My bike idles fine sometimes and then sometimes it skips every know and then and somtimes stalls. When I shut the bike off after its hot the engine backfires(sounds like a gunshot). What could it be. It runs fine when I am moving it only idles a little quircky and backfires when i shut it off. I have been running fuel with xtra stabilizer in it if that makes a difference. I have fresh fuel to try when i run out this tank. Could my carb need cleaning or be off on the settings. I had a NGK CR8E plug in it. When I took it out it was black. I put in the CR6E, the plug it came through with from the factory. ANY IDEAS! The bike is a 2000 Quadmaster 500

 

Anyone have manual to take off carb to clean it? I never did it and dont want to mess around and make it worse.

 

Where is the idle/air set screw on the carb? Maybe I need to adjudt it a little.

 

Its on the bottom side of the carb, forward of the float bowl. If you have a calf. motor, there will be a cover over it, just pop it off and screw it out, about 1/4 turn, this will richen it up.
Check out these sites for how to info on cleaning the carb.
http://www.atving.com/editor/techtips/carbclean.htm
http://oldmanhonda.com/MC/Rcarbs.html

 

So its near the bowl drain screw? I thought I didn't see anything there when I looked.

 

Nope, itll be farther forward, by the intake manifold.

 

I got it. I turned it out 1/4 turn and she purred like a kitten at idle for 15 minutes. Thanks ALOT!!!!

 

Good going, now remember where this screw is, because when the weather gets hot, or you go up in elevation, the current setting may be too rich, and youll need to go back in that 1/4 turn, to lean the idle mixture back down.

 

How will I know if its too rich?
I wont forget where it is

 

Good question.
Heres one of the best articles ive seen online for showing the symptoms of lean and rich.
jetting
Usually the off throttle snapiness starts to feel more lazy, or theres smoke,or runs rough and has an uneven idle.
Warmer temperatures will tend to richen the mixtures and colder temps tend to lean them out. If youre aware of the symptoms, you can just readjust as you encounter them.