New rider/problems

[82NightRyder]

Hello everybody! I'm new here, and I just got my vision back from the shop. (it's been there since July) I finally rode her for the first time and I'm happy with it, but I have to "molest the throttle", as my brother put it, to get her going from a stop. Anyone here have a similar experience or know of a fix? The mechanic told me it will probably run better after 40 or so more miles.

[Re-Vision]

Is the throttle cable binding? What was worked on while your bike  was in shop? What made the mechanic think it would run better after  forty more miles?     BDC

[jefferson]

You don't mention what the shop was supposed to have worked on, but I would say you have a carb. issue if you have to rev it hard to get it going. Is that what you mean by molest the throttle? The Vision has pretty good low end when they are running right and should move out fine with just a little throttle. It could be running lean due to jets not clean or vacuum leaks. Is the idle steady and at the proper rpm?

[QBS]

An off throttle flat spot perhaps?

[The Prophet of Doom]

Your mechanic is a cock.
3 Months to "fix" a bike and it's still running like shit?  Get your money back and then take it somewhere else. 

[82NightRyder]

 Not sure if I can get my money back, I was getting impatient & told them I would take her as-is if they didn't fix it by the weekend. :P According to the bill he gave me, they: Repaired wiring for kickstand kill switch, disassembled carbs & cleaned & re-gasket & assemble (that's what it says on the bill), made gaskets for carb to intake boots, adjusted valves & cleaned upper end, adjusted brakes & clutch cable, cleaned fuel tank, replaced fuel lines fuel filter & spark plugs. He also noted that it needs a choke cable & control assembly.
I tried to ride her again tonight. she would start but she won't keep running. Anyway, thank you all for the reply's thus far, this is my first motorcycle & i'm at a lost of what to do. :(

[QBS]

82, you indicated that this is your first mc.  What kind of experience do you have regarding working on automobiles or other things of a mechanical nature?  Do you know the history of the bike, whats been done to it by previous owners.  If you don't, try your best to find out.  There are certain upgrades that all Vs' must have done to them if they are to be dependable.  Hopefully, there are other V owners in your area.  Read up on the very helpful new owner tutorials on this Forum.  Most V owners turn their own wrenches because most bike shops have no clue as to what a V is, much less what it needs.  FYI, I have ridden and maintained my '83 since '84.

[Bill]

We used to laugh about the fix of putting the broken part in the trunk and driving around a while (40 miles?) and it might fix itself.  I think the 40 mile break gives a shade tree motorcycle mechanic time to figure out the fix.  It sounds like your mechanic is passing you the buck.  If you are going to have to pay a mechanic to keep your V running, sell (or give away), your V immediately and save yourself some grief.  Read, if you haven't already, the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and learn to work on the bike yourself.  The V really appreciates clean carbs and punishes owners who don't comply.  Take the carbs off, paying close attention how to wiggle the carbs out of the left side of the frame.  Take the carbs apart as completely as you can, disassembling and cleaning one carb at a time.  I went to the Dollar Store and bought some Pine Sol like cleaner and soaked the parts overnight.  Not only were they clean but they smelled pretty good too.  Blow out every hole with compressed air.  You need to get the choke working.  Look everywhere including Ebay.  I would never be able to start my V without the choke. Didn't replace any parts at first but it ran!  What a feeling.  Good luck with your V.

[82NightRyder]

Thanks guys, I've only ridden two motorcycles before, and I'm the 3rd owner of my V. The closest thing to mechanical know-how that I have is changing a flat, jump-starting a dead car, and putting in new oil. :P I spent a ton of money with that mechanic with little result, so Im gonna try to do the repairs myself with help from my brother. If all else fails, or if I can't ride my V by the first snowfall, than I may regrettably have to trade or sell her. :'(

[The Prophet of Doom]

Download a service manual from the link in my sig.  You will need one.  Haynes is a good buy also

[82NightRyder]

I have a repair manual, as well as the original owner's manual. I'm gonna start working on it tomorrow.

[fret not]

It helps to take a philosophical approach to projects like the Vision.  Just remember that it is a machine and does not care about anything, it will only react. 

You must make sure that all parts are correct and installed correctly, or the "machine" will react accordingly.  Like if you drop something down the passage for the cam chain, it must be retrieved or it will likely be ground into shreds and abrasive paste and cause damage.  With only one oil supply for the engine, transmission, and clutch you can see any contaminant could do a significant amount of damage. :police:  Be vigilant.

[82NightRyder]

Thanks, I'm gonna take off the fairing so that it'll be easier to fix & maintain. I think I need to get some cleaning solution to run through the engine.

[QBS]

What makes you think the inside of the engine needs cleaning?  An important rule:  If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[82NightRyder]

The bike will start up, but then die a few seconds later. It started doing this on the night that I got her back, so now she ain't going anywhere.

[fret not]

Have you checked :
the fuel level in the carburetors? 

[jefferson]

I think the root cause of your problems is a dirty carb that may be maladjusted also. When it starts is it with the choke and do your revs go up? You should be able to adjust your engine speed by slight adjustments to the choke lever. Then again if the carb didn't get a proper cleaning then the well that supplies gas to the choke circuit may be dry.

[QBS]

All should read Pinholenzs' wonderful tuning overview report posted this day on the Tech Board.

[82NightRyder]

We did a little more work last night and put some sea foam in the tank, and not only got it running, but we also were able to ride it up and down my apartment complex! :) But guess what we found out? The idiot mechanic that had all that time to work on my V, left the coolant completely empty when he gave it back to me! >:( Well, I'm off to buy coolent and a can of premiem gas, I will update on how things go. :)

[82NightRyder]

I got er' started, running, (she's still quite stubborn though)& was able to ride her for about an hour around the neighborhood before heading back to get ready for work. My V performs like a moped & there's not much power or throttle response, but at least it moves. I'm gonna have to keep working on those kinks before I can use it for commuting to work & stuff. I really don't want to dig into the carbs, but if that will cure the power/throttle problem than I'll check into that later this week.