Loss of power

[Anonymous]

I'm new to the group so I'm sure some of my questions have already been answered. If so please direct me to the proper thread. My problem is with a 81 GS 1100 EX. I just bought it last month and have replaced the battery and stator to fix the charging problems. My problem now is loss of power. When I am driving it just loses power for a few seconds and then almost jumps out from under me. I'm thinking it is maybe a carb problem. The bike has a 4 to 1 exhaust. When I got it there was no air cleaning equipment on it so I got K and N pod air cleaners. I am assuming since it was switched to the 4 to 1 exhaust it was probably re jetted but I don't know how to check this. If anyone has any ideas where I should start trouble shooting let me know. Thanks in advance with any help. Paul

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The momentary loss of power could be the carbs or spark related.
You need to take some plug reads to help you decide about the jetting.
Don't assume anything. The K&N pods and your pipe require main, needle and pilot circuit adjustments. Don't run the bike too lean. Check those plugs and tell us what they look like.

[Anonymous]

Plugs were black and fuzzy so I guess it is running rich. But I'm sad to say I think I have bigger issues now. Rode down to the gas station to get some gas and after about a mile it quit. When I got it started again I kept on going and noticed that the bike was smoking really bad. White smoke out of the exhaust and coming off the the pipes from the bottom where they bend to go back under the bike. Got home and stopped in the drive way and immediately had a puddle of oil under the bike. I found where oil was comming out the the engine. I hope it is just a bad gasket. If not I guess it is time for an over haul.
So to recap I guess I'm running rich so the carb jets should be the right size or too big. At least I will know where to start when I get the oil leak fixed. I welcome any comments.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Plugs were black and fuzzy so I guess it is running rich. But I'm sad to say I think I have bigger issues now. Rode down to the gas station to get some gas and after about a mile it quit. When I got it started again I kept on going and noticed that the bike was smoking really bad. White smoke out of the exhaust and coming off the the pipes from the bottom where they bend to go back under the bike. Got home and stopped in the drive way and immediately had a puddle of oil under the bike. I found where oil was comming out the the engine. I hope it is just a bad gasket. If not I guess it is time for an over haul.
So to recap I guess I'm running rich so the carb jets should be the right size or too big. At least I will know where to start when I get the oil leak fixed. I welcome any comments.

Well, you have to fix that oil leak first. If you also have white smoke coming out the exhaust, then you're burning oil. This could be the rings or something in the valve area leaking. A compression check would help. If the compression is down, you'll have to repair the cause before re-jetting.
Some people add oil additives to help with oil burning. This may help on a temporary basis. If you're "lucky", the burning oil could be from fuel in the crankcase. Fuel can enter from a failing petcock or a problem with the carbs.
After changing the oil and filter, check/clean the petcock. You may have to rebuild/replace it depending on parts availability. If a carb problem, clean and inspect the carbs well.
Check the floatvalves and seats for wear or dirt/rust. Check the floatvalves springs for good feel. Check their tips for wear. Check the seats o-rings for condition. Check/adjust the float levels and check for smooth operation. Check the sizes of your main and pilot jets so we can get an idea of your present jetting. Let us know what you find.
After the oil burning problem is taken care of and the carbs are cleaned and checked as I said above, we can help you re-jet for the pipe and pods. You can't re-jet if you're burning oil or have dirty carbs.