thanks guys...since I am not certain I can rule out carburation, and the crank is not very old, I'll probably start by getting into the carbs and try to clean things up, as suggested. Is there a FAQ for carb cleaning procedures by any chance?

yes, once it is bucking, if I increase the gas a bit, it will power through in a few seconds. If I don't increase the gas, I think it would just keep bucking, but I've always just gassed it to get out of it, so I don't know that for a fact. Thanks for the leads, guys.

Jim
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-Jim
'93 MC21