'85 xv1000 sooting plugs, poor gas milage

[PUPWARD]

thanks for all your input guys, the jets are new and they match the stock size, i am certain they werent "monkeyed" with as they we in the original unopened packaging.

there is no petcock on the fuel tank or lines

the gas height was measured in each bowl, the rear was bang on and the front was a little low, which would indicate a lean scenario rather than rich, so i am not sure it is float hieght related.

both plugs are sooty, the rear only slightly worse than the front, (very slightly)

this started just after i bought it, perhaps was like it all along but the previous owner likely had a brand new set of plugs in it and it took 100kms or so for this to happen, (for the plugs to get progressively worse)

i have pulled the crank case vent and did not notice any sludge, but i did not do this with the bike running

i did notice on cold start ups, ( ie 5-10 degrees celsius) there is alot of white smoke coming out of it until it warms up....the bike is in storage now as the riding season is now over, would love to have a solution by spring, or some things to focus on over the winter.

thanks again

Paul

[GS_in_CO]

there is no petcock on the fuel tank or lines

Paul

How do you turn the fuel off so you can remove the tank?
Petcock is a word we use for 'valve.'
You might not have the vacuum actuated version but you have to have a valve if the tank is above the carbs and uses gravity to put fuel in the carbs.

Riding season is closing down here as well. Maybe the answer will occur to you during the break.

[PUPWARD]

i know what a petcock is, seriously there isnt one on this bike. look it up on a parts diagram...i have to siphon the tank each time i remove it. the carbs are hitachi, and the bike has an electronic fuel pump to provide gas to the carbs...

[Johnj]

Yet another change is the inclusion of a half-gallon fuel tank just below the seat, augmenting the 3.3-gallon main tank. Gas drains from the main tank into the sub-tank, where an electric pump moves the gas up to the carburetor float bowls.

Fuel tanks under seats aren't new innovations, of course: Gold Wings have had them for years to lower the center of gravity, and Honda's Magna and Shadow cruisers, like the Virago, use them so the main tank can be kept stylishly small. What is new here is the addition of an electrically operated petcock instead of the conventional spigot-type. When the engine starts blubbering, rather than fumble around under the tank for the petcock, the rider simply moves a switch on the right handlebar control pod from On to Reserve; from that point he has about eight-tenths of a gallon of fuel remaining. A red warning light in the tachometer face reminds him that the fuel is running out.

[GS_in_CO]

Well, there goes that theory......

Any chance there's a pressure regulator in the system? Overpressure fuel supply could force rich mixture?

[PUPWARD]

thats a possibility...i haven't looked at that portion of the system closely, thanks for the idea!

Paul