Okay. I told my dealer, The Great and Powerful Vince, That I would not bother him unless truly baffled. I am getting there. My bike has been gradually running worse and worse and am not sure why. I am pretty sure it is the carb but it is also likely that I am overlooking something basic. I will go over what I do know.
First, The battery is drained and needs to be charged. Although I can kickstart it and ride around the E-start doesn't really have any " juice" to it. A sluggish once or twice and that is it. Luckily I don't really use this often but since the bike dies alot now I have had occasion. There does not appear to be any smoking other than a tiny bit at start, which is no different than when it was really new. However the smoke is dark, suggesting unburnt fuel? This is where it gets confusing for me.
I have searched the forum and it sounds like the most likely culprit is a lean condition caused by a leak in the intake but I have inspected this very thoroughly and can not find a fault.
I have noticed that my gas line is looser than I would like. Perhaps there is a vacuum leak here. The plug shows that the bike is running rich but it also will only run with the choke left on(?)
Here is what I am experiencing. I can start the bike no problem, choke on. The bike starts to run rough and I switch off the choke. Engine races for a bit, settles down, dies. If I keep it revved up I can ride it but invariably I will be going a steady 40-45mph and it will sputter and die, usually on a bridge......
What am I doing wrong?