Bad Carbs

We all know there's good carbs and there's bad carbs. And in the world of vintage motorbikes there's good carbs gone bad, like this set. This is what a few years of hosting mice in your air plenum can produce. First the rodents ate and peed their way through the air filter element and eventually through the metal screening, which allowed the little beasts entry into the four condos of the plenum itself. This is the result. 

This lower air box is bound for the dumpster.

But this isn't the worst of it. These creatures urinate where they live, and gravity moves the toxic mess downward into the carbs, freezing the butterfly valves and sticking the plastic slides in place.

This carb set is currently enjoying a long soak in a tub of PineSol, followed by a bath in the ultrasonic cleaner.

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The crud even found its way into the intake runners. This quickly dissolved with a spray of PB Blaster.

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And here's an example of what alcohol-laced fuel can do when left to marinate inside our carbs. This photo shows hardened varnish deposits on the plastic slide and jet needle.

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And here's a shot of the slide's bore. These slides were all but glued in place.

Too often, issues like these are the beginning of the end for otherwise healthy bikes. The low-speed jets get gummed up, the bike runs worse and worse, gets ridden less and less, and ends up parked in the corner of the garage behind that '84 Camaro project that you're never going to get to.

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What can we do?
- Recycle fuel by riding our bikes regularly!
- If you can't keep fresh fuel in your system, then be sure there's a fuel stabilizer added at all times, like Sta-Bil or    my favorite, Star Tron (stupid name, good product).
- Drain your carb bowls when stored.
- Keep your fuel tank full when stored.
- Ride your bike! (did I already list that?)