Puzzling LT50 Stalling Problem - HELP!!!

[KSC06]

2002 Suzuki LT50 Quadmaster...

Starts up, idles fine. Lift the back end and it revs right up, and runs well in all rpm ranges that you hold it at. Leave it still, and it'll run all day long.

Go to ride it and it gets a very short distance and just cuts out. Just as if you pulled the teather switch or hit the kill switch. Actually, just pushing it forward or back a little ways, idling, and it stalls. It's almost as if the rear wheels rolling triggers something. Lift the back end and roll it on the front, no problem...

Once stalled, to start it up, it takes a few pulls. Almost as if you ran the fuel out, and it has to pull new fuel in.

Any ideas, anyone? At this point, I've got the carb off, and plan a good cleaning in the morning. But the fact that it runs perfectly while sitting makes me think the carb isn't the issue.

I'd really appreciate any help, thanks!

[mwgak]

I have the exact same issue with the exception that it will run full throttle with the choke but will only idle without.

[LT80]

I think the carb cleaning should fix both.

[WAATV]

I had a similar problem after cleaning the carb on our (now sold) LT-A50. During reassembly I adjusted the float according to the Suzuki service manual, and afterwards it acted very much like you're describing. I opened up the bowl, put the float back to the (contrary to factory spec) earlier position, and the problem vanished.

When you're idling or "lift the back end up" you're not really flowing that much fuel. You hit the max RPM's pretty fast with very little fuel flow because there's almost no load on the engine. But once you're actually trying to ride it, the fuel flow goes way up - and with the float adjusted I think the bowl was starving out of fuel. "Mis"adjusting it back to where it was kept the bowl full and thus stopped starving the engine for fuel.

Anyway, I'd check the float and reexamine the fuel system and carb circuits for contamination. While you're in there, take off the fuel tank and clean its internal filter, all fuel hoses, and the fuel valve (petcock). None of this is difficult and will give you peace of mind knowing that your fuel system is solid.

Report back!