Honda CB550 : Engine question. My bike is shutting down when idoling.?

Question

I have a 1974 Honda CB 550. I start the bike giving it a little steady gas. As soon as ease up off the gas the bike stops.

This also happens when I pull in the clutch say to go from 1st to 2nd. (If I don't give it a good amount of gas in between)

What's wrong? I really want to fix it myself and I'm not shure what to do.

Thanks.

Ed

Answer 1

Check to be sure the choke is opening and closing properly.
Blow out your aircleaner with compressed air from the inside out.
Check to be sure both (or all 4) plugs are firing.
If thats not it, my next guess would be a clogged low speed idle jet (s). You can try running some SeaFoam brand or other injector type cleaner with your fuel, you'll have to keep it running for a while, and it may clear the jets. If not, Dissassemble and clean the carbs completely, being careful to mark which parts go where, and how many turns it takes to put the jets back in to the correct settings. Then rent or buy some carb sticks ($40 US in most catalogs) and tune your carbs. It's really pretty easy to do if you have the tool, and everyone and their brother is going to ask you to tune their carbs.

Answer 2

It could be a couple of things.
1-Dirty air filter.
2- plugged idle circuit.
3- In need of a tune.
I would tear down and clean the carbs, and sync them with a good mercury sync tool (JC Whitney has them for cheap). A good tune up would be a plus. You should always have a good maintenance manual on hand. "Clymer Motorcycle Repair Series" are the premium do it yourself books.
Embrace this as a learning experience as some shops charge
$150+ to sync carbs when this is a very simple procedure.

Answer 3

the difficulty would desire to be the two interior the carbs with the air/gas ratio screw no longer set wisely, or in between the digital devises-primitive as they may be. additionally take your multimeter-with a bit of luck one that has a continuity tester geared up in-one with a valid to it, and hook it as much as the factors, utilising alligator clips. That way you could tell precisely while it starts breaking continuity. you're able to locate that the factors want adjusting, the factors plate has slipped particularly or looks to me you have 2 sq. steel devises (a pair of million" sq.) with huge crimson coated wires -approximately 4" long that connect into the harness, those are what truthfully triggers the coils-i'd desire to be off on that, yet throw it accessible. Pull the plugs, that way you could tell if the motorbike is working wealthy or lean. Get a instruction manual for the motorbike. this could be useful to you. different than this difficulty, those motorcycles are particularly stable, good inline 4's.

Answer 4

Turn on the choke when you're having the stop problem. If that cures the problem, or makes it better, then the problem is carb related. Might be something as simple as turning up the idle. It's better for an engine to idle faster rather than slower.
Synchronize the carbs.
The bike is fairly old. Adjust the points and timing.
Adjust the valves while you're at it.