Very rough running, especially idle

[starcraper]

Hi All. I'm having some trouble with my bike and hope someone has some insights that might help me out.

I'll start with when things were good. The bike's an 08 with 16k and a jardine rt-5 carbon exhaust with an EBR ecm with Barker's map. Pretty much everything else is stock, including rear fender, except for some LEDs here and there because I fear battery problems. Last year, the bike was used on and off until about October or November, then put away for a while until December, when I took it out a couple times, and filled the tank. Until this point, the bike always ran fine. I should have put Sta-bil, I know, but I didn't. Throughout the winter months the bike was on a tender and started every few weeks. In March or so, the bike didn't start very well, and didn't run well either, often stalling at idle. I changed the oil in April, and finally got it riding in the end of May. At that point the bike was running worse, and I realized it could be old gas. I filled the tank with new gas (2 gal) added and it didn't really help. Then, running got worse, it would cycle between running on 1 and 2 cylinders, mostly running on 1 and very susceptible to stalling on its own. Higher revs are fine, but sometimes during hard accelerations there are some misses. Adding Seafoam to a full tank of gas and it hasn't helped. I'm going to check the plugs, coils, and injectors. I have plugs on order to replace them, because they're overdue anyway, and that's my strongest suspicion, possibly from the short starts in the winter. However, I figured the spark plug self-cleaning would have been enabled if it were necessary.

What else should I check while I have the engine rotated?

BTW, how the heck do you easily install the vent tube into the air box base after taking it off??
Also, is it possible to remove the front spark plug without rotating the engine? I'd prefer to not go thru that if I don't have to...

Thanks for the help

[starcraper]

It was the spark plugs, and I was able to change them out without rotating engine, thanks to Juniorkirk at badweatherbikes: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buel...tml?1309926872

Here's what they looked like, in case anyone is curious. Gap was .045.

[ReadyXB]

Somehow I missed your original post. How many miles were on those plugs? Glad you got it fixed.

[starcraper]

I got the bike with 14k, and the PO said he hasn't done the 12k service, so I figure they're the original plugs. I was just surprised the bike's operation degraded so quickly from when I stopped using it last year and 6mo later. Valve adjustment is next.