Intruder 1400 idle problems

[Paul wkd]

Hello everyone, I’m a newbie to the intruder scene,
Just bought a cool 1991 vs 1400,
However I have a couple of issues ,
The bike runs great when the choke is on but when I came a stop light it idled really rough and cut out .
I’ve changed th plugs, oil and air filters , put some petrol treatment in the tank , still have the same issue.
I bought an electronic rev counter to adjust the idle , it was reading 560 -600 so adjusted it to 900 .
But then it erratically runs from 900 back to 500 then jumps around between the two.
Is it time for a carb strip down and sync?
Could it be an electrical issue , it’s maybe not connected but there is also an issue when I use the turn signals,as soon as I switch them on the engine backfires ,
Any help is appreciated,
Thanks Paul

[hillsy v2]

Check the charging system. Engine backfiring can be a sign of low voltage - and the fact it is happening when you turn on the indicators (IE: draw power) points to this.

[Designer]

Hi Paul. and welcome to The Board!

Before getting into a possible Carburetor(s) issue,...How well does the Starter Motor turn over the Engine? Have you checked the Battery Connections to make sure they are Clean and Tight?

A low battery/poor connections can cause some wonky symptoms such as you report and these are the easiest things to check . They are fundamental to just about all else. Tell us what you find.

[sgtcall]

Welcome!
Here are a couple of things to check out.

INTRUDER MANUALS AND INFORMATION
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=14168

POSTING PICTURES ON INTRUDERS ALERT
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=13992

[Paul wkd]

Thanks for the quick replies ,
I will check the battery when I’m off on Thursday ,
It also backfires when you pull the clutch to change gear ,
Maybe a stupid question but should the air filters be oiled ?
Thanks Paul

[Paul wkd]

Before I got the bike , the bike had stood still for a couple of years ,then the previous owner sprookje it to the garage and they supposedly cleaned the carbs ,
So wondering if an electrical issue is more likely

[Designer]

Thanks for the quick replies ,I will check the battery when I’m off on Thursday ,
It also backfires when you pull the clutch to change gear ,
Maybe a stupid question but should the air filters be oiled ?Thanks Paul

That kinda-sorta leans towards a Carburetor issue.
But without the Battery/Power/Connection's solidly in place all else cannot be accurately done.

My Grandpa always said,...."The only stupid question is the one not asked"...
A assume you have Stock Air Filters? Yes, these Filters should be oiled . Do you have a Shop Manual?

Yes, we all look forwards to solving your problems.

[Paul wkd]

So I just took a Quick Look at the bike and saw something sticking out of the battery box .
The voltage regulator has come loose and is hanging down .
That won’t help the sutuation .

[hillsy v2]

So I just took a Quick Look at the bike and saw something sticking out of the battery box .
The voltage regulator has come loose and is hanging down .
That won’t help the sutuation .

No it won't help.

There's a saying with the Cafe Racer crowd that goes "99% of carb problems are electrical".

Get the electrical sorted first before you dig into the carbs because it's a lot of work getting them out.

[Herb]

Keep in mind that the choke is actually an enrichener that does nothing when it reaches a certain RPM. It will not make any difference at speed but lowspeed it will cause the kind of problem you are having.

I once forgot to turn off the choke and when I got in traffic it blubbered and ran like crap. I didn't realize what I had done until I got to work.

You must turn off the choke after the bike warms up or it will run like crap at idle or low speed and keep dying because it is running too rich.

[Paul wkd]

I have just downloaded a shop manual ,
Gonna spend some time going through the electrics checking all the connections and test the battery .

[Designer]

I have just downloaded a shop manual ,Gonna spend some time going through the electrics checking all the connections and test the battery .

A Wise move.

I've learned from my Grandpa,.. " know how it works first, before fixing it".

Today is Thursday, and we await what you find checking out the Battery Situation.

[Herb]

I have just downloaded a shop manual ,Gonna spend some time going through the electrics checking all the connections and test the battery .

A Wise move.

I've learned from my Grandpa,.. " know how it works first, before fixing it".

Today is Thursday, and we await what you find checking out the Battery Situation.

So true, principals of operation are the most important information.

When I was young information was really hard to come by so most of my learning curve was taken up but taking it apart to figure out how it worked. Sometime it even worked when I got it back together, usually not the first time but by 3rd or 4th.

[hillsy v2]

I have just downloaded a shop manual ,
Gonna spend some time going through the electrics checking all the connections and test the battery .

The charging system on these bikes is pretty simple. You have an AC generator (permanent magnet "stator") on the LHS of the crankshaft. This produces AC voltage in 3 wires which go to the regulator / rectifier and gets converted to DC voltage and governed between 13.5 and 14.5V (approx). That DC charge goes into the wiring loom and battery to maintain the system.

Since you have the bike running the easiest test is a simple voltage test at the battery terminals. You should see around 13V at idle but when the bike is revved it should be around 14.5V. If you do not see any increase and/or the voltage is below 12.5V then the system has issues. From there you check the wiring....test the stator....test the RR....load test the battery. Test procedures are in the manual.

[Paul wkd]

So preliminary findings,
Battery seems ok at idle and while revving , sirs around 14.3 when being revved
I just tested the coils both read 4.1 and 4.2 but the secondary coils the rear was 20.6 the front jumped around from 15.6 to 18.94 ,
Going to check the manual now to see if it’s still in tolerance .
Appreciate all the advice .
Thx

[Designer]

So preliminary findings,
Battery seems ok at idle and while revving , sirs around 14.3 when being revved
I just tested the coils both read 4.1 and 4.2 but the secondary coils the rear was 20.6 the front jumped around from 15.6 to 18.94 ,
Going to check the manual now to see if it’s still in tolerance .Appreciate all the advice .Thx

You are welcome. Thanks for getting back to us.

I assume you checked the Battery Connection Terminals/( both on battery and Wire) for cleanliness and tightness. Those Coils Test numbers are within spec ( Primary 1-7 ohms, Secondary 10 -25 ohms) Did you get a chance to check the Pick-up Coil? To save you time, the Spec on that is 240 ohms + or- 20% Blue-Green and Black-Yellow.

[Paul wkd]

I’m gonna check the battery tomorrow, I used the connection for the trickle charger to connect the volt meter

[Paul wkd]

I will also need to check the pick up coil

[sgtcall]

I’m gonna check the battery tomorrow, I used the connection for the trickle charger to connect the volt meter

Unless you can do a good load test yourself it is best to take the battery to an auto parts store and have it load tested.

Also, this is not a Harley and your RPMs should be set higher at idle. Some guys try to make the Intruder sound more Harley ish by lowering the idle and this doesn't really work.

[Designer]

I’m gonna check the battery tomorrow, I used the connection for the trickle charger to connect the volt meter

Unless you can do a good load test yourself it is best to take the battery to an auto parts store and have it load tested.

Also, this is not a Harley and your RPMs should be set higher at idle. Some guys try to make the Intruder sound more Harley ish by lowering the idle and this doesn't really work.

Spot on Sgt Call. The lower idle setting makes for less Charging and also reduces Cooling.