Bogging down and a touch smokey!

[BluprintZ]

Well, i've had the Fazer a couple of weeks now and i'm pleased as punch with it, although a couple of issues have arisen.
I live in Bangor, North Wales and occasionally i have a trip up to Rossendale, in Lancashire to visit friends and family, sometimes in the car, sometimes on the bike.
Last Friday, i gave the bike it's first decent long(ish) run up North, it ran pretty well, apart from a tendency to "bog down" when i opened the throttle to overtake a vehicle on the motorway.
I've noticed this a couple of times before i went on the trip, doing around 40-50mph, then drop down a gear and overtake but it sometimes holds back until i roll the throttle off a touch, then it takes off like a scalded cat.
On the motorway, doing around 70-80mph, the same thing would happen, roll off the throttle for a vehicle in front, then when it has moved over, i open the throttle and it dies for a spit second, until i roll off the throttle, then it picks up again and all is good.
Today, i want out for a short spin round the mountain roads hereabouts with a mate on his SV650, at certain points he would take off and i would follow, although again the bike would bog down if i wound the throttle open and as before, it would pick up again if i rolled off a touch.
Matey also mentioned that there was a slight smoking when setting off if we stopped for a while, plus he said he could smell the "smoke".
Haven't checked the plugs as yet, although the end of the silencer isn't wet, just sooty, so i'm hoping that the problem may be down to a rich mixture problem, i don't have to use the choke when i first start the bike, again that makes me think it could be a carb problem, it doesn't appear to be using any engine oil, the level is fine.
Anyway, i phoned my friendly dyno man today, to see if he can give it a once over and maybe find the problem, although he's booked up all next week but said he will call me if he gets a window free.

Cheers, G ; )

[ChristoT]

Well, i've had the Fazer a couple of weeks now and i'm pleased as punch with it, although a couple of issues have arisen.
I live in Bangor, North Wales and occasionally i have a trip up to Rossendale, in Lancashire to visit friends and family, sometimes in the car, sometimes on the bike.
Last Friday, i gave the bike it's first decent long(ish) run up North, it ran pretty well, apart from a tendency to "bog down" when i opened the throttle to overtake a vehicle on the motorway.
I've noticed this a couple of times before i went on the trip, doing around 40-50mph, then drop down a gear and overtake but it sometimes holds back until i roll the throttle off a touch, then it takes off like a scalded cat.
On the motorway, doing around 70-80mph, the same thing would happen, roll off the throttle for a vehicle in front, then when it has moved over, i open the throttle and it dies for a spit second, until i roll off the throttle, then it picks up again and all is good.
Today, i want out for a short spin round the mountain roads hereabouts with a mate on his SV650, at certain points he would take off and i would follow, although again the bike would bog down if i wound the throttle open and as before, it would pick up again if i rolled off a touch.
Matey also mentioned that there was a slight smoking when setting off if we stopped for a while, plus he said he could smell the "smoke".
Haven't checked the plugs as yet, although the end of the silencer isn't wet, just sooty, so i'm hoping that the problem may be down to a rich mixture problem, i don't have to use the choke when i first start the bike, again that makes me think it could be a carb problem, it doesn't appear to be using any engine oil, the level is fine.
Anyway, i phoned my friendly dyno man today, to see if he can give it a once over and maybe find the problem, although he's booked up all next week but said he will call me if he gets a window free.

Cheers, G ; )

Mine's doing that at the moment too. Last time I had that problem, the airfilter was knackered. Takes 10 minutes to check, and is cheap to replace too! 

[darrsi]

Sounds like an air problem to me, air filter may need replacing?

[His Dudeness]

I was thinking air filter too as I was reading that

[BluprintZ]

Cheers guys.
The bike had a full service and MOT just before i bought it, i have the receipt that the seller gave me with the rest of the paperwork.....but you never can tell can you?
I'll check the filter and plugs tomorrow (if it isn't raining).

G ; )

[ChristoT]

Cheers guys.
The bike had a full service and MOT just before i bought it, i have the receipt that the seller gave me with the rest of the paperwork.....but you never can tell can you?
I'll check the filter and plugs tomorrow (if it isn't raining).

G ; )

Both bikes I bought from dealers (my 125 and the Fazer) were "serviced" by the dealer - oil was changed, but the airfilters were never touched.

[darrsi]

If you end up deciding to change it, just go for a K&N off Ebay, it'll be the last one you need to buy for it.

[BluprintZ]

Cheers for the advice guys, much appreciated.

G ; )

[BluprintZ]

£33.57 for a bleedin' air filter?  !!! Good god, you can get a new one for that!  .

G ; )

[darrsi]

£33.57 for a bleedin' air filter?  !!! Good god, you can get a new one for that!  .

G ; )

They're double that on their website.
1,000,000 mile guarantee, you do the maths!


£31.37 anyway, see, you've saved £2.20 already 

[BluprintZ]

£33.57 for a bleedin' air filter?  !!! Good god, you can get a new one for that!  .

G ; )

They're double that on their website.
1,000,000 mile guarantee, you do the maths!


£31.37 anyway, see, you've saved £2.20 already 

Tongue in cheek Darrsi, that time of night mate.
I'll check mine out tomorrow and if it looks suspect, i'll order one.

Cheers, G ; )

[darrsi]

I don't mean to confuse the issue, but "bogging down" can happen with an air leak as well.


I had one of my carb inlet rubbers refitted incorrectly a while back, it had folded in on itself, and whenever i went to overtake the bike would sound throaty and was unresponsive.


