The lady is definitely sick!

[big bear craig]

In another post I said it felt like the bike was running out of fuel, but there was plenty in the tank.  A lot of you responded with great suggestions, and I tried them all.  Checked the fuel rooster, replaced fuel lines, checked all vacuum lines, checked for kinked hoses, and rode the bike with the fuel cap open.  Nothing has made any difference, and the problem has gotten worse.  I now think the problem is in the electronics.  She does not have much power once warmed up, quickly loses what she does have, will quit running and not restart for hours.  The bike has a very stinky smelling exhaust, but not like it's running rich, and the plugs are clean.  It seems like this whole issue is heat related, meaning once the bike is warmed up the problem becomes severe.  The bike has 60,000 miles on it, never ridden in the rain, always garaged, and very well maintained.  Any more suggestions?

[PhredValk]

Have you checked your coolant? do the fans come on when it's warm? Stinky exhaust could be a water jacket failure. If your coolant is low or not circulating the engine may be overheating and that can cause poor or no performance and actual internal damage.
Just thinking,
Fred.

[SCain]

A few years back I had a very similar problem, bike would run fine when it was cold, but once it warmed up it would start to cut out and wouldn't get out of its own way. I too thought it was electrical and even switched out several parts, turned out it was a tank of bad gas, as the gas warmed up in the carbs it started to gel and would plug the slow jets.
My advise would be to get rid of all the gas in the tank and try to flush out the carbs, put some fresh gas with a strong dose of Techron or startron and see if it doesn't clear up.
I ended up having to pull the carbs and clean them out.
Also, when was the last time you got fuel, did the problems start shortly after you filled up?

I never went back to that station again, of course it could happen anywhere.

[wild6]

Smelly exhaust would tell me that there's gas, but bad/no ignition.  You did say that you changed the battery 1 week before this 'sickness' started.  Check voltage when running good and then when running poorly.  Anything below 12 (especially when running) points to bad battery, charging system or the connections between.  From what I've heard here, below 10v, ignition isn't guaranteed.

With just the lights on, check voltage at the battery (the actual terminals) and then between the frame and main fuse.  If lower at the latter, you have bad/loose connections.

[F6MoRider]

I'd agree with SCain on the pump and dump the gas approach, first.  

Just pulled my boat out after winter storage and she cranked right up.  I put stabilizer in before storage so I was excited that all I needed us a fresh batt charge.  When I put her in the water, she idled smooth.  When she was warm, I opened her up and she ran, then began gagging, coughed, spit, back fired, then ran, rinse, repeat, etc....

I checked everything and all was in order.  I did change two fuel filters and retested but had the exact same result.  So I siphoned 20 gallons of gas out and drained the lines to the carb.  Pumped in 20 gallons of fresh fuel and she started up as normal.  However, when I put her in fwd and opened her up, she ran strong.  Haven't had a prob since and now on my 2nd tank of fuel.

Before you do anything else, drain the fuel and try w/fresh fuel.  It cheap, fast and a quick way to know it isn't the fuel. (and yes, I know my Valk and boat are different but an engine is an engine when it comes to bad fuel).

[big bear craig]

I will try flushing the tank out.  The problem started about two tankfuls ago, at first it was very intermittent, and now it won't make down the street.  The bike never sits long enough for the fuel to go bad, but that doesn't mean I didn't get some bad gas.  I did a load test on the battery last night, and it said it was good, but maybe vibration might cause a internal short.  Really grasping at straws now.     

[F6MoRider]

Don't waste the gas until after you test with new fuel.  If the trub persists, I'd start checking for blockages in the fuel line (filter?) and or kinks in the fuel line and petcock related issues.  Lots of threads on this type of issue (possibly ignition-are you all OEM?) up to and including the coil.   Search the tech board and you"ll find lots of reading material.

