Hey MA's mechanics, this is really strange problem, at least for me. Have a 1978 Beta SL5 NOS, no miles. It starts great on the kickstand, but idles a little too high. Can't adjust idle speed as rear wheel is spinning, and lowering idle too much stops the engine. Also, dropping off the kickstand onto the road will stop it too. I thought it may be a stuck starter clutch, but I drained out the tranny fluid, cracked open the transmission case, and everything is loose and moving smoothly. I even went as far as to remove the starter clutch (large circlip after removing the nut with a ball bearing). The 12-odd pads all look firm and not tacky at all, in fact they look new! I gently cleaned them anyway with rubbing alcohol. I bunished a little rust off the metal clutch plate with a dremel tool, then tried to remove the drive clutch flywheel. Unfortunately, I do not have a flywheel removal tool, so I gave up there. While open, I used brake cleaner spray to see if there was any issue with the drive clutches. The springs keep the drive pads back, but I can move each to the drive bell using a small screwdriver against the sprint links (there are 3 of these). As the rear wheel spins, I am assuming the drive clutches are good. Nothing is sticking anywhere in the tranny/clutch. I put everything back together, filled her up with ATF and - same problem! This is driving me nuts! Any suggestions from the experts?
I have rebuilt the Dellorto 14.9 also and all looks new there as well.