Engine dying on the highway. Help? *RESOLVED*

[mrpeter]

UPDATE: PROBLEM IS SOLVED:

TL;DR: The issue is twofold. The petcock which had a damaged diaphram and was ultimately replaced with 16950-MAL-603 since the petcock still didn't work right after a rebuild. The second issue was the gas tank vent. I replaced my gascap with part number 17620-MB1-033, which was vented. If you want to go this route, make sure you check this image (https://i.imgur.com/pU1sJRW.jpeg) to see the difference between a vented and not vented gascap. Getting the right part number is not enough, as there are different revisions of this part and some which share this part number do not have the vent and will be no different than the OEM gascap.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Just went on a 75 mile test ride and confirmed the issue is now resolved.

Hope this helps anyone who has this issue as well. Thanks again to all of those who chimed in with support and assistance!

ORIGINAL POST:

I'm hoping one of the mechanical experts here can help me with this mystery problem that appeared out of nowhere.

Background of how the bike is run / treated:
Always garaged
Always winterized 'properly' with stabilizer in the tank, filling the carbs, and on a battery tender. Every time it's dewinterized it fires right up.
Been riding here and there all summer, but no long trips. Almost always under 3000rpm. Always fires right up, and usually doesn't even need choke.
Oil is changed annually or every 3000 miles with full synthetic diesel oil. Oil filter same.
Bike has no mods to the powertrain whatsoever, save for iridium plugs replaced at 60,000mi. Bike has 70,000mi. 1998 tourer.
Coolant was replaced a couple years ago.
Petcock was rebuilt years ago but I can't recall how many.  Maybe 5.

Issue description
Riding over 75mph on the highway (speed limit is 70 and people fly over 80 going southbound here) in 5th gear at under 4000rpm, the engine acts like it's starved for fuel, and sounds like maybe a cylinder or two isn't firing. I crank the throttle to no avail. I pull the clutch fully in to coast, and engine dies, oil light on. I drop to 4th as my speed has reduced and the rolling start starts up the engine again, this time it's mostly fine. I speed up, and it happens again, repeat.
I roll to a stop and kill the engine. I inspect the oil and it's clear and new and at the right level. It smells a bit like fuel maybe?
I take the exit and turn around to ride home but the bike is running fine again with all cylinders firing. Once at freeway speeds,  I'm able to reproduce the issue again after a while, but not immediately. I'm checking the engine by pulling the clutch lever and the engine idles normally rather than dying. After a little bit I am able to reproduce the issue. I eventually limp home at about 45 miles per hour, all the while feeling like a cylinder is not running.
Back on city streets and the bike is running fine again at lower RPMs. All in all the whole trip was 33 miles.

Troubleshooting
The trip left enough room in the tank for me to add a whole bottle of GUMOUT. I've read it's even better than seafoam, and some cursory research on here leads me to believe that maybe my carb is gunky since I don't do a lot of cruising over 3000rpms. I left it in the tank over night and the next day sloshed around the tank and did a few laps around my neighborhood in low gear but riding over 4000RPMs. The whole time the bike ran perfect as usual.
I then let the bike sit for a few days allowing the detergents to work now that they're definitely in the carbs.
Today I went on another ride on the highway to try to reproduce the issue. On the way out, the issue took some time to happen, but it did. I pulled over, and once at lower speeds the bike ran fine again. I turned around, and on the way home I couldn't get it to happen again. That ride was about 15 miles.

Theories
Maybe there was a tiny grain of grit in one of the carb tubes and now it's gone, but I really don't feel super safe trying it again on the highway unless I think I've resolved the issue. Losing power at 75mph on a highway is not a fun situation to put oneself in.
Maybe I need to change my air filter. I put a K&N in there many years ago. I know some people don't love K&N but I'm in the PNW with very clean air and no dust, so they've always worked fine for me, but maybe it is putting junk in the air that's gumming up the works?
I haven't had the tank off since before covid so I don't think it's an issue with tank vents, but I guess I could check? Wouldn't that be an issue at low speeds too?

The thing I can't figure out is why the heck this is only happening at high speeds, and why now? I've researched but no thread I've found has my exact symptoms. I've pulled a couple of plugs and they look alright (to me, but I'm no mechanic). Maybe I should clean them?

Plea for assistance
I'd love for some suggestions for simple tests or things to check for that may reveal the issue. I'm not a mechanic but I can follow directions. Thanks in advance for lending me your collective wisdom.

