Bike back together

[Dain]

Ok so I picked this up last month a 1987 Voyager 1200B 18,000 miles. Got an ok price on it but still having a little trouble getting it to run perfect. I can only get it to idle off the choke and when you adjust the idle knob it starts running rough. Once you get the bike off idle it runs great. Now I've had the carbs off of it three times now and drained the tank put new fuel filter on it and new air filter. Just pulling my hair out over this one and I don't have much left to start with. Had to tear everything off to change the radiator what a pain. I went to the parts store and got a real close match to the air filter and made a shelf for it so now I can use $10 air filters instead of $40 ones. Any help on this one would be great thanks.

Dain

[triton28]

When you say "Off the choke" are you saying that the only way the bike will idle is by rotating the handlebar start lever to it's ON position? Or, when you rotate the lever to it's OFF position?
Warm the engine up until the temperature needle starts to move at least to the first line. While keeping the engine @ 1500-2000 rpm and the start lever rotated back to the OFF position, start winding the idle screw in until you can let go of the twist grip and the engine stays running.
Now use the idle screw to lower the rpm's to the suggested range of 800 +- 50 rpm.
Provided the carbs are relatively in sync the engine should stay idling with the start lever rotated to it's OFF position, and if the engine, when at normal operating temperature, will NOT idle at this low rpm and stalls out, then I would suggest the pilot jets/idle passages have an obstruction in 1 or more carbs. I find 900 rpm to be the best for me.
If it keeps running but sounds irregular/lumpy, then it may be a simple case of synchronizing the carbs.
Just some ideas for your problem,
Dave

[Mr Jensee]

I know you said you had the carbs off three times but you could still have some clogged idle jets.

[ekap1200]

First question I have to ask is, How did it idle before changing the air filter?
second ? Have you a means to check the sync on the carbs ? Out of sync carbs will greatly affect Idle circuit more than rolling down the road at higher rpm's .
Your saying you had the carbs off several times. Tell us what you did to them when they were off.
Have you checked the spark plugs and wires ?
If the idle was better before you started, go back over what you worked on. If carb syn is very close, you may have let some dirt down into the airways for the idle jets. I have seen more than one bike run worse by an air filter change. Check the sync first, drain the carb bowls into a baby food container one at a time. Flushing the tank can loosen up rust that has collected into the seams at the bottom of the tank and now you have them loosened up. ( don't over-tighten the drain screws ) .
Keep us posted
Gene
One grain of sand is as bad as ten
Gene K.