Bike stalling at every stop/ no idle?

[adelgadorey]

Hi there ladies, my beloved 1981 Twinstar is stalling at every stop now unless I keep the throttle open, which is very distracting/embarrassing, and dangerous, because I'm a very new rider and the extra factor is making my stopping sloppy and the front brake lever is super duper far away from the handle so it's awkward. Fortunately I only ride on suburban side streets until I'm ready to move onto other things; I suppose it's a good lesson in dealing with distraction but it's worrying me… has this happened to anyone else? I'm going to check the pilot screw but I honestly don't know what I'm looking for and am scared of messing things up more rather than fixing them… thanks so much for any input! :)

[BlueLghtning]

Its most likely the idle screw and is usually very easy to adjust on most bikes, but there are exceptions. Be warned though if you start really tinkering around with carbs and not knowing what you are doing, things can go from bad to worse very fast.

Usually the idle screw is the only easily accessible one from the side of the carb, but make sure you have the right one. Turning it in will raise the idle. You should do this with the bike running so you get immediate feedback. A small 1/4 turn makes a big change. The other question is if you have 2 carbs and if this screw/adjustment is linked from both carbs?

[Calif Girl]

I would run some fuel stabilizer such as sea foam or sta bil through the tank.

[adelgadorey]

ohhh good call! Going to throw some seafoam in there and see what happens. Interestingly, as soon as I wrote the post and went outside to look around the carb, jiggling fuel lines and generally just making sure where everything was, I started it up:D: and it was fine again. Maybe something was clogged? Either way, breathing a HUGE sigh of relief, thanks so much for the advice/input!
:D:

[BlueLghtning]

Good to hear. Its usually not likely for the idle to change suddenly from the idle screw moving. They usually have a spring on them that keeps them still, but sometimes some bikes vibrate more then others and the screw can make it turn and this is usually out which lowers the idle. A dab of nail polish on the screw & spring usually helps show you everything is staying in place.

[chienjouet]

Good to hear. Its usually not likely for the idle to change suddenly from the idle screw moving. They usually have a spring on them that keeps them still, but sometimes some bikes vibrate more then others and the screw can make it turn and this is usually out which lowers the idle. A dab of nail polish on the screw & spring usually helps show you everything is staying in place.

What a great tip! :):

[FJRider]

If the bike has been sitting for a while then a fuel injection cleaner like Sea-Foam is a really good ideal. Being a 81 you could also be dealing with the rubber has gotten old. Set the idle as low as you can once you find the idle adjust and have it keep running. Buy a can of crab cleaner and spray it around the rubber manifold that is between the carbs and the head. IF you hear the engine speed pick up then there is a good chance that you have a air leak and you will need to get it looked at. On the older bikes there are other things that it can be but that is the best place to start.

Also if the bike has not been maintained in a while then syncing the carbs is another
good ideal

[Chem Chick]

Good to hear. Its usually not likely for the idle to change suddenly from the idle screw moving. They usually have a spring on them that keeps them still, but sometimes some bikes vibrate more then others and the screw can make it turn and this is usually out which lowers the idle. A dab of nail polish on the screw & spring usually helps show you everything is staying in place.

I just want to add when I purchased my bike it wouldn't idle and the problem was that the screw you are referring to had snapped. So that is also worth checking!

[theWolfTamer]

When was the last time you had your carbs serviced? The seafoam is a great idea because it can get rid of small clogs but if the problem comes back, you might have to take them out for a real cleaning.

[indianscout]

When was the last time you had your carbs serviced? The seafoam is a great idea because it can get rid of small clogs but if the problem comes back, you might have to take them out for a real cleaning.


With todays gas you should keep an eye on your carbs as they will clog up much quicker. The rubber diaphragms will deteriorate faster with added ethanol so be aware of that potential problem in the future. Overall it does sound like crap in the carb and it has passed on through but I would suggest to have your carbs cleaned. Even go as far as draining all of the gas out of your tank and inspect to see if you have anything as far as sand, water or other garbage in the bottom of your tank. Flush it out and put in new gas or you may continue to have problems in the future. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

[adelgadorey]

will do! It died on me eight times yesterday (including at some busy intersections! took me a minute to get it started back up again, even with the choke out), could barely get it back to the office…will be giving it a good look with a mechanic friend on Sunday and see if we can figure it out…thanks for the input! I'll pass it along to him :D

[theWolfTamer]

Curious mind wants to know what was the outcome?:popcorn1:

[adelgadorey]

Well, we looked at it and realized that because of the tank design, getting it to run when the fuel tank is less than half full is tricky, and the carb is definitely gunked up as well… we topped it off with gas and I rode the bike all the way back to SF from Cupertino, about 65 miles, and the poor little dude barely bade it. By the time I pulled into the garage it was stalling at stops again and the headlight and tail light had burned out along with the left turn signal. I just got the new carb I ordered for the bike today and this week I'll replace it and take a look at the regulator and wiring to see what I need to do to fix the electrical issue. My mechanic said a lot of the old bikes don't have rubber mountings for the lights, so at higher speeds they can rattle around so much that the bulbs burn out. As long as I get it up and running for the long weekend, I'll be happy!!!

[indianscout]

Your mechanic is right about the lights. I carry extra but wrap them up so they don't break before I need them. Also check to make sure your tank vent are clear so your not vapor locking. Aren't old bikes fun.......:mgbanghead::mgbanghead::mgbanghead: