SM 125 Carb troubles?

[kdesilva]

Bike cuts out every time in idle (and when clutch pulled in) - also making popping sounds (almost like backfiring) .. could it be a dirty carb?

[DAVID THOMPSON]

my 125 does not run very well on gas with ethanol in it
use a grade of gas with no ethanol and add a bit of stabil each fillup

also lean bike up against something on its right side and drain the float bowl
drain screw is on left side front bottom of carb

dave

[kdesilva]

also lean bike up against something on its right side and drain the float bowl
drain screw is on left side front bottom of carb

Thanks David - did that over the weekend. Still had problems, so it's in with the mechanic now to disassemble the carb and clean it. I'm a tinkerer of mechanical things, but I'm not that good and with the parts so hard to come by, I don't want to mess anything up!