Running rough at idle

[steve allen]

A friend of mine just purchased an 1985 GL1200 Aspy with just over 30,000 miles on the clock. Bike seems to be in very good shape, but, idles as if running on 3 cylinders and when you crack the throttle to pull off, wants to stall. But, he says that once on the road, runs great. Plugs look brand new and all are firing well, any ideas?

[LeMaitre]

Not an answer but an observation. On my '85 GL1200A, it starts fine and after a little warmup you can turn off the choke and it idles fine. When pulling out on the road it will stutter as you give it gas. Once the bike has been ridden to full operating temperature the stutter does not happen when accelerating from a stop sign. Curious as to what you find as the solution.

-Mark

[Charlie1Horse]

I had a similar problem with my 86 Aspencade. I found that the right front carb wasn't getting any fuel. I removed them and cleaned this carb and for a short time it ran great. But, that didn't last long and back to the problem. After two removals I came to the conclusion that the float valve was sticking. With mother Honda's pricing, I went to ebay and found some affordable parts and ordered two of them. After replacing both right side float valves the problem went away. Loosen the drain screws in the carbs, one at a time and see if they all have fuel in them. You may find one with no fuel.
Russell

Those who say it cannot be done should try not to interrupt those who are doing it.