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Rootintootin
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 - 04:36 pm: | 
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I'm stumped. 2004 XB12S, 26K miles, nothing like this before. The bike has been running really good since I went back to the present configuration.
I went for a 50 miler, city and country miles, 10 miles of I95 in the middle. Mid to upper 80's temp, same gas I always use. I'm running HD straight 60W, have been for a couple of months since the temps have been 70-100 plus. Currently I'm using the stock ECM and airbox, unmodified, with the standard Drummer. New injectors, plugs and plug wires all within the last 5K miles.
Everything was normal for the first 20 miles or so. Hit the on ramp onto the Interstate, shifted about 6k rpm thru 2 and 3, about 5k from 4 into top gear, about 4500. Then a little up and down, 4K-5K for a couple of miles. I pull out to pass a semi, and I don't seem to have much acceleration, really flat. I can hear more intake noise, just it seems 4500 is all I can get out of the motor. Down to 4th, about 5K, still no acceleration. Back to 5th, even flatter, if possible. I stay in 5, but let the speed drop off, same at 4500, 4000, and 3500. I can hold a speed, just no acceleration. By the time I'm down to 60 mph, I figure its time to get off the Interstate. So I exit onto US301 and I can hear the fan running. I hold the 60 mph for about 5 miles or so until I'm back onto city streets. It seems to hold speed, but won't go faster, in any gear. Anything more than a crack of throttle just makes more intake noise. A couple of times, I feel some vibration, nothing steady just momentary. Doesn't really feel like its missing, but maybe. I have about 10 miles of city stop and go before I get back home, runs almost normal, but still down on the acceleration at any speed above 3K. The fan is still on and stays on until after I park at the end. It doesn't stay on any longer than normal. No check engine light, steady or flashing.
I let it sit for a couple of hours, and go out again. Seems alright around town. Up to 3K, goes normal. Hit the highway again, up thru the gears. Using 5K as a shift point, 1 and 2 are OK, 3 flattens out about 4500. Don't have time or room to try 4 or 5. Go back to I95, back to not wanting to rev past 3500. This time I get some definite vibration with large throttle openings in 4 or 5 at 3.5K or higher.
As long as I don't go past 3K, everything seems fine. It seems to run better up through the gears than trying to roll on, especially in 4 and 5.
I'm going to try again tomorrow, maybe take it and put it on my friends dyno and hook my PC up to it. Any ideas? Thanks for any pointers.
Jim |
Blake
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 - 07:04 pm: |
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I'd be looking to do compression and leak-down testing on each cylinder. Check the spark plugs. All the normal/basic stuff. |
Dentfixer
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 - 12:33 pm: |
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I'd say you are running lean and about ready to trash your motor. (IF you haven't done so already.) I do not recommend you do any riding at all until you go back through and check everything. This is just my gut feeling. |
Rootintootin
| | Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 04:58 am: |
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Plugs! I pulled the plugs to do the compression test and there was a light brown rock on the side of the front, big enough to just about close the gap. It fell off when I stuck the gap gauge between the electrodes. The rear looked good. Going to pick up a new set this morning.
Compression was 160 psi. front and rear, so no problem there. I ohmed the plug wires, within specs.
I didn't see anything abnormal with the VDSTS. I did reset the TPS and AFV just because I had it plugged in.
Now I remember having a problem with the front cylinder carbon fouling plugs. It would still run, but almost immediately after putting in a new plug, it would be sooty black. No problem with the rear. I thought that was gone after putting my stock ECM back in and going back to the stock air box. Guess I'll have to keep a better eye on that. I think I'll switch off on gas brands for a while too, see what that does.
Thanks for the pointers. Those are things I should have done right off the bat. I guess I had a brain fart, thinking something major had happened. |
Rootintootin
| | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 05:36 am: |
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Problem solved. It was an exhaust leak, 2 actually. When I removed the Force pipe and reinstalled the stock header and Drummer, I put in new gaskets. I should have rechecked the torque after running it some, because it looks like the gaskets must have settled some. All 4 nuts took about 1/2 to 3/4 turn to tighten back down.
I was so worried about it being something electrical and mysterious that I didn't do those things you normally should do to fix the problem. At least I finally got around to checking the compression and got a new set of Magnecor wires out of my research into the problem (Thanks, Treadmarks).
As a final note, right now I'm back with the stock muffler, with servo. I had forgotten how good the mid range was. even in top gear it revs up so fast. |
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