1995 Kawasaki Gpz1100 Motorcycle Help Please!!?

Question

My motorcycle (1995 Kawasaki Gpz1100) is not idling and accelerating smoothly. It requires alot of choke at startup. It used to startup with almost no choke. Once the bike has been driven for a few minutes I can shut the choke off completely and it will normally idle without shutting off. At idle it seems to fluctuate a little – sort of stumbling along between 800 and 1000rpm – even after. I think it should idle steady at around 900rpm. When I put it in 1st gear and slowly apply the throttle while letting out the clutch – the throttle is not very responsive. It’s not reacting smoothly to small throttle inputs. I’ll slowly apply throttle and nothing seems to happen, and then suddenly the throttle comes on. When I’m starting out from a stop I have to give it a little more gas to keep it from stalling. The throttle response is not smooth and linear.

The bike does not get ridden much – maybe 2k miles per year. It currently has 12k miles on the odometer. It sits in my garage most of the time. I also *think* that after I had the valves adjusted (last summer I think) that it required more choke at startup. The throttle response issue started and seems to be getting worse since the valve adjustment.

THANKS!!!

Answer 1

Your carbs are gunked up from non use, they need to be removed taken apart and cleaned in a chemical dip. Replace any O rings when You put them back together. Also google Wired George, He is supposed to be a Kawasaki carb Guru.

Answer 2

The carbs need cleaning out and balancing.

You are not using it enough and the old fuel will go like hard varnish and block all the jets up etc.

Answer 3

I just want to throw my vote in with everyone who told you the carbs are probably dirty.

The first thing I would do though is drain the old fuel and fill up with fresh gas. That probably won't solve the problem, but there is an off chance that it will. Drain the float bowls too. Then put in a fresh set of plugs.

The only reason I think you should start that way is from experience. I had an old Suzuki that sat over winter. When I started it up, it ran a little rough and wouldn't wind up right. I changed the plugs and it was better, but not great. I topped off the tank with fresh fuel, and I thought that would be enough. It wasn't. It kept fouling the plugs enough that it wouldn't quite run right. I wasn't really riding it much because it wasn't running right. That just made the situation with the fuel worse.

I finally drained and flushed the tank, drained the float bowls and put in a fresh set of plugs, and it was back to normal.

Since it is such a PITA to pull, clean, and then sync a set of 4 carbs, it would be a good way to start, and if nothing else, you will want to do that eventually anyway.

Oh... and clean or replace your air filter too.

Good luck.