Dip in power...any thoughts?

[LuckyATB]

2001 Kawasaki W650, 11k babied miles, I've had it a year/2k miles.

I'm just back from an evening joyride (my 4th since bringing her out of winter hibernation) and am a bit worried by a hesitation issue she displayed. We'll be humming along nicely, and occasionally out of the blue a little blip...pause...dip in power. As if tapping the front brake. Not enough to worry about being thrown, but certainly noticeable and enough to bum me out at the thought of bringing it to a dealer...varies between a barely perceptable hiccup to actually making it dive a bit. During a 45-minute ride it happened 3 times in the first half-hour and then three times within a couple of minutes at the end. Some were during acceleration, some while just maintaining speed.

This may not be totally new – could have happened a bit last year, but nowhere near this often, below the levels that caused me to think twice about it. I thought it might be the plugs, so I changed 'em out, but it's still happening. Air filters were thoroughly cleaned before putting it back on the road. It doesn't feel like a chain/sprocket skipping issue...altho that's never happened to me so I don't really know.

Any ideas?

[benVFR]

Clean the carbs and check the fuel filter?

[LuckyATB]

Problem is I'm not good with a wrench...I have just worked up the confidence to pull off the tank to get to the plugs and that's a big deal for me. I have instructions on cleaning the carbs by letting some Techron sit in the bowls, and I'm gonna try that...but the owner's manual doesn't give any mention of the fuel filter...is there a usual place it's located for me to try and pull it?

[Hardcore]

the fuel filter is between the tank and the carbs----all of about 1 foot in distance

if you can't find it then you don't have 1

[Honclfibr]

A momentary loss of power like that would seem to point to either a stuck jet needle, or a problem with one of your ignition coils/wiring. Check first to make sure the tab connectors on each ignition coil are firmly attached and not corroded.

Also, if your batttery terminals are corroded or the lugs are not on tightly, or there is a problem with the wiring, this could also cause such symptoms as your motorcycle will not run properly without the battery attached inline. Check those too.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
Also, if your batttery terminals are corroded or the lugs are not on tightly, or there is a problem with the wiring, this could also cause such symptoms as your motorcycle will not run properly without the battery attached inline. Check those too.

That was the issue w/ my zx6r... symptoms were similar & it ended up being a loose battery terminal at least it was an easy fix. If you removed the battery for winter storage, or played w/ the terminals to put in a battery tender, double check it & make sure the connections are solid.