[Valker]

My first guess would be a "dip" or "sag" in the fuel line between the petcock and the carbs not allowing a sufficient fuel flow. Second guess would be a failure in the vent tube. You can test the first basically by just looking carefully. The second can be tested by getting something like a coffee stirrer stick and closing it in the seal of the gas cap when you close it. That will vent the tank. Those are both pretty easy fixes.

[mrpeter]

I've read on here about the sag, but I have ruled that out because the bike has been running perfectly fine for years with no change to the fuel hose. I do have new fuel hose I could use to replace it if it's worn, which I guess I could pull the tank to check, but I don't see why there would be a sag suddenly created out of thin air otherwise. I suppose it's possible the fuel line has degraded since 1998, so I'll check that.

The gas tank vent doesn't make sense to me since it would probably run just as poorly at low speeds as well. There must be some reason I can't reproduce the issue unless I'm running at 70mph+, right? Though it won't hurt to check this as well I suppose.

[mrpeter]

My first guess would be a "dip" or "sag" in the fuel line between the petcock and the carbs not allowing a sufficient fuel flow. Second guess would be a failure in the vent tube. You can test the first basically by just looking carefully. The second can be tested by getting something like a coffee stirrer stick and closing it in the seal of the gas cap when you close it. That will vent the tank. Those are both pretty easy fixes.

I've just come back in from the garage and checked two things:

1) After ensuring it is connected properly to the tank (it was), I pulled the entirety of the length of the vent hose for inspection. While it looks as though the very tip of it is as bit worn, it's in good shape. When I blew into it, I felt no resistance. I then opened the gas cap/lid and blew into it again, this time plugging the little plastic "T" connection with my thumb. Air flowed just fine from me into the gastank. Unless I'm missing something, I think this means that it is not a gastank vent issue.

2) I used a flashlight to visually inspect the gas line from the petcock to wherever it goes down in-between the carburetors. The hose appears original, clean, and has a gentle slope down from the petcock to the carbs. There is also a vacuum hose I see that is connected to the petcock itself, which also looks to be properly in place and in good condition (not swollen or wet or cracked).

A thought on 2: maybe this is a dumb idea but the times when the bike was failing most were up hill. Maybe there's gunk in that fuel line and it needs to be cleaned? Is that a thing people do?

[Valker]

https://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/petcock.htm

[mrpeter]

For some reason I did service my petcock many years ago. Maybe I should do it again. You think that it's not allowing enough fuel through?

I'll order a rebuild kit just to be safe.

[Chrisj CMA]

Same exact thing happened to me on the way to Daytona years ago. It was the petcock. I farted around with it rebuilding with a cover set. That seemed to work for awhile. Eventually I ditched that piece of junk fuel valve and replaced it with a Pingel. Never another issue with fuel delivery.

[Bagger John - #3785]

+1 on the petcock.

Had it happen in May 2015 on the way home from work. Rebuilt it, all was good for 2 years then the replacement diaphragm failed me absolutely (no fuel flow at all) on Labor Day 2017.

I put a vacuum restrictor/damper in the line running from the #6 intake runner to the petcock and this seems to have mitigated the problem, although I'm going to do what Chris did (and I did on my I/S) and ditch the vacuum operation setup.

Side note:

Don't leave fuel in float bowls for extended periods of time, whether or not said fuel is treated. Volatiles evaporate, leaving behind gunk and additives that eventually plug jets and air bleeds.

Drain the bowls with the drain screws then leave them open until you return the bike to service.

[Timbo1]

I've read on here about the sag, but I have ruled that out because the bike has been running perfectly fine for years with no change to the fuel hose. I do have new fuel hose I could use to replace it if it's worn, which I guess I could pull the tank to check, but I don't see why there would be a sag suddenly created out of thin air otherwise. I suppose it's possible the fuel line has degraded since 1998, so I'll check that.

The gas tank vent doesn't make sense to me since it would probably run just as poorly at low speeds as well. There must be some reason I can't reproduce the issue unless I'm running at 70mph+, right? Though it won't hurt to check this as well I suppose.

Sounds like fuel starvation to me.  Bike doesn't need as much fuel running low speeds vs running down the highway at 70+ mph.  Suggestions to look for have mostly already been stated by others.

Cover Set
Tank Vent
Petcock vacuum line
Fuel line

If all those are good I'd pull the petcock from the tank and inspect the screen set on the pickup tube.

