First Bike. Need help. Starts but doesn't stay on

[Brian]

I am new to motorcycles and mechanics. I don't know much, but bought a 1979 xs400 willing to learn a work. All my friends are working on their old schools cafe racers and bobbers. Anyways. I got my bike today. Battery was dead. I charged it a bit and got the bike to fire up, but it won't stay idle without any pressure on the throttle. It just shuts down. I fired it up for awhile too and the right exhaust got extremely HOT. Was even very hot to the touch over the wrap while the left side was fine. Please give some advice on why it wont stay on without hitting the throttle. I am very new to mechanics so maybe dumb it down for me, but I learn fast. Thanks

 

[Civicalized]

I dont know nearly as much as many on this site but here's what I did when mine did something similar. I got it and they said it need the carbs cleaned and a battery, so i got a battery and got it running but it had no power and wouldnt idle right. I took off the carbs and sprayed them with cleaner real well, then cleaned my plugs off (one was fouled) and put things back together. Ran some Sea Foam cleaner through with my gas and it runs great now! just a thought.

 

[Brian]

cool. thats what I was planning on doing tomorrow. My friend told me to soak the carbs in something. then clean it real well. where did u buy the sea foam cleaner from?

 

[bcware]

Sea foam is found at any auto parts store and probably walmart too. I wouldn't soak your carbs unless you're knowledgeable of all the parts and completely disassemble them. Carb cleaner destroys plastic and rubber parts; there are some hidden or annoying/difficult to remove pieces. Just carefully spraying the stuff from a can within the passages and blowing it out with compressed air should work fine. You'll also have to remove all of the jets because they get blocked as well. Don't stick anything in the brass parts that isn't made of brass itself; brass is easily deformed.

 

[Civicalized]

Yeah, I got mine at Walmart. It was like 8 bucks a can, but it is more than enough. You only use 1 oz per gallon of fuel. Also works in oil according to the can but I didnt try that.

 

[Brian]

I don't have a compressor to blow air through it. What else could work?

 

[bcware]

Compressed air in a can works well enough to push the cleaner through the passages, but it won't forcefully unblock them. Just let the solvent soak for longer if necessary.