes aswell. Does any body have any sugestions on how to combat this. And also, any ideas on why the bike wouldnt kick start when I first put the carb back on ??? If you have spent the time to read this, then i thankyou very much. It is a long one. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

Ok, thankyou to everyone who got back to me. Ive been messing with the bike all night and I think I got it. From what i can tell the fuel tap was partly blocked, at the filter I reckon. The fuel was only trickling through, so when it was idling there was enough fuel in the bowl to keep it going, but when I revved it, obviously that uses more fuel so it was draining the bowl quicker than the fuel could fill it............. I think ???? I cleaned the filter with clean petrol and blew through the pipe and it worked, fuel now flows freely. Havent taken the bike for a run yet, but i think its sorted. Might have another issue now though!!! When the fuel tap is in the off position the fuel still drips through, very slowly but it doesnt stop totally. Is this a problem??? or normal??? Oh and the float bowl gasket is on its way to me.

Yes the bike runs great for that first mile or so. I can ride it for longer if I keep the revs and speed low. But if i get some speed and the revs over 5000 rpm, then slow to a stop its then that the engine bogs down and cuts out.

This bike is doing my nut in !!! Ive had a few problems but this one has only just come to light as ive only just got my cbt. The bike starts and idles fine, but when its riden for say a mile or so, the engine bogs down and cuts out. As if when it gets up to correct temperature, it cuts out. It wont start again staight away, but after leaving it for 5 mins its starts but it can only be riden for a short distance before it cuts out again. Ive tried setting the fuel/air mix as described in my haynes manual but it still cuts out, Then again to me a haynes manual seems its written in a foriegn language sometimes so a human explanation would be great. . A friend of mine said it could be an air leak in the carb, ive checked everything on the carb and all screws and that are tight. But the one ting that is concerning me is that when I originally cleaned the carb to get it running, there was no gasket where the bowl part meets the rest of the carb. I didnt think anything of it at the time, cause the guy who gave me the bike said it was running before he put it in storage. Is this gasket absoloutly necessary, and if it is where can i get one from. Ive searched all over the net but cant find one. The carb model is a mukini vm22ss if that helps. Please somebody help.

Its all sorted. I found the float height settings on another post. i just put the bike back together and its running sweet as a nut. Ticking over at about 1500 revs. And the original problem of the gears is sorted as well. Thankyou all very much for your help. This site is awesome. id love to say that I will try to pass my knowledge of bikes onto anybody else who needs help, but as Ive proven ...I know nothing!!!! . But if anybody wants to know how to make an amazing spaghetti bolognese... Then im your man. Thankyou all once again.

I have just taken the pilot jet out and it was well and truley 'gunked' up. It was coverd and blocked with a sandy like substance???. Its all clean now. But like a muppet i accidently bent the float a little. I put it back as it was, i think. How do you check float measurment.... Yes i know im a fool ha

Thankyou. Im gonna take the carb apart again, and use some aerosol carb cleaner to make sure all the jets are clean.

Is the idle jet also known as the pilot jet ?????

Hiya mate. just wanted to let you know that ive sorted the gear problem. I changed the oil and took it for a ride where i knew I would need lots of gear changes. And it worked. I now have all 5 gears. So thankyou very much for that. But I now have another problem, the bike wont idle on any less than 3400 revs. it bogs down and cuts out everytime I turn the idle screw. I can keep it going with the throttle, but it just wont idle. Damn Bike !!!!!

The bike has been stood for a few years,yes. Ive spent the last 10 mins with the engine switched off going through the gears, and there seems to be an improvement. i started the engine and it allowed me to select 1st, 2nd and 3rd this time . I Put the bike on a stand and with the engine running I selected 1st, 2nd and 3rd in sequence, letting the clutch out untill I could feel the bite. i didnt drive off but the back wheel started to turn. Still no 4th or 5th yet but im hoping that with a bit more time, they will become available. Thankyou so much for your help. I was completly lost.

Its pretty much right in the middle of the maximum and minimum marks.