01'650 Too hot?,irratic idle,connected???

[Larchy]

Here's my case, looking for advise. Bought my 650 2 yrs ago, rode it on one 3-day,600mi ride in Baja Stock motor with Mikuni pumper carb and stroker exahust. Ran like a sweet dream. Parked the bike and due to life situations, have'nt ridin it since(2yrs).One more thing is the idle doesnt want to come down quick enough or all the way when revving up? So now I'm going back to Baja again. Knocked the dust off, tried starting, started, would'nt idle. Pulled the carb, plugged pilot, cleaned everything, installed, fired first kick, ran great. Rode it around the block a few times and it ran and felt like the power monster I remembered. Couple days later started it again and it fired right up, but did'nt sound the same, and now it dies at an idle like ignition, all of a suddon poof the fire goes out. Starts first kick idles a while then poof again, like a big hikkup. Took it around the block again tring to warm it up, and it just seemed off. Just off idle it revves alittle irratic and under accel thru the gears it sounds like some poping or backfire. So also as I'm tring to notice all that's going on, I feel intense heat on my leg. Now It's dark out and pretty cold and I've only been riding for 3-5 min, I lookdown and my head pipes are glowing red, even where the two go into one is starting to glow a bit. So I head back and shut the bike down, I start to feel around and I could'nt touch my rad tanks. The headpipes I've heard about on other bikes, but as far back as my 2into1, I don't know, and should my radiator get so hot so fast?(how hot should the oil and water get, Specs?) So here I am, a month before Baja, And that's the last place I want to break down. I sure would appreciate any help I can get, can never have too much info. I'm counting on you guys, thanks in advance.

[Guest Guest]

Is your decompression lever cable binding on anything? This can cause you bike to run really bad and stall out! Also check your cooling system. Make sure your thermostat is operating correctly, after sitting so long you should flush the cooling system out as well. Sounds like that heat caused by that maybe your problem. Then make sure you have a strong spark, your valves are adjusted correctly, and you have the proper air-fuel mixture. Good luck.

[bodge]

how much gas does it have? if its running on fumes it will get hot quick.

[Moredesert]

First of all I would say it's running too lean. You said the bike's stock, does that mean you haven't unpluged the bike and still have stock jetting? This would explain the popping, sudden stall at idle and the hot pipes.

You can also check for a open vacuum port. There should be a hose barb pluged up someplace if the bike has been unpluged already. Mine split and fell off so I pulled the barb and pluged it with a screw. I forget where it is and with my big gas tank I can't even see my carb.

So your going to Baja! When are you going and with who? Are you going to Mike's Sky Ranch? ?