Jerky 1200 at real low speed...stutters maybe...

[Desolation Angel]

I am not a mechanic, unfortunately.  Tell me, please, if I bought my '01 and it had a Holeshot can on it, then someone would have installed some kind of kit or something in my carbs, right?  And the pilot screw plugs would have been drilled out to install the kit, yes?  Is that how it works?

I ask because I'm trying to figure out why my 1200 doesn't like to go slow?  Real slow.  Why slow, you ask?  Well, I like to cruise the hood sometimes and check things out and I want to be in like 1st gear going just a very few mph.  But no matter how hard I try to smoothly operate the throttle, the bike is grumpy.  Kinda jerky, or maybe stuttering describes it better.  Hard to describe.  It's only a real low speed and just starting off kind of thing.

Maybe something to do with the carbs?  I sort of thought the chain was maybe kinking, but it's adjusted properly, looks new, and I ChainWax'd it.  I don't recall this jerky thing on past bikes.

It's not the chugging associated with too low rpms that happens to newbies...I know about that.

[Red01]

Just because there's a Holeshot can on it doesn't mean they installed a jet kit. There are posts here all the time asking about if that's OK, and it sort of is, however, the bikes already come from Suzuki jetted lean and adding a can without rejetting will make things leaner still.

The only way to know if they altered anything is to look. First, look at the bottoms of the carbs and see if they removed the plugs from the mixture screws. You may need a little mirror to get a good view, but what you're looking for is this:



If the plug is still there, there will be a brass plug flush with the carb body, instead of the recessed brass straight slot screw shown in the pic above. The plug may have a dimple or tiny hole in the center.

Even if the plugs are gone, doesn't mean they adjusted the needles though. For that, you might want to follow along in this thread:

http://forums.banditalley.net/viewtopic.php?t=3695

[Desolation Angel]

Just because there's a Holeshot can on it doesn't mean they installed a jet kit. There are posts here all the time asking about if that's OK, and it sort of is, however, the bikes already come from Suzuki jetted lean and adding a can without rejetting will make things leaner still.

The only way to know if they altered anything is to look. First, look at the bottoms of the carbs and see if they removed the plugs from the mixture screws. You may need a little mirror to get a good view, but what you're looking for is this:



If the plug is still there, there will be a brass plug flush with the carb body, instead of the recessed brass straight slot screw shown in the pic above. The plug may have a dimple or tiny hole in the center.

Even if the plugs are gone, doesn't mean they adjusted the needles though. For that, you might want to follow along in this thread:

http://forums.banditalley.net/viewtopic.php?t=3695

Ah, I love pictures!  Thanks!  So, I'll look tonight.  If the plugs are STILL there, though, then the previous owner DIDN'T install one of Dale's kits, in all likelihood, would you say?  But if they've gone to the trouble to drill out the plugs, then they probably would have done a kit?  Sound reasonable?

Anyway, if the plugs are gone then my mechanic can tweak the carbs to eliminate the stuttering for me.

Thanks again!

[Red01]

Chances are if the plugs are intact, they didn't install a kit, but they still might have shimmed the needles. (I shimmed mine before I drilled my plugs and installed a kit).

If they're drilled out, there's a higher chance of a kit, but it could still just be shimmed needles & stock jets.

[rider123]

Usually stuttering and low speed hesitation means that it's a little lean on the pilots. I had the "stutters" and off idle hesitation pretty bad when I first bought my bike. The dealer drilled out my plugs and I currently sit at 3 1/4 turns out from lightly seated and it pretty much fixed, It probably should be around 3.5 but I want to wait untill it's warm outside. I will adjust it properly in the spring. The haynes manual says that stock(which is on the lean side) is 3.0 turns out. If you're plugs are drilled you may want to start there and fatten up as nessesary. If you have a holeshot and the plugs are in there then you will definately be lean which would give you the "stutters". I believe the conscensus here is that with an aftermarket pipe most people find 3.5-4.0 turns out seems to work ok for them. Maybe someone with a holeshot can tell you where their mixture screws are to help you out.

The plugs/screws you are looking for are are at the forward end of the carbs, closest to the engine.