[ValkFlyer]

Someone mentioned on your previous post to check the ignition module.  I didn't see that responses in your post here.  While it's rare I also had the same issue. I had purchased a DynaTech 3000 to replace my original and after about the first week the bike started loosing power, eventually it would quit.  5 minutes later I could restart it but then it would begin failing after a few miles.  I swapped for a second from Dyna Tech but this one failed after a couple of weeks also.  I finally went back to an OEM and all has been good since.

[big bear craig]

The ignition module is a oem one and it could be the culprit here or a coil, just not sure at this point.  I did check the connections and they were clean and tight.  I appreciate everyone's feedback.

[Russell Rice]

I would double check the vacuum line coming off the petcock before I did anything else. If you have had the tank off you very well could of hooked the vacuum line up to the little stub on the side of the petcock instead of the one for the vacuum line. Do not laugh, I have seen it done before and I have done it myself. 

[ValkFlyer]

In another post I said it felt like the bike was running out of fuel, but there was plenty in the tank.  A lot of you responded with great suggestions, and I tried them all.  Checked the fuel rooster, replaced fuel lines, checked all vacuum lines, checked for kinked hoses, and rode the bike with the fuel cap open.  Nothing has made any difference, and the problem has gotten worse.  I now think the problem is in the electronics.  She does not have much power once warmed up, quickly loses what she does have, will quit running and not restart for hours.  The bike has a very stinky smelling exhaust, but not like it's running rich, and the plugs are clean.  It seems like this whole issue is heat related, meaning once the bike is warmed up the problem becomes severe.  The bike has 60,000 miles on it, never ridden in the rain, always garaged, and very well maintained.  Any more suggestions?

Describe "very stinky" exhaust...sweet, petroleum based, or like something crawled inside and died?

[ValkFlyer]

And the chock cable is fully functional, with both sides pushing and pulling?

[salty1]

When you flush the tank, are you going to pull it? If so, use a direct hookup from another gas source (a portable reservoir) and see if you can reproduce the poor performance/failure.

[big bear craig]

Choke seems to be working fine.  The exhaust smell is strong and smells like poor combustion I think, but not raw gas.  The plugs have less than a 1000 miles on them and they are pretty clean.  Good suggestion on feeding the carbs from another source besides the gas tank.  I was just sitting here thinking (a rarity) could it be plug wires breaking down?  They are fourteen years old, so maybe I will run the bike in a dark garage tonight to see if any arcing occurs.

[big bear craig]

Just checked exhaust headers for heat while engine is running, and number 5 & 6 cylinders remained cool while the others got to hot to touch.  No ignition in 5 and 6 it appears.

[Madmike]

Just checked exhaust headers for heat while engine is running, and number 5 & 6 cylinders remained cool while the others got to hot to touch.  No ignition in 5 and 6 it appears.

Maybe switch the 5/6 coil with one of the other ones - if the problem goes to the other cylinders then most likely it is that coil, if the problem stays with 5/6 then it is likely something with the primary side of the 5/6 ignition circuit as long as 5 and 6 are getting fuel.

[roadmap]

you want maybe something you don't want to hear.    i bet you need a complete carb rebuild.  i went through something like your problem  what it boilded down to the crapo in the gas now is causing allot of carbs to be clogged.  i went through all the things your doing but no firing on my cylnders either no matter what i tried to many things to list. but i did them.

now go the walmart pick up a gallon of carb cleaner called (berryman)  under 20.00 i took my carbs apart soaked each one 12 hours put back together put a oring kit new on and walla.

bike is now strong put some life in the bike again it has 155,000 miles and now i am happy as a p... in s....
 
i live kentucky  if you might need a lending hand just to help shadow your rebuild i have a twin max to sync the carbs too.. your carb rebuild will be about depending a what parts are needed under 200  i be afraid to ask what a dealer would charge

[big bear craig]

Thanks for the replies.  I am investigating all of them and when I do find the problem, I will post what I found and the fix.  I appreciate the offer of help, but I live in California so that isn't possible.  This forum is great.