Help, I’ve stuffed something up!

[mattnz]

Hi guys. Thanks for the add.

My names Matt and i live in New Zealand. I have an 2003 xvs650 bobber.
The bikes had a few engine mods, air filter housings been modified, k and n air filter, straight through exhaust with no baffles, 22.5 idle jet and 130 pilot jet. I normally run it on 95.

Recently I’ve been doing maintenance, the bikes run fine but I’ve been going through all the bits and pieces.

I’ve done the following work.
New oil and filter
New plugs
Reset the valve clearances
Changed the jets to those listed above
Reset the timing
New battery
Carb balance

So when I did the valve clearances I found that the Cam marks weren’t lining up when the flywheel marks were lined up. So I reset the timing and then balanced the carbs.

Now the bike starts and runs fine when cold, but once it warms up it won’t idle and it struggles to turn over causing it not to start. If I wind the idle up heaps the bike will sit at those Revs for a few seconds when your off throttle then it will drop off again and die.
The bike seems to be getting hotter than it was before.

I’m wondering if anyone can shed some light. I’ve used the service manual to get the timing lined up so I thought that would be right, but now I’m starting to reconsider it.
I thought maybe I stuffed up the valve clearances but I would have thought if that was the case that it would turn over too freely as it would loose compression.

Any thoughts?

Maybe the idle jets too small?

[serengetiotdog]

hey Mattnz, welcome to this forum, Im new here also and have a 2001 650custom. I did most of what you did also have worked on harleys but love this bike. Anyway I adj valves, sync carbs with two beer bottles and tubing, changed oil/filter drive oil and new sparks adj cluch -added spring on end of cable to put some play in the gripnand it runs like an automatic lincoln(smooth).
From what i understand the cams may not line up exactly-off my one tooth mark or so.
From what i understand(I might be wrong but timing can not be adjusted it is set by a sensor or module and if timing is off the timing sensor is messed up. good luck

[mattnz]

Ok that would explain it then. I’ll put a timing light on it tonight and see if it’s right. Probably should have done that first!!