86 Interceptor 500, will only idle under open choke

Oh ok, so there is just an idle adjustment screw that needs to be tweaked?
I will check it out in the manual once I get home this evening.

 

cool that you got the bike running.....and that you managed to get them back on without screwing up the boots.. a near impossiblilty.... especially if they have never been off the bike..
welcome to the world enjoy yourself here.


The idle adjustment screw is located on the left side of the bike(as you are sitting) a black knob you should find there...

 

The idle speed adjuster knob on my 500 is on the front of # 4 carb, that is the right front carb as you are sitting on the bike. I keep the idle speed around 1200-1400 RPM , seems to work better than the 1000 stated in the FSM.

 

It's funny you say that because I had no trouble at all. They came off un-damaged, but a couple of them came off with the carb assembly.
When I reinstalled it I took the two boots that fell off and tried to put them back on cylinder heads, which gave me a hell of a time, so I stopped before I damaged one. The manual said that they are supposed to go back on with the "recess" on the boot in the 12 o clock position. Well I didn't see any "recess" but I did notice that one side of the boots has embossed text on it that says "carb". I looked at the two that were still on the bike and I saw that they both had this text facing directly upward from the cylinder head...in the 12 o clock position.
So I positioned the two I was putting on like this and to my amazement they slipped right on.


I will look for this screw. The manual doesn't mention it at all, or not that I can find. I tried starting the bike again today and its being difficult. Its better than it was, but I'm hoping this is an idle issue/needs to be ridden issue.

Is this knob super sensitive, or can I just get the bike running and start messing with it? I don't wanna F up something simple.

 

Found thr Idle screw. I've got it around 1200 now.

 

My 86 FSM manual says 1300+/-100 RPM so your instinct seems confirmed.