For motorcyclists who are having problems with how their bike is running (or not running), Vista Motorcycle repair in Vista CA has today announced that it has the solution.

Carburetion is the most common problem with motorcycles not starting after sitting in storage for two weeks or more, claims Daniel Sweet, a Vista Motorcycle spokesperson pointing out its probably old gas. “Old gas does not burn well and will result in hard starting, poor performance or simply prevents the motorcycle from starting at all,” says Sweet.

“If left sitting as little as two weeks, the gas in the carbs evaporates leaving sediment behind,” adds the spokesman. Noting that sediment, left behind after gas dries up, is a combination of dirt and fuel additives, the Vista Motorcycle specialist mechanic says additives of this nature never evaporates with the gas. “They stay behind, and when you turn on the gas it mixes up the sediment in the bottom of the float bowl of the carburetor, causing a soiled mixture that gets sucked into the tiny fuel metering jets and other passages inside the carb(s), thus blocking the fuel supply,” explains the spokesman.

When the tiny fuel metering holes in the carburetor jets are plugged then the engine is starved of fuel and either fails to start or runs very poorly.

According to the Vista Motorcycle carb specialist, the ethanol based fuel in California, also known as E-10, contains a corn and/or sugar cane based alcohol. “When E-10 evaporates, it leaves behind something that resembles corn meal. This material is notorious for plugging fuel filters and carburetor jets,” he claims.

According to Daniel Sweet, the only way to fix these problems caused by sediments is to flush the fuel system of old gas and disassemble the carburetor(s) to clean the plugged passages. With carbs being tricky little contraptions, it is reported that they have many passages inside them that aren’t easy to clean without professional equipment.

“At Vista Motorcycle, we have specialized tools and equipment for motorcycle carburetor repair and rebuilds,” notes Sweet, who adds that part of their carb servicing includes boiling the parts in an ultrasonic solvent tank for a few hours before blow drying them with controlled bursts of compressed air before reassembling. This assures the carburetor meters fuel properly and there are no external fuel leaks. Synchronization (where applicable) and tuning is included as well.

Motorcycle Air Filters

A dirty air filter is also identified as another culprit responsible for low engine performance. According to the spokesperson, many riders put their bikes away for the season but forget to clean the air filter prior to storage. “Soiled air filters disintegrate from a combination of filter oil, fuels vapor and soil. An air filter that has holes in it or is falling apart does not perform its air filtering function properly,” he says. When it deteriorates to the point of crumbling, then those loose parts are sucked into the intake system and cause further problems.

Therefore, the Vista Motorcycle specialist in carb repair issued a public service announcement to bikers about visiting the local Vista Motorcycle repair shop and get a fuel system checkup or get a carburetor overhaul as needed.

For more information on motorcycle carburetor repair and rebuild call Vista Motorcycle repair in Vista CA at 760-724-9258.