1971 Suzuki T500 stalling at idle and throttle release

[Stella1971]

My bike was converted into a beautiful cafe racer. The engine is actually a '75 2 stroke. I cleaned the carbs and repaired a float last year. The bike runs great as long as the throttle is engaged. I can't let off the throttle when slowing to turn or stop because it will stall. This is a pain because it is a kick start. I have tried to adjust the idle on each carb to no avail. I also put in a new battery. Any ideas as to what the issue could be?

[titan performance]

Hi Stella....so your bike is a 1975 T500 with 32mm Mikuni carbs is it? You say you have tried to adjust the idle on each carb to no avail. This seems strange to me, as screwing in the idle adjusters has to increase engine speed...as you are doing the same thing as opening the throttle.

A very common mistake which is made when these bikes are taken apart, is putting the slides back into the wrong carbs. The bike will run like this, but it wont idle, it will use a lot of gas, and the idle adjusters will have no effect.
Unscrew the top of one of your carbs, and pull out the slide....the cutaway must face the rear of the bike, if it does not, pull the other out, turn them round, and put them back in the opposite carbs.

[tz375]

It could be almost anything from clogged piolt jets, slides in back to front at Triton suggested, timing, low compression, carbs out of synch, and so on.

I'd strip and rebuild the carbs (again) as a starting exercise and then go on to give it a complete service and check up. When you put teh crabs back together check the slides to make sure they are in the correct sides and are lifting together at exactly the same time.

[Coyote]

It could be almost anything from clogged piolt jets

That would be the first place I would look - especially if you are using ethanol blended fuel. The ethanol likes to congeal and plug up the tiny holes in the pilot jets. Happened to me.