[sandy]

When I had that issue, I switched to reserve and back to run. It fixed it right away. It did come back after awhile…. Remember, this is a pulse vacuum. It’s not constant. At high speeds with more throttle going uphill, vacuum drops. One cure I have not tried is to get a 3.5mm TEE and hook the petcock to two cylinders therefore doubling the pulses.

[gordonv]

Almost sounds like how my bike behaved, also no power when trying to pass someone.

It was the vacuum line to the petcock. Replaced them all with silicon hose instead.

[mrpeter]

Petcock rebuild kit from show chrome showed up today. Went for a very short ride (5ish miles) and couldn't reproduce the problem, but the engine barely even warmed up.

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am put very much at ease knowing this is probably a simple fix. My bike is barely broken in and I'm very attached to it, so I would really like to not have to do some major surgery to get it fixed.

I will take to heart what was advised regarding draining the carbs. I haven't done that in the past but I will do so from now on.

I'll install the kit tomorrow, making sure the screen is completely clean before reassembly, and post back if it fixed the issues.

Is there a way to test the vacuum line to the petcock? I have some fuel line but I don't have any that small. That tee-trick sounds like a smart mod, I'll have to look into that.

[mrpeter]

Petcock was taken apart today. This is the state of my petcock's internals. Pretty clean, but can you spot the issue?


If you guessed "There's a small tear in the diaphram", you're right!
This photo shows the damage a bit better, as you can see the color of my glove showing through at the top edge:


This pretty much puts the final nail in the coffin of the issue. Unfortunately, the petcock rebuild kit from Show Chrome for a GL1500 did NOT fit my petcock, as the only part I actually needed to replace is far too large:


I was able to find the right part number for an even more complete rebuild kit (16953-MBZ-B51), and there was one for sale for a very reasonable price on eBay. It should be here around the end of the week. This has the added bonus of including the vacuum valve, which seemed to be mostly working on my bike, but maybe not 100%. I was able to suck air through it no problem, but I was also able to blow air through it very little. From what I've read, this means the valve may need to be replaced, so I'm glad to have a new one on the way.

Once I have the new parts rebuilt, I'll post back to let y'all know how she's doing. Thanks again for all y'all's wisdom!

[98valk]

I installed a snubber in the vacuum line to increase the life of the diaphragm.   at 15k miles I had to rebuild the petcock when I installed the snubber. now at 82k miles and zero problems with the rebuild.

https://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,3408.0.html

[mrpeter]

I installed a snubber in the vacuum line to increase the life of the diaphragm.   at 15k miles I had to rebuild the petcock when I installed the snubber. now at 82k miles and zero problems with the rebuild.

https://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,3408.0.html

I did some research and this seems like a great idea. I know I have rebuilt the petcock before and I would love to not have to do it again in the future. I went ahead and ordered the parts I need to make this happen, even though it will delay when I can put the bike back together by a few days.

Thanks for the tip!

[mrpeter]

Petcock rebuild kit came today and it was very comprehensive. Everything went together smoothly and there is now very little in my petcock that is original to the bike. The rebuild kit had several parts I probably didn't have to replace, but I replaced it all to be safe. It now operates perfectly.

Just waiting now for the mcmaster carr order to come in, as well as the replacement screen from inside the tank.

[mrpeter]

I installed a snubber in the vacuum line to increase the life of the diaphragm.   at 15k miles I had to rebuild the petcock when I installed the snubber. now at 82k miles and zero problems with the rebuild.

https://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,3408.0.html

My snubber assembly and adapters showed up very quickly. I'm going to use Teflon tape to make sure it gets a good seal.

Only thing I need to know before I can install it... Is there a directionality to the snubber?


Edit: I see now that in the other thread the orientation is specified.

[Dirty Dave]

First ride out with the Mrs. ended up with us stranded on an elevated highway and an expensive
flatbed ride home. As 97 the Valk was new to me, I didn't understand the complicated vacuum actuated
petcock being fed of #6.

Had a little split in the hose so replaced them all. Later had a close call with hydro lock.
Installed a Pingel (like Chris) and never had to look at that huge ugly chromed plastic
gas on/off reserve disc again. Twenty years later and 100K I've never looked back.

