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Got this 96 King a few months back, 15k on odo, it came to me with non baffled full length straight pipes with flat cut ends, no removable tips. The bike ran ok, I did the usual hose and vacuum line replacements, voes check, full service, CVP carb rebuild with up jetting for the Big Sucker I put on it and did a true dual conversion. Left everything else all stock.
Bike runs good, decent used evo power level, but was really loud. So I grab some Bub Stealth slip ons and stick em on there. Much quieter, lost a little power with the true duals and the more restrictive pipes, but I can live with it.
Since I put on the Bubs with shiny exhaust tips I've noticed the rear cyl left exhaust tip getting sooted up quite a bit compared to the right side. It may have been doing this all along, couldn't tell on the old pipes, they were just black inside.
So, I checked the plugs, both looked good, a little trace of ash on the rear plug but not bad, nowhere near fouled or anything. Burning good.
Checked compression. Both cyls at 140 cold.
Swapped plug wires at the coil end, no change, still soot on the left pipe.
Bike runs good, no huge problem, and I'm inclined to just let it go and ride it. Only thing I can think of is that maybe I've got a bad valve stem seal on the rear cyl letting some oil in once it gets warmed up.
Thanks guys. Been turnin wrenches a few decades so I figured it isn't a big problem, just asking to see if maybe I was missing something cause I sure as hell don't think I know it all.
Oh and new intake gaskets/carb seal installed correctly with no response to carb cleaner spray at idle.
The front cyl pipe does get some soot (carbon) build up too, just not as much. Bike runs good, plugs look good, it don't burn oil, so I'm riding it.
In the days before internet if you didn't know anybody to ask about this stuff, you just figured it out yourself. Much better now in my opinion to be able to get feedback from places like this.
The two pipes are different lengths and the uneven firing sequence adds to the two cylinders not running quite the same. That is an advantage of EFI over a carb, which is that fuelling can be dialled into each cylinder. My shovelhead would routinely 4-stroke on the front cylinder and 8-stroke on the rear. I bought the bike new and could adjust them the same, but it soon went back to it's old ways!
Been a few weeks and few hundred miles. Both pipes look the same now, bike still runs good.
Little rich, got 25 mpg on an 80/85 mph run. Wasn't expecting to need reserve 100 miles after fill up, but I was running it pretty hard. I'll take rich over lean any day.
Thanks. Running 185/46. It's a little rich. Got 25 mpg on that one 80/85 mph interstate run pushing it hard with my big *** 250# self. Otherwise getting 35/40 mpg just putting around on two lane highways. I know I could jet down a bit and get a few more mpg, but I'm fine with it being a bit rich since it's carbed.
I'll second "they just do that" on the rear cylinder. Lifted the heads on mine a while ago, the rear piston was covered in burnt toast though the front was just fine.
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True dualed 96 evo, one pipe soots up
