Ok, so I've been through the broken rocker arms/replacing head for my sons falcon 90. Since then everything has been great (cracked exhaust pipe too, but that was an easy fix).

Until this weekend we were riding and all of the sudden it just stopped. I thought here we go again.... So we towed it back to the house and I started to think it was the rocker arms again. To my surprise compression was great, rocker arms still in one piece. I did notice the smell of gas, like a lot of gas.

So since I had spark, compression, next thing I learned to look for was gas/air. I kinda had an idea it was the carb, but I've never taken one apart. So I did and it looked fine, no debris and it was clean. I placed it back on the bike and still it was like the choke was on or something. Gas smell, quad didn't have any power and wouldn't idle w/o stalling.

So Called my bud John. Have to say I wish all my vendors at work were as helpful and service oriented as John. We ran through draining the bowl, adjusting the screws... still the quad would not start nor did it have any power. And I was getting light headed of the fumes of gas. So I was told to run the quad with the bowl valve open to try and clean/blow out the carb or take it apart again and clean it. Looked clean to me before but I listened anyways.

As I took the carb off again and again I did not see any debris I started to take a closer look at the workings of the carb. I adjusted the choke while the carb was in my hand and I saw that it didn't do anything. Kinda weird as I know it allows more gas into the engine but lifting the choke lever I could not see any other piece moving within the carb. Then I notice this gate (I'm sure there is a correct term for it, but I don't know it) that goes up and down and is facing the air intake. It (the gate) was in the down position and I put a tiny screw driver to see if it would move. I find out the this gate moves up and down. I then notice that when I lift the gate all the way up it touches the other end of the choke lever. Looking more closer I see there is a tit on the lever and a dimple on the top part of the gate. They were not connected but it sure as hell looked like they should be connected. So I pryed a screw driver under the gate and lifted the gate all the way up and at the same time I applied preasure on the choke lever and I managed to put the tit in the dimple. Now when I move the choke lever it in turn moves this gate up and down. When the choke is in the off position (lever is pushed down close to the bike) the gate is all the way open. When the choke is on full (lever is pulled up and is away from the bike) the gate is all the way closed.

Now it all makes sense. The gate had managed to vibrate off the tit and that caused the gate to fall down. In this position it is on full choke. Exactly the symptom I was seeing. Stalling, no power, smell of gas and the quad wouldn't idle.

I've learned more about 4 stoke engines than I ever thought I would. Question, what is the technical name for that gate?

John: If it happens again would that justify a new carb? I also appreciate the gasket for the exhaust.


Well I hope this helps. If it were not for reefskinner's post on the head issue I would have been at a loss. So hopefully this will help someone else out as well.

Thanks again John.