[Steel cowboy]

I did away with my stock vacuum operated petcock. I went with the HONDA CBR600F F4 CBR 600F F4 1999 2000 year's petcock. It has no vacuum on/off function, just manual on/off/reserve, and the original on off chrome (ugly) turn dial still works on it. I've had it installed for about 5 years without a hiccup.
 You do have to manually shut it off when not riding and turn it back on before you go back out.  but I did that with the original one as habit.

[98valk]

I did away with my stock vacuum operated petcock. I went with the HONDA CBR600F F4 CBR 600F F4 1999 2000 year's petcock. It has no vacuum on/off function, just manual on/off/reserve, and the original on off chrome (ugly) turn dial still works on it. I've had it installed for about 5 years without a hiccup.
 You do have to manually shut it off when not riding and turn it back on before you go back out.  but I did that with the original one as habit.

nice find   

[SCain]

I did away with my stock vacuum operated petcock. I went with the HONDA CBR600F F4 CBR 600F F4 1999 2000 year's petcock. It has no vacuum on/off function, just manual on/off/reserve, and the original on off chrome (ugly) turn dial still works on it. I've had it installed for about 5 years without a hiccup.
 You do have to manually shut it off when not riding and turn it back on before you go back out.  but I did that with the original one as habit.

Did this also as Steel Cowboy, CBR600F3 non-vacuum petcock, retained the original On/Off/Reserve switch, 4+ years ago, works great.

[franco6]

Also check the breather pipe from the small hole in tank s neck. If its plugged  very little fuel will flow. Been there!

[mrpeter]

I did away with my stock vacuum operated petcock. I went with the HONDA CBR600F F4 CBR 600F F4 1999 2000 year's petcock. It has no vacuum on/off function, just manual on/off/reserve, and the original on off chrome (ugly) turn dial still works on it. I've had it installed for about 5 years without a hiccup.
 You do have to manually shut it off when not riding a nd turn it back on before you go back out.  but I did that with the original one as habit.

I've installed all the parts from McMaster Carr and put them in the vacuum line. Then I got the petcock all together now that my screen arrived, and upon filling the tank with gas, noticed immediately that there was a leak.

I disassembled the petcock again, and realized there is a groove for an O-ring between the diaphram assembly and the valve body that wasn't included in the kit. Mine must have fallen out somewhere, so I  put a new one in I had on-hand and it sealed up nicely.

I reassembled the whole thing and when the valve is set to OFF it's fine, but when it's set to ON it drips a lot out of the little hole on the bottom. This tells me that the rebuild kit isn't sealing properly for some reason.

With that, I'm just done. I went ahead and ordered the vacuum-free petcock that lets me still use the factory ON/OFF/RES selector linked below. That arrives today.

https://a.co/d/hEKFWxB
EDIT TO ADD: The above petcock does NOT fit our bikes

I loved not having to worry about my petcock before, just leaving it set to ON and forget about it, but this thing is obviously poorly designed and I'm through troubleshooting what should be just a simple on/off switch for fuel.

Best part is that once I finally get all this fixed, I still haven't totally confirmed that this was even the problem to begin with. It probably is due to the small tear in the diaphram from earlier in the thread, but now I'm worried that it's something else after I bother to drain all the damn gas and tear it all apart again.

[mrpeter]

Welp, I got the new petcock out of the package and it has a different mounting flange, so it's going back.

Not sure what stupid search I did that resulted in finding this thing but it's definitely the wrong one.

Went ahead and found part number 16950-MAL-603 on Amazon for much cheaper anyway, so I've ordered that. In the meantime, I may disassemble this one and see what the problem is, then keep it as a spare. I may just throw it in the trash though... I don't want to walk back into the house stinking of gas again.

[mrpeter]

I just got finished taking apart my petcock and putting it back together. I did it exactly the same way and now it doesn't leak when I let fuel through, but I've discovered two more problems:

1) Fuel flows when the petcock is in the OFF position. I know this to mean I need a whole new one.
2) My fuel line has been wrestled with to its limit. It now has a pinhole leak and needs to be replaced.

Just my luck!

New petcock arrives tomorrow. I already have some fuel line about, but of course it's the wrong diameter (I had it for my 450cc old honda) so I'll have to figure something out by tomorrow.

[mrpeter]

My new petcock came in. The switch from OFF to RES and FUEL is far more positive than my previous one. I replaced the fuel line which was a gargantuan PITA to do since the "8mm" fuel line was actually 5/16ths and far more rigid than the previous line, meaning I had to heat the end and flare it to even get it on and of the connectors, but that's neither here nor there. The new petcock is installed, and tested, and no leaks. That's good. The vaccum line was redneck engineered closed using a screw whose threads were dipped in plastidip, ziptied down, and then dipped in plastidip once more, then left to cure. No, it's not the best way to do it, but it's done that way at least for now until I desmog one day. Today is not that day. Anyway:

Unfortunately, THE NEW PETCOCK DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM

..but it did help a good bit.

