2000 Interstate, HELP!!!

[mooserider]

Hi all My friend has a 2000 interstate trike with a lil over 9000 miles on the clock. He bought it new already triked from the Honda dealership in 2000. I picked it up today to install accent lights on it and like to never made it home. From his house to mine is about 70 miles almost all highway. When I picked it up he mentioned that he has not been able to get it past 65 mph on the freeway. I figure that the carbs needs blown out since it sits more than runs. I stopped and bought some sea foam before I headed home. While on the freeway i was able to get it to 75 only as long as I was in 4th gear with the RPM at 4200 to 4500 and the throttle was all the way open. I shifted to 5th the RPM would drop to 3000 and it would slow down to 65 also with the throttle all the way open. The sea foam didn't seem to help.

Any ideas what to look for? I haven't taken the tank off yet to check the vaccum hoses, air filter, spark plugs. Or do you think it the carbs? He has not had any work done on the engine except the oil changes.

Thanks for the help
Keith 

[shortleg]

  Could be pit rooster or carbs.
Keep running the Seafoam in it.
          Shortleg[Dave]

[R J]

I would replace all the hoses, vac, gas and etc.

Then add another FULL can of sea foam and run the snot out of her.

If need be, put in the 3rd full can, still no better, then pull the carbs and have at it.......

[Willow]

If gummed carbs are the issue it would more likely run poorly at the low end.

My money is on the vacuum hose to the petcock or the vent hose.

[Ricky-D]

Ok, so your friend bought the trike new from the dealer and it's been running like you report since he bought it? That's incredible!

The bike is just not developing the power.

First place I would look is at the throttle. Grip, cable, linkage and all related parts. Could be some binding, limiting throttle opening.

Sounds to me like the rpm/mph is correctly close to what it should be and I wouldn't go off in a bender before insuring all things are working properly.

[KCvalk]

your real problem here is rpms  it makes perfect sense that the gear up to 4th drops the speed of the bike
when you have maxed out the rpm of the bike.

where the problems is is that you have the throttle wide open and your only going 65 in fourth 75 in 3rd
its one or more of the following;

 throttle cables need serious adjustment
overall carb clean high end jets especially (sounds like a gummed up jet)  if the jet is stuck sea foam wont get to it and it wont release so sea foam wont fix this problem
or vacuum problem ( prob lines and or air box)
would look at carb sync as well and check for
any obstructions in the air box/filter

you also said he didnt get it home?  did it die on him or just not go over 65?

[Udo]

I also would look at the plugs...maybe the choke is frozen in the on position?

[1FAST6]

Could be a leak in petcock diaphram.  Pull the vac line off #6 and try to suck air through it.  If you get some, rebuild petcock.  A leak here would limit the flow of fuel when wide open.  Eventually it will leave you walking with a full tank of fuel.  If not, pull the vac lines off #3 & 4 one at a time and do the same, but I think a big leak here would give you a rough idle and a small one wouldn't make much dif wide open.

[1FAST6]

You might also try stopping on the shoulder, popping the tank open and then run her up again.  Blocked vent could cause a vacuum to build up in the tank.  Just had it happen on the mower...

[mooserider]

Update:
  I changed out the plugs, I fired it up and it seem to idle a lil smother, took it just around the block there was def differance in it running. While I was changing out the plugs I found a piece of cotton / insulation material in the middle of the engine. Removed it to show the owner, didn't find any live varmets. Pulled the tank the rear vent to the tank was not connected the line is in bad shape it is very hard. The vent to the pet rooster and fuel line were still connected. I removed the air filter and air box. The air filter is def needing to be replaced and under the air box I found a big dirt dobber nest, Removed it to show the owner. lol He lives next to the water and this bike is in pretty bad shape cosmetically, most of the chrome is pitted from the salt air. All the vac lines are also coated in a white film so I'm gonna replace them all as well as the fuel lines.

 Questions???
  Is having the rear vent line to the tank off while running cause it to do any of the symptoms?
  Does any one know what size and how much Vent and fuel lines I will need to change out everything?
 

Thanks Keith

[Thunderbolt]

buy a 6' piece in a box from your local auto parts.  They sell it is windshield washer line.  Can't help on the fuel lines.

[mooserider]

Final Update
  I replaced the plugs, air filter, vac and fuel lines. It runs great fired right up, sitting in the driveway idoling it started to run hot, the fan was not coming on. I pulled the fan and found 2 dirt dobber nest holding the fan blade removed them put everything back together. The fan works great. Now the final test. I got up on the freeway it was like I was riding a new bike. It runs great.
Thanks everyone for your input.

Keith

[Farther]

I love happy endings.