My "new" Tiger

[Colonel Nikolai]

Mustang the middle puss looks like she needs a new front shoe pretty bad, eh?

[D-Fuzz]

The owner I bought it from said he had the carbs cleaned and rebuilt a year ago, rode it once and then put the bike away.  I know gas is nasty stuff and gums up pretty easily, but I am just hoping it is stale gas and it will work its way through.  If not, I will take the carbs off and give them a good cleaning.

[Mustang]

Mustang the middle puss looks like she needs a new front shoe pretty bad, eh?

Pheh that's nothing we use em up round these parts ..........    

and all three get new tires every year , I've done 7 tires on the three tiggers already this summer  

[Colonel Nikolai]

I've done 7 tires on the three tiggers already this summer  

:shock:

That's a lotta tires. How long does it take you to do one?

Haven't done my own tires yet, but I will: the 96 Sprint needs a new rear, prolly tackle that this winter.

[Colonel Nikolai]

The owner I bought it from said he had the carbs cleaned and rebuilt a year ago, rode it once and then put the bike away.

If what you're saying is true, the carbs might not need an overhaul.

Try this running off a bottle or with an empty gas tank. Fill the carbs with gas then put an entire can of seafoam in the tank / bottle and run the bike until it coughs out (running on pure seafoam it will die). Let it sit overnight. Next morning shut off the petcock and drain the carbs. Put normal gas in and crank until she starts. Mix in some seafoam as per the instructions on the seafoam can and take the bike out for a long ride at (relatively) high RPMS. This is the poor-man's carb overhaul. Sometimes it brings them back from the dead (has a chance of working only if all the parts aren't worn or anything).

I'm sure Mustang could tell you a more thoroughgoing way to do this than I can.

[D-Fuzz]

First off, I have to find the seafoam stuff you talk about.  I have checked several automotive stores but have yet to find it.  I do need to get this resolved though.  

On Friday I took the Tiger to work so I could ride it a bit and try and work this problem out.  When I came out after work, it was very difficult to get started, and once it started, again it didn't idle well.  I started riding it and it was great, ran smoothly, no misses and stuttering.  I too it for a ride on the highway for about 1/2 hr and brought it home.  A few hours later I went back outside and again it was tough to start.  

I was leaving Saturday morning for a 1500km, year-end camping trip and had really wanted to take the Tiger, but I didn't want to fight with it, so I took my DR650.  I guess that was a blessing in disguise though.  We rode yesterday into a 60km/h headwind and my DR really struggled to keep up the my buddies who were both on bigger bikes.  The fuel consumption really took a hit too.  I rode my DR 11,000km this summer to Alaska, but managed to avoid any significant winds.  Yesterday just re-inforced that it is time for me to move up to a bigger bike.  My DR served me well in its use as a touring bike, and when you are traveling with a group of KLRs, it is right at home, but this weekend it was outmatched both by the weather and the bikes I was travelling with.

[Colonel Nikolai]

Seafoam is a fuel system treatment / cleaner. Products like it are EverWear and Gunk. Ever Wear is pretty high end and spendy. Never used it though.

[Bixxer Bob]

GUNK  :shock:

In UK Gunk is a degreasing product that smells like creosote and is used for cleaning engines etc...  :lol:

[D-Fuzz]

I found a place in town that carries Seafoam, so I pick up a can this morning.  I put about 2/3 of the bottle into the tank, fired it up and let it run for about 15 minutes.  It made a huge difference.  It idles fine now and there is just a small hesitation when you first give it a little throttle.  I think it just needs a nice long ride to get the rest of the crap cleaned out.  So guess what I am doing tomorrow? :P

[Colonel Nikolai]

I put about 2/3 of the bottle into the tank, fired it up and let it run for about 15 minutes.  It made a huge difference.

Cool! Let us know if it continues to improve or not. My '96 Tiger has a very, very slight stumble down at the very bottom until the needle gets out of cold. It's been this way since I had the carbs rebuilt. Prior to this my carbs were in VERY bad shape: worn very badly on #3 with a stuck plunger/piston.

[D-Fuzz]

What kind of anti-freeze should I be using for the Tiger?  I read a 50/50 mixture, but is Prestone fine or is there something else I need to get?  Before I put the bike away for the winter, I want to make sure the anti-freeze is up to snuff.  The bike came from a bit warmer climate, so I'm not sure what is in it.

[Mustang]

I read a 50/50 mixture, but is Prestone fine or ............. make sure the anti-freeze is up to snuff.  The bike came from a bit warmer climate, so I'm not sure what is in it.

It's probably got what came from the factory in it ! :shock:

50/50 prestone is fine  even the pre mixed stuff with autozone or walmart labels etc etc

[D-Fuzz]

I had the bike out for about a 150 mile ride today.  It was really windy on the highway (again) but I was amazed how smooth the bike was.  I rode my DR on the weekend in a similar wind and it was like riding a wild boar for 7 hours...not fun.  The Tiger blasted through the wind with no issues.  I was also a bit worried about the small wind screen prior to the ride, but it worked good.  I have an Arai XD3 and I usually get buffetting from the visor, but with the Tiger it was great.  The Seafoam seems to be doing its job as the bike is running really nice now and starts like it should.  It idles a little rough when it is cold, but once it is up to temp., it runs great.

[Colonel Nikolai]

It sounds pretty much like it's normal: you may have brought your carbs back from the brink. It seems like my Tiger runs better after a long ride than a bunch of short ones anyway.

[D-Fuzz]

The Seafoam stuff worked to a certain point but after a number of rides things weren't quite 100%.  the bike was great out on the open roads, but it was a bit of a bear to ride in town as there was no low-end power for starting out.  So, I took the bike in to get the carbs properly cleaned up.  I thought about doing it myself, but I know just enough about carbs to be dangerous, so I thought this time I would leave it to someone who knows what they are doing.  The mechanic told me the middle carb was the worst with the pilot and mains being clogged, and the slide was pretty gummed causing it to stick when coming off throttle.  I noticed that when I was riding.  While he was in there, he did some servicing as well, checked the compression, changed the plugs, changed the fluids, fogged the cylinders since the bike hadn't been ridden much in the past number of years.  He did comment that the bike was in excellent condition, it just needs some TLC and some riding.  The TLC is done, and I am hoping to get a few more rides in yet beofre the snow flies.  We have had warmer temps this past week than we had most of the summer.  I love the bike, I am just looking forward to it running properly so I can really enjoy it.