After getting the new petcock on I went to my local costco, gassed up to a full tank, and went for a 50 mile ride. The same ride I went on to test before which killed my engine.

This time the engine no longer dies. Instead, it began a series of symptoms that I will henceforth refer to as "The Condition".

When the bike has The Condition, the following is happening:
- I struggle to accelerate whatsoever and have trouble keeping my speed, regardless if that speed is 60 or 30mph, even if I downshift.
- Pulling the clutch lever in and coasting with no throttle drops RPMs down to I would guess about 500. It's hard to tell when the tach is that low. When the condition is gone I'm idling at just under 1000rpms usually.
- The engine sounds a bit like someone gargling, especially at higher RPMs
- There is a vibration, felt most in the handlebars. Almost like a bad bearing.

The bike has the condition reliably after riding above 50MPH for about 2 miles. Gear does not matter. Incline does not matter.

The bike does not get The Condition when riding under 45 miles per hour, regardless of gear or RPMs, even for a long time.

I can cure The Condition by reducing my speed to 15-30mph and riding for .2 or so miles. If I stop entirely and let the bike idle, The Condition remains. Feathering the gas or increasing the RPMs to around 2000 for a few seconds does not cure The Condition.

While above 40ish MPH I cannot cure The Condition no matter what I do unless I slow down to about 20MPH for a little while. If I am at a complete stop, The Condition is still around while I accelerate to about 20MPH.

I know The Condition is cured because the engine runs smoothly again and I can pull the clutch lever and the engine idles normally.

I also have a USB charger on my handlebar that has an ON/OFF switch on it (it's almost always off), and a voltage display. The entire time the bike is running, it displays 14.4v.

THEORIES:
- Temperature. When I got off the bike at home, I shot all parts of the engine with my infrared thermometer gun, as well as the radiator, and could not find any readings that were higher than about 175 degrees F. I have recently checked the radiator fluid which was replaced a couple of years ago, and it is full, and a deep but clear and clean blue, like new. Maybe riding fast overheats some part of the engine? Do these thermostats fail open or closed? I would love some feedback on this theory, but overall I think it's a deadend. It wasn't even hot today (about 65F out), and if anything it would be overheating when riding slow, not fast.

- Something electrical, either plugs, coils, or wires. Since it's clear that fuel was PART of the problem, I'm wondering if one or more cylinders had been running lean for a while. Running lean leads to hotter combustion, which may have worn the spark plugs prematurely. Maybe I just need new plugs? I have NGK iridium plugs in there now, and they're about 20k mi old. I could swap those out with new ones just in case. Do plug wires wear on our bikes? I could close the garage and make it super dark and test quickly to see if the wires are bad but that's pretty much the only way I can make it dark and I would rather not suffocate. Coils should be easy to test too, right?

That's it. Those are the only two theories I got. I need y'all's help here because after I throw plugs at the thing, I'm just lost.

[Chrisj CMA]

Is the new fuel line straight? If you made it a tad longer to make it easier to attach and now there is a dip from petcock to carbs, that could be a problem

[mrpeter]

I did make it 1/4" longer. There's no way that could be the problem, could it? A visual inspection shows no dip in the line that I can perceive...

Could a vacuum leak cause something like this?

[Willow]

I did make it 1/4" longer. There's no way that could be the problem, could it? A visual inspection shows no dip in the line that I can perceive...

Could a vacuum leak cause something like this?

Yes and yes.

[mrpeter]

I have new plugs coming.

I'm having trouble believing there is a dip in the fuel line. The bikes gets The Condition even when riding downhill, and the fuel line does not appear to have a dip in it.

I'm wondering now if there is a vent issue, but the vent tube is totally unobstructed. Does it need to be that long? Can I just shorten it, or do I even have to have a hose connected to it at all?

[mrpeter]

Yes and yes.

So I've inspected my fuel line, and it is as straight as it can be, though there is a frame crossbar that it's resting upon, forcing it up just a little.

Should the fuel line be routed under that crossbar, or above it as it is now?

