[Bomb300]

So, my Cat has been sitting for roughly 3 weeks. I rode before I left for Korea, the wife started it a few times but I had a feeling it may run a little rough by the time I got back to it. Low and behold...

I started it this morning and instantly I knew; it had a hiccup. Rough idle at first then smoothed out. So I took it for a spin. Rough at low RPM, smoothed out as I accelerated. Pretty damn certain gunk in the tank settled and clogged up a jet.

So what to do? This is my first time wrenching on THIS bike. Go from least invasive (add some carb cleaner like I used to do my old car), to actually taking off the tank and checking things out to bringing it to the dealer or my favorite local shop. I do have my trusty Hanes and other manuals on DVD.

Update.

I did a "touch test" of the extractors and (not sure whether to read the carbs 1 thru 4 from left to right or from right to left) the second extractor from the right is cold while the others are too hot to touch. So I would assume that one of the cylinders isn't firing. So based on my troubleshooting, what should be my next step?

1. Ride the tank out and add some carb cleaner?
2. Follow my manual and clean the carbs/jets?
3. Take it to my fave shop and have them once it over?

 

[Hagios]

Check that you have spark in your plugs, first and foremost. I speak from experience here.
Next, throw a good amount of Stabil into the gas, and add some new gas to top the tank off.
Ride that tank, and repeat the process once.
If the problem isn't fixed and you aren't confident in tearing apart and rebuilding carbs, the shop is the next step.

 

[michaelk]

before you dissassemble anything, replace the plugs. you may have fouled that one. dump the gas & replace that too.

the cylinders are usually numbered left to right from the rider's point of view.
like airplanes.