TOPIC:

Hey all. Having a bit of a problem with my 84 LTD 550. Cold starts no problem, takes about 3-4 minutes before it will hold a good idle without choke and respond to revving with anything but a stall - this is basically what I'd expect.

At this point it's "lukewarm". In neutral if I pin the throttle it stumbles around 3-4k, but will go right to 10k. If I apply the throttle bit by bit it sticks really heavy at 3-4k, like it really doesn't want to go furthur. Once I add enough throttle it will eventually break free and jump to 10k. Taking off from the line, or even giving a big twist of the wrist while cruising causes the engine to bog pretty heavy for a second and then jump (reminds me of turbo lag from my diesel VW days). This "lukewarm" stage lasts for almost 20 minutes of riding. At that point the engine is good and hot and I get a good smooth chop in response to the throttle at any RPM.

What is the most likely cause of my "lukewarm" woes? I'm an around-town rider, so sometimes 20 minutes is all it takes me to get where I'm going. The whole time I'm fighting not to stall when pulling away from stoplights. The bike is new to me, so this could be "normal", but certainly doesn't seem right. Any advice?

Confirm these are Tekei CV carburetors. What type airbox and pipes are used? What is the bike's state of tune? Have you adjusted or checked valve clearances recently? How about compression. It shouldn't take any bike 20 minutes to warm, even in very cold weather. What visocity oil are you using?

Then let it warm up.