[Avanti]

Over the cross member.  Measuring back from the rear carburetor cross member, cut the fuel line hose at 5.25” and it will be the correct length.

[mrpeter]

Over the cross member.  Measuring back from the rear carburetor cross member, cut the fuel line hose at 5.25” and it will be the correct length.

If this is the case, then the fuel line can't be any straighter. It's making contact with that crossmember, though it is forcing it up a little bit in order to clear it.

I'm looking into a vented gas cap now to see if the vent is for some reason inadequate, even though I can blow through it. Maybe it's partially clogged.

[Willow]

Yes and yes.

So I've inspected my fuel line, and it is as straight as it can be, though there is a frame crossbar that it's resting upon, forcing it up just a little.

Should the fuel line be routed under that crossbar, or above it as it is now?

i was responding to two questions, one being could a 1/4 inch addition be a problem and could a vacuum leak cause what you're experiencing.

My suspicion is a leak in the vacuum line going to the petcock.

[ridingron]

Over the cross member.  Measuring back from the rear carburetor cross member, cut the fuel line hose at 5.25” and it will be the correct length.

I'm looking into a vented gas cap now to see if the vent is for some reason inadequate, even though I can blow through it. Maybe it's partially clogged.

It's been suggested elsewhere to close the gas cap with a tie wrap or flatten straw to break the gas cap seal creating a vent. Cheaper than a new gas cap.   

[mrpeter]

i was responding to two questions, one being could a 1/4 inch addition be a problem and could a vacuum leak cause what you're experiencing.

My suspicion is a leak in the vacuum line going to the petcock.

I understand. I'm sorry this thread is so long, but buried way back in there was a mention that I have switched to the 16950-MAL-603 petcock which is not vacuum activated. The part is brand new and tested so it's flowing gas for sure. The gas line is 1/4" longer and making physical contact with the crossmember of the frame, so it definitely isn't too long, unless it's supposed to be routed under it.

The only thing I can think of is that it's either a vent issue (which passes all the tests I know how to test) or it's something else. The hose for the vent is not kinked, and is routed correctly, and is in good condition. I can blow through it easily, even after capping off the anti-siphon plastic "T" on that line. When I blow into the tank with the lid off, air does go into the tank, but perhaps there is some resistance, I can't really be sure.

Next step is to replace the cap with a vented cap and see if that fixes it. If it does, I was right about the venting and I'm done. If not, back to the drawing board I guess. I also have new plugs on the way but I am very doubtful that's the issue.

[ridingron]

Over the cross member.  Measuring back from the rear carburetor cross member, cut the fuel line hose at 5.25” and it will be the correct length.

I'm looking into a vented gas cap now to see if the vent is for some reason inadequate, even though I can blow through it. Maybe it's partially clogged.

It's been suggested elsewhere to close the gas cap with a tie wrap or flatten straw to break the gas cap seal creating a vent. Cheaper than a new gas cap.   

Did you try this any time along the way.

[mrpeter]

No, not yet. I may have time to take it for a test ride today. It's a bit of a commitment to test because I have to get on the highway and ride for a while before it starts to happen.

I did get some pictures today while I was in the garage to try to illustrate the fuel line being as low as it possibly can be:

Here you see the fuel line at the petcock. It's all the way onto the petcock and is at a slight upward angle. Red arrow points out the new fuel line.


Here you can see the fuel line (wrapped in electrical tape) resting upon a cable (choke cable?) that rests along the cross member. The fuel line is marked with a red arrow.


In this image you can see the fuel line a bit more clearly making contact with the rigid cable that rests on the cross member. As it heads to the "T" to make it to the carbs, it goes slightly downhill. Again, unless this fuel line goes under the crossmember, it cannot be any lower.


I'll post back after a vented cap test.

[mrpeter]

I didn't have time to take a ride yet this week, save for yesterday, but yesterday it rained.

I did have time to swap the plugs with the new ones that showed up today. Unfortunately, the plugs look pretty much completely unworn, though a bit sooty.



If anyone who is more experienced than me at reading plugs wants to give their 2 cents I would muchly appreciate it. They're laid out in order with the top left plug being cyl #1 (from the driver's seat, the furthest front and left if I'm not mistaken).

My new vented gascap shows up on Monday.

[HayHauler]

FYI, clutch side is 2,4,6 from the front to the fuel switch.  Front brake side is 1,3,5 from the front to back.

Those plugs don't look too bad in my very humble opinion.

Hay 
Jimmyt