X1 Did not like its first long ride after sitting for 3 months.

So when I took my bike apart last it was running pretty damn good. (nothing taken apart that would affect run-ability)A brief ride last Friday she burped and sputtered a bit but ran decent. Yesterday I stretched her legs out on a nice back road run and she was not to happy about it.

I must confess I had hoped she would not be sitting long and failed to properly "winterize" her. She sat with 3/4 tank and oils 1500m away from needing changed. She sat for approx 2.5 - 3 months.

She seems a bit underpowered, burps and sputters on occasion, backfired a few good times and even stalled a few times when I would come to a completed stop. Like she was running out of fuel.

There were a few moments that she would come to life and pull like she is supposed to. But very few of those moments.

Where to start? Drain my tank?(I burned through most of the old fuel and filled her up) Change my fuel filter? Run a bit of injector cleaner? Plugs? Am I way off base here?

Suggestions welcomed. Unfortunately its pouring rain again and her symptoms arise only when riding her.

Thanks!

Where to start? Drain my tank?(I burned through most of the old fuel and filled her up) Change my fuel filter? Run a bit of injector cleaner? Plugs? Am I way off base here?

Click to expand...

all sound like great places to start. Maybe you have some moisture in the tank?

What you can do is pull those plugs and take a look!

Any one run a bottle of fuel drier / stabilizer like "Stabyl" in their bikes? I have used it with success on older cars but.. never in my Buell.

Jake.. I will peek at the plugs this afternoon. If I am going to pull em I might as well change em. Factory plugs still.. 9000miles.

I have been wanting to replace the fuel filter with a smaller easier to hide filter any way. Might as well.

Put the battery on a charger and then run half a bottle of Seafoam thru the intake.

I'd go ahead and run some Seafoam through your tank; this is what I do to stablize it, as well as check/clean or replace your plugs and might as well change the oil and filter. I haven't rode mine in 2 almost 3 months and she fired right up this weekend when I took her out after doing what I just said. I'm not really a fan of running Seafoam through the intake as I've read alot of people having problems with their piston rings burning up after doing so but to each their own.

I'd also get that battery on a charger too, vehicles can do weird things with a improperly charged batteries. Good luck

i'd say seafoam is the place to start. i had the same problem with a diffrent bike i had after it sat for close to a year.
i topped it off with premium fuel and a can of seafoam. 3/4 tank later it was running like new again. i'm assuming condensation and bad gas was the culprit with my bike. just my .02

I use stabil most winters. I think I skipped one or two?? (bought my XB new in 04). I recommend it.. Never had an issue

another thing that helps is if you can find a place that sells gasoline that doesnt have ethanol in it. it is harder to find, but it is possible to find it. i run seafoam in my gas all the time. when i come home from a ride and gas up, i add a couple of "glugs" to the tank.

If you use Seafoam just a [small] amount will do before riding other wise on an Air Cooled Engine OR liQuid Cooled possible damage can occur with rings wear. Stabil can do that also! Small Amounts !
Too much OR all the time use can do some serious damage,all the time can make an OIL Burner out of your Engine with Loss of Compression also.
You would be better off to just run the bike,OR Idle it and get it hot, for at least 12/minutes, a Carbed Engine is easier to damage with Stabil, especially when Storing for winter.
Check your PCV area on each Rocker Cover for melting or clogging. Your TPS reset may help you with the Studdering issues and it can't hurt depending on year of Engine.If your Spark Plugs are good and Fuel Deliverly is proper then Throttle Position Sensor or [on] a Carbed Engine DO More riding due to the floats and Jets are closing up from sitting get that Engine Hot and try to keep it level if you just idle the Engine.
The Accellerator Pump(Carbed) will also start to rot after just sitting for 3/weeks. It's always better to Run a Carbed Bike even if it's cold somewheres just start it up and let it idle.
If you are going to let a Engine & Especially a Carbed Engine Sit for 2 or 3 months then drain the fuel out Completely. Then Make sure to PUT some WD/40 in the Fuel Tank and turn it over couple of times if it starts then just turn it off. You can Buy WD/40 by the Gallon. Only Takes a Quart. Yes it's a pain to some but this is the proper way to store a CARBED Engine works really good on Fuel injection as well. It's easy to drain it out and put the Fuel (Fresh Premium)in then run it idling you may have to clean your plugs. To me theres no way I would Store a Carbed Engine more than 3/weeks. Here it snows and I still Get the Bikes Out Every Week and just let them Idle for 12/minutes, usually with a fan in front of them. THE reason the Engine pulls and then Doesn't is it Sat for too long and the Deposits are starting to Break down.
Just keep Riding WITH Small Amounts of SeaFoam(Measure it )One Bottle treats a lot of fuel if you give it time and Just Ride the Bike it will be fine after a Couple of Fill ups !
There is [no] Quick Cure for something that sits that long. OTHER than Running the Engine. Patience is better if you don't prepare considering the cost in the long run. Then when it is riding time again preperation is Quick and easy.*Jimi

Wow... Thanks guys.. Forecast says riding weather this weekend. I am going to try a few things mentioned and go for a ride. Dig deeper and ride again as required.

Jimi... I'm depth my brotha... Thanks for the info.

Thanks again guys.