Bike running rough!!!!

[Blue Rebel]

For the past few days, my bike has been backfiring on deceleration.

This morning I noticed a mist coming out of the tail pipe during idle. On the way to work it ran rough, and didn't sound right coming out of the pipes

This all kind a came out of nowhere.

Can anyone provide a prognosis from these symptoms?

Gracias

Ken

[waterman]

Ken,

How often do you run an injector cleaner thru the gas?? Also, do you every gun it and hit some high rpms?

I had this happen on a 1997 1500A. Ran some cleaner (Chemtool B12) and on the recommendation of someone from VROC I took it out on the next 2 tanks and hit the rev limiter. Coughed and sputtered and then unleashed a black cloud out the tail pipes and was good to go.

More than likely this is symptoms of a carbon build up.

[Blue Rebel]

Thanks waterman,

I haven't run injector cleaner for a while, but did change out the air filter though. I'll dump some seafoam in tonight.

I run about 70-75 mph everyday to work in a 15 min stretch, the final stretch is 45-50, maybe I'm running too high a gear for slow speeds?

[macmac]

What mods if any?

What did the mist look like , smell like?

In any cooler weather the engine makes water as a bi-product of buring gasoline and from condensation, BUT if the mist smelled sweet, stayed long or smelled like gas it could be these or oil.

Water and coolant mist is white, black too rich is gas, gray blue is oil. Black water dripping out the mufflers is consensation and carbon from inside the mufflers.

If a vac line has gone bad that can make for a rough miss.

[ringadingh]

It may be a tank full of bad gas also. Do the Seafoam treatment.
Id check your coolant overflow tank and see if the level is correct as well. You dont want to be sucking antifreeze into the cylinders.

[usranger74]

(Chemtool B12)

Be careful, this stuff eats paint like a cow eats grass

[redjay]

Have you checked your plug leads are fully seated ? I had one work its way off the plug once causing the bike to be sluggish and idle rough.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

What Joel (Waterman) said, helps if you really open them up ever so often. I had a new 1970 GTO and while I was in the Navy and the ship was in Philadelphia for dry dock I only drove the GTO around town all week and hardly ever getting up to 60 or 70. It would start running really sluggish. I would get it out on the interstate and open it up in every gear. Like Joel said I would look black and see all of this black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. When the smoke stopped it ran like a charm again. All engine need opening up ever so often.

As for the mist, if you are talking about a white looking smoke that is normal until the engine warms up. When cooler weather is upon us and you start your engine you will normally see that white looking mist until the engine warms up. Cars do the same thing. Nothing to worry about.

Do put some Sea Foam in the tank. I ounce to each gallone. You might want to take the right dog bowl off where the filter is and clean inside and clean the butterfly valves real good.

[Blue Rebel]

For mods, I have the Cobra fuel processor, cadman air mod, and V&H exhaust.

The mist was clear in the morning and didn't notice any this evening.

I smell lots of gas.

Thanks for all your input.

[elvis]

Originally Posted by redjay

Have you checked your plug leads are fully seated ? I had one work its way off the plug once causing the bike to be sluggish and idle rough.

+1

[ringadingh]

Since you have V & H pipes you may have a cracked header pipe also. Check the rear cylinder behind the heat shield for a crack at the first bend where it exits the exhaust port. They have been known to crack there. You can weld a patch over it or replace the pipe. V & H will only replace it if you still have warranty on the pipes.

[macmac]

And check the ISC hoses if they are still there, and the caps if the hoses are gone, as well as the vac pod hose to the reed valve vac valve up under the tank.

[Blue Rebel]

I've replaced the plugs, so the wires are fully seated.

No crack in the header pipes.

ISC hoses are still capped and all looks fine.

Turned off the cobra processor

Still getting the back firing on decel.

[macmac]

Were the plug wires pulled off, then the rubber covers on the resistor endes pulled off and no green mung was up in there? No clips are missing?

Plugs gapped? Plug gaps tend to open in use.

If no check the exhaust for any signs of carbon tracking, and leaks.

[MAS Tequila]

Which pipe was the mist coming from>

I had a situation today where my Cobra got grounded out and it's now pouring fuel out of the front headpipe. After switching the injector wires it came out of the rear headpipe.

Still trying to figure it out. Hopefully the ecm didn't get fried.

MT