I need your help..bad

[bostonshvlhead]

I'm new to the site so please help me out. Names nick, I'm 20 years old and i got two shovelheads. I got a 78 sporty and a 1984 xls roadster 1000. I totally rebuilt the 84 with my dad and we had the bike running mint. It sat for a year all together just unpainted. We just finished the bike and went to start it and once again the shovelhead let me down. The bike was miserably hard to get started. It sucked the voltage out of the battery and once running it would pop and sputter and back fire. It blew flames out the carb. For the life of me i cant figure it out. Any suggestion? Thanks

[blackbeard 60]

this is probably a stupid question but did you but new gas in the tank after it sat a year.

[harpo1313]

welcome to the board nick,first your bikes are sportsters ,which look like shovelheads but different animals.there is a sportster board here and one of the moderators will probly move you over to the right spot.im sure you will get it sorted out .lots of knowledge here.did you use fresh gas on the startup?

[nomadbkr]

.. ironhead or shovelhead ..
.. if yur runnin points, or even some 'lectronic ignitions; it's real easy to accidently set'em 180 degrees out ..
.. that's what it sounds like to me .. it'll start real hard and barely run fartin and poppin as if to say WTF ! ! ..
.. don't sweat it .. it's easy to do and easy to fix ..
.. just gotta be sure you make sure the front piston is on the up stroke before looking for the timing mark when static timing ..
.. easiest way to do that, is to pull the front plug and/or pull the intake pushrod tube clip and look for the timing mark you want JUST after the intake valve on the front cylinder closes ..
.. it'll come up quick ..
.. of course, the same holds true if setting on the rear .. but then you're looking for a whole 'nuther timing mark and that has slightly different rules ..
.. best to set things from the front jug ..

good luck
nomad

[CraigArizona85248]

If it's doing this with fresh gas, the first thing I would check would be for a intake manifold leak.  It's a common problem and will cause a bad lean condition that makes the bike backfire through the carb.

-Craig

[Lew]

Nick, follow all of the previously posted suggestions...all excellent.  Also might check and clean the plugs and if running points might clean the face of the contacts.  Sometimes they can get crusty or oily from just sitting and can cause problems.  If all else fails try a different condenser as a bad one will cause the symptoms you're describing.  Good luck!

Lew

[Skelly]

One clue you gave was ''sucked juice out of battery".. experience with my 78 taught me that a low battery will not keep a point/condensor ignition firing good as spark will be weak untill ya get rpm up enough for ol generator to kick in...the points get voltage from battery untill then...could be that simple...