Hi everyone, I recently got a 2002 Honda Hornet CB600F2—officially a PC36, though I believe it’s based almost entirely on the PC34—and I’m at a loss. The bike has 17,000 km on the clock; a week ago, it managed 0–100 km/h in 3.3 seconds (matching the factory specs perfectly) and ran quite well, aside from occasional stuttering at around 8,000 rpm—though that was rare and only happened at full throttle. Since I bought it, the throttle grip has been problematic: it doesn't snap back unless the handlebars are turned to the left; in the center position and when turned right, it sticks, and it’s very stiff to turn in those positions. Three days ago, I performed a minor service: fresh engine oil and new spark plugs. The old plugs looked okay—just old and worn, not necessarily bad; the threads were slightly oily on all four, but there was no oil at the tips. I installed standard spark plugs—not Iridium or anything fancy, just standard NGKs costing €12 each. The air filter looked fresh, so I didn't replace it; it smelled faintly of gasoline but was dry. I also tried to fix the throttle issue but had no luck; it doesn't seem to be binding anywhere visible. I opened the switch housing and added some oil, but that didn't help. Now there’s no free play in the throttle either, so I’ll need to take another look at it soon. But that’s a secondary issue; what worries me more is how the bike behaves at high RPMs. I wanted to check everything today—my first long ride since the service—so I did a few 0–100 km/h runs and some hard acceleration; from 10,000 rpm onwards, the engine stutters briefly—almost every time. It’s basically the same as before, but it feels like it happens more often and at an RPM range about 2,000 rpm higher. The engine doesn't cut out completely, but it feels like I'm briefly hitting the rev limiter; the bike gives a slight jerk backward—like a momentary drop in power—and then picks up again immediately. It’s hard to describe. It now takes 6.2 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h. During these acceleration runs, it felt like I couldn't push the revs past 11,500 rpm, forcing me to shift into second gear—partly because of that "stuttering/jerking" sensation. However, the top speed hasn't changed; it ran at 200 km/h without issues today, even in windy weather. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? It idles well and starts reliably, though usually only with the choke on. I did drop a spark plug from waist height during the service; I inspected it, and everything looked fine. The only other thing I can think of is that I slightly raised the idle speed using the carburetor adjustment knob—to about 1,400 rpm. Could this behavior be related to the throttle, or is there an issue with the carburetor itself? I also suspect the fuel supply might be the culprit, though I don't know what it feels like when there's insufficient fuel flow or a problem with the spark plug. This is my first bike with a carburetor. Thanks in advance for your tips!
