2004 stock electraglide. Took it to an Indy. Was coughing , and farting had to use choke too much ........ Ran ok after reaching temp, was getting anywhere from 34-44 mpg depending on conditions. So he says. I need intake gaskets (seals) and a yost carb kit. So he does it . This is what the ticket says.

Air. 2 I'm guessing that is 2 turns out on the air air mixture?
185 main
45 int
Needle Red


So I go for a ride today Bike runs great no coughing spitting sputtering or farting minimal choke at first start , runs good. Cruising at 70-75 I got 31 mpg basically no wind one up . That sucks. Any ideas?

 

Sounds like you probably had a plugged pilot jet, I don't know why everyone tries to push jet kits, they come with multiple jets and you usually don't end using half the stuff in them, especially if your bike is stock, should have just cleaned the carb replaced intake seals and been done with it. My guess is that it is jetted too rich for a stock motor

 

Take that thing to a shop that has an actual dyno and sniffer and get that thing tuned! 3X MPG? That's horrible. Your jets aren't that far off from stock, but I feel something else is amiss here.

 

This guy has been around for probably 40 years you would think that he would know what works and what doesn't.

 

sounds like pushing jet kits on every one that drops a bike in to him works for him as it does for a lot of them . they just want your money and a quick fiddle with a carb and 2 $5 jets and they can charge you $ 150 and up depends on how much of a sucker they take you for .

some people will mug you by sticking a gun in your face some with do it with a spanner a smile and a cup of coffee on the big leather sofa and ask you hows your wife and kids like they really give a **** . im not for dyno jet kits myself . do some research on it carb tuneing and all . I would ring the dude up and tell him about the mpg . most people would leave the bike stock if they taught it was going to drink fuel after a carb kit . maybe thats all a dresser will that at that kind of speed anyway do you ride it like you stole it on your way up to 75mph ?

 

I feel for ya on that as my local indy has been in service for 30 years too. Operates out of a garage in his home. Won't bullshit you, is completely honest, etc. He's the type who can get your bike running fine and work out some kinks with trial and error.
But if you want it in tip-top operating shape, you can't beat a performance shop that has a real motorcycle dyno and hooks it up to a computer to tune it perfectly.

 

Year before last I had a problem with the carb on my '89 EVO.
It's a true "garage queen" but I had never had an issue with it before.

I installed a Dyno-Jet kit back when it was new and other than that, the carb had never been tinkered with.

I installed new intake seals, new accelerator pump, vacuum diaphragm, new petcock, etc., etc., etc., still nothing.

I disassembled and cleaned the carb twice, and still nothing.

On the THIRD disassemble, I again used spray carb cleaner and compressed air. Even using my glasses, I saw noting unusual or dirty, but when I re-installed the carb this time, the engine started, idled, and ran perfectly!

If you're sure your carb is clean, my only suggestion would be is to have a "tech" check/reset the float level.

 

I trust this guy, he told me that there is a piece it's called a collar # 28 in the exploded view in the manual, any way he said this peice was inside the carb instead of on top of the carb , and he also said one of the jets was about to fall out.he charged me $225 to do the intake gaskets and carb kit , parts and labor . I think that's pretty reasonable. Yes I could have got some jets and a needle and whatever and done it myself but I just don't want to work on stuff any more, I was an auto tech for 29 years when I started my business I told myself I knew I was doing good when I could afford to pay someone to work on my stuff.

 

most people would leave the bike stock if they taught it was going to drink fuel after a carb kit . maybe thats all a dresser will that at that kind of speed anyway do you ride it like you stole it on your way up to 75mph ?


I rode especially conservative today just to get a good idea of fuel mileage.

 

Some say those Yost Powertubes kill your MPG, but I got 52mpg on my '94 XL with one installed.

That said, my FXD had the same problem yours did. Put a '88 XL needle in it, left the stock 45/190 jets in it & tweaked the idle mixture. Runs great, warms up quick, great throttle response & 46mpg. Was getting 42mpg prior. Still had the odd sneeze, tho, so I wanna wait till it warms up outside before I decide whether or not to go up to a 46 pilot.