I recently bought my first bike, a 91 vulcon 750 with 9,000 miles.
I have good days where I can ride it 5 miles to work and home no issues, but lately every time I drive it it kills on me, at stop lights, while I'm going 40 down the road. I can sometimes throttle and save it, other times I have to come to a stop, turn off key, turn on key before it will start again.if I grab the clutch it will always die. Ive never had issue restarting it but its super annoying.
Any ideas? Please!!

Kelly

 

Try running half a bottle of Techron Concentrate Fuel System Cleaner [NOT PRO-GARD!!] in a fresh tank of gas through it. Wally World or an auto parts store should have it. First, I'd drain the carburetor float bowls. You'll need a 3mm Allen wrench to back the float bowl drain screws out enough for the fuel to drain out. Water, evil spirits and foreign objects gather there. Purge the float bowls and start fresh. If that doesn't do the trick, there are other tricks.....

Welcome to the world of two wheels.

ETA: I suggested half a bottle of Techron, which is far more than Chevron's recommended MAINTENANCE dosage. You need a THERAPEUTIC dose, not a maintenance dose. Fret not, it won't dissolve your engine innards or rot the fuel plumbing. You need a strong dose to dissolve the crud hung up in the jets. Keep adding the remaining Techron to your gas when you fill up, as it can take a while to dissolve the nasty stuff in carburetors.

 

I added sea foam last week, about a cups worth, I will go get the other stuff though.
I have been struggling to think if its a carb issue or a electric.

 

The Techron has a high volume of PEA.....38% by volume of Polyether amine, or PEA. The actual composition is a trade secret, we know it is a very basic description ( for various reasons) of a very light but powerful solvent.

Seafoam Ingredients
CAS # Wt.%
Pale Oil 64742-54-7 40.00 - 60.00 N/Av >15000 mg/kg >5000 mg/kg[Kereosene]
Naphtha 64742-49-0 25.00 - 35.00 N/Av >5000 mg/kg N/Av [an intermediate product between gasoline and benzine, used as a solvent, AKA Coleman white gas]
IPA 67-63-0 10.00 - 20.00 17000ppm 4720mg/kg 12890mg/kg AKA isopropyl alcohol

If yer gonna use Sea Foam, make yer own.....four parts diesel, two parts Naphtha
and one part Isopropyl alcohol. You can spend the money you save on leather dangley things to hang off the end of your handlebars.

We need to keep in mind we can't solve the problem alcohol spiked gasoline causes our carburetors...with more alcohol. The solvents used in injection system cleaners that contain PEA are proving to be effective in dissolving the varnish buildup we're finding from phase separated E-10 gasoline.

 

Thank you Mr. Fuller for the chemistry lesson.