Saying that, i wouldn't have thought too much air would create smoke, but keep it in mind anyway.

[Paul]

I've had a very similar problem.


I've got two FZS 600's.  One I use regularly and the other one I've never really used.


The one that hardly ever got used was the one I had problems with.


It ended up being the carbs.


They developed two problems:


1) Float needle not fully closing
2) Jets had got gummed up


I ended up taking the carbs off and cleaning them.
This solved the problem.


The one with the problem has only done 700 miles from new.
The one where I've never had a problem has done 70,000 miles from new.


My experience is they don't like being stood for a long period of time.

[BluprintZ]

Aha, the plot thickens then?
I was first told the bike was for sale by a mate last January, i went to look at it and it was in a rather scruffy state cosmetically, no-one was home so i left it at that and bought a BMW R100S.
Fast forward to the middle of July and the beemer needed an engine strip, as it was getting quite tired, so when i was going to Caernarfon for a dental appointment, i called round where the bike had been before and it was still there....except this time it looked like a different bike, very clean and obviously quite a bit of TLC had been lavished on it.
As i mentioned in my opening post, it had been given a full service and had 12 months tax and test, the guy selling it said that he had only bought it originally because his son in law had taken up biking and so he bought the Fazer so they could go for the odd spin together!
He said he want's a smaller bike, as the Fazer was too big cc wise for what he needs.
So, the bike had been stood for quite a while and i imagine that the carbs could well be gummed up slightly, although the smoking has me a touch worried, a broken ring perhaps?
I'll check what i can and then let matey with the dyno check the carbs and maybe a compression test and take it from there i suppose.
I gave £1,500 for the bike, slightly over the top maybe but i don't think i've bought a donkey, apart from these issues, it goes really well.

Thanks again guys, G ; )

[darrsi]

STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner is very good at cleaning up internals, i used half a bottle per full tank (consecutively over 2 tanks) and i was very happy with the results. A few others on here have used it too and noticed a big difference as well.

[BluprintZ]

STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner is very good at cleaning up internals, i used half a bottle per full tank (consecutively over 2 tanks) and i was very happy with the results. A few others on here have used it too and noticed a big difference as well.

Cheers Darrsi, will look into that mate.

G ; )

[darrsi]

Worth a read just for fun value 

http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,6805.msg64035.html#msg64035
 

[Enceladus]

Worth a read just for fun value 

http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,6805.msg64035.html#msg64035

made me chuckle
on a side note, when i used to do fuel deliveries, several farmers would ask that i put 200 litres of kerosene into 800 litres of red diesel (gas oil) for winter use to make the engine run hotter !

[Hedgetrimmer]

So, the bike had been stood for quite a while and i imagine that the carbs could well be gummed up slightly, although the smoking has me a touch worried, a broken ring perhaps?
I'll check what i can and then let matey with the dyno check the carbs and maybe a compression test and take it from there i suppose.
I gave £1,500 for the bike, slightly over the top maybe but i don't think i've bought a donkey, apart from these issues, it goes really well.

Thanks again guys, G ; )

Wouldn't it be a bit noisy with broken/damaged ring/s? Also performance affected quite noticeably?

[darrsi]

Yeah, just the fact that these bikes rev so high it wouldn't take a genius to notice a dodgy piston ring.

[BluprintZ]

So, the bike had been stood for quite a while and i imagine that the carbs could well be gummed up slightly, although the smoking has me a touch worried, a broken ring perhaps?
I'll check what i can and then let matey with the dyno check the carbs and maybe a compression test and take it from there i suppose.
I gave £1,500 for the bike, slightly over the top maybe but i don't think i've bought a donkey, apart from these issues, it goes really well.

Thanks again guys, G ; )

Wouldn't it be a bit noisy with broken/damaged ring/s? Also performance affected quite noticeably?

I expect so Nick, it's just me being a bit paranoid mate, i've ridden all kinds of bikes since 1970, apart from a ten year break from 1998 - 2008, from then on it's been a Ducati Monster, a Triumph Thruxton and a BMW R100S, all twin cylinder bikes, the last time i had a four cylinder one was a GS1000S back in 1986, you forget how reliable the multi-cylinder Jap bikes are, especially these days with the advances in oil technology, etc.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Also, I think modern 4 cyl bikes are a bit more sensitive than twins to such damage - perhaps built to finer tolerances. Just been reading Ted Simon's wonderful book Jupiter's Travels - the damage his old Triumph was able to sustain and continue running with is amazing - I don't think modern bikes could do that. And now someone will prove me quite wrong (I hope!).

[ChristoT]

Also, I think modern 4 cyl bikes are a bit more sensitive than twins to such damage - perhaps built to finer tolerances. Just been reading Ted Simon's wonderful book Jupiter's Travels - the damage his old Triumph was able to sustain and continue running with is amazing - I don't think modern bikes could do that. And now someone will prove me quite wrong (I hope!).

You haven't seen Bozboz or Dead Eye's bikes have you? 

[Dead Eye]

Mine's getting there... slowly :P

Running much better with the new chain. New fuel filter added yesterday (for no reason other than I could) and will be attempting to fine tune the damn carbs tomorrow if the weather holds. I've tried to balance it twice before but its just so rough its almost pointless. But, I will persevere tomorrow and attempt to get it right for the Sunday rideout

[Hedgetrimmer]

And Simonm was worried about his bike breaking down...
Have you got breakdown cover?