Just got a quick look at the tach during idle - looks to be about 1100 RPM?

I think it sounds like a good running IronHead at idle. I don't think it is missing or anything, just the lumpy IronHead sound. What to you and others think? This is difficult for me to judge

How come it goes so quiet when you rev it up? Is it just that the camera sound pickup is muffled?

Mick

Its jus me holding the camera and getting close to the bike and mufflyng the sound.

I think the idle speed could [should?] be turned down a wee bit to about 1000 RPM.


If i set it that low it sounds like it could die.

Going back to your original post, but it wont idle under about 900 RPM, what happens? Does it stall? If this is with a cold engine then ok, but it seems to me that it should idle at even lower RPM than that when fully warmed up. I would not set it that low, but it should still do it.

to my way of thinking its not a control idle that low, i know its not a good comparison but my Mustang with a blower and build motor sounds like it will die between turns of the motor but is due to cam and tunning and its a controled idle. am not sure i explained that ok enough.

if set the idle lower the red light indicating not charging starts to come on at idle, that would drive me nuts.

I think it could be i dont know the bike that well, or have another around to gauge. i have listened to some others in YOUTUBE and they sound great but i think many have cams also. dont know it could be that the grass is greaner on the other side.

 

Hey Neal,
I watched it on my blackberry...sounds as good as any other video on this.

I wonder if you are new to the area you are in? Are there not riding clubs you could join? This type of tuning you need someone with you there with experience that you could learn from. Tuning by youtube is...um...challenging. Within the first year I had my harley I met people with the same and I asked and learned an overwhelming amount in a short time. Joined a local social/riding club...met some people with older bikes...and we started our own group. Look for some clubs in your area and meet some peope with the same style bikes and interests and talk and learn from them. It's the old grey-beards that'll teach you the most.

 

We have some local clubs that are OFF LIMITS, then saturday morning clubs and so on.
Am a little of a loner, very social but choose well who i hung out with, but houston is very large with surounding areas, am looking out there for anyone that i see riding an ironhead and when i do i guarantee you we will bullshit and posibility of doing some riding together. i been aproached by some riders with new machines and they had no idea even what my bike was, one guy we are going to ride for sure, and he was complaining to me about having small details on his bike that needed taking care of but not knowing how, and how they throw prices at him for what he thinks are small things, i told him we can fix it together. but am not complaining about not having A GAUGE, i love screwing with things, am not done with the carb yet, and i get so many pointers from you all that when i start my working on the bike i feel like i know what am doing, so its Ok.

 

Yes, but that is common. Generators do not charge at idle. I am lucky that with mine the light comes on so dimly at 1000 RPM that i can see it only at night. I also have a handlebar mounted voltmeter so i always know when it is/is not charging ...

 

wow and a cup holder too!!! Is there an ash-tray somewhere in there I'm not seeing?

That's a busy set of bars.

I've got a mirror
and that's it.

 

The ashes from those small rolled cigarettes dont require ashtrays, ha ha. and by the way thats a beer can holder!!!

Where did you get the voltmeter? I have a hole that someone put on my gauge mount bracket in the center between the rpm gauge and speedometer, i could put a voltmeter in there but it would have to be small.

 

Using an extra long idle speed screw is a neat idea! My fingers are small so it hasn't been a big deal for me but a longer screw with a knurled head sure would be the a most excellent custom touch!

If not an 8-32, did you try metric? Check out something like an M4 allen head bolt in stainless. I was at the hardware store this week and what I would have bet money on as an SAE was actually metric. Can't tell by looking at them so be careful in other apps as well.

 

Good point! Keihin carb, made in Japan, must be metric.

 

Seems that I read some where that the gen light should just flicker at the correct idle. Mine is not even flickering at this low an idle;
Click the pic

 

It does sound like it is idling a bit low. Do you have a tach? Does the light come on when you turn on the key?

I think there is great variability among working generators. I clean up my gen and measure the brushes once a year during winter project; replace brushes when down to 1/2". I don't know if this makes a difference.