Mixture question...
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 111
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From:
RE: Mixture question...
I wouldn't worry too much about the pipes. I noticed mine were blued with 400 miles on it in dead stock condition. I guess that shows how lean the bike comes off the assembly line. I'm glad your problem was proved to be the most simple to fix.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 10
From: Orange VA
RE: Mixture question...
I didn't do anything fancy except ride up the street and then idle in the driveway for a few minutes. I pulled the plugs and the threads are black and sotty. The tip is white. The electrode and the ceramic are normal.
[IMG]local://upfiles/5927/8870D0F3FDCA4DF898424FAFD8448BBA.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/5927/8870D0F3FDCA4DF898424FAFD8448BBA.jpg[/IMG]
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,334
Likes: 2
RE: Mixture question...
White tips = lean. In all honesty the plugs you showed me are too lean for my taste. You might want to wait and see if they clear up or richen it right away. Richer is always better than leaner as with too lean you can do some serious damage.
Banned
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 14,082
Likes: 8
RE: Mixture question...
Once you richen it up, run the bike after warm up to the school or mall or just in the neighbohood. Wind 'er up in about 3rd gear, kill it dead with the kill switch, pull the clutch and coast it to a stop and read the plugs. Some trouble to do all this but short of a Dyno its the one best option you got.
Do the pipes glow red with the plugs like they are in pic? You are real close to perfect from what I can tell. Should be a little more pinkish tan on the ceramic, and the sooty around the metal base is saying it's not "to" lean. I generally agree with what 1200c says with the exception that I have seen rich conditions wash the oil down the cylinder walls and cause major lube problems for the rings. That however was an exceptional situation. You could always take the plugs as they are by the Service Department, I know my dealers service tech would get a mech. to look at for me no problem.
Do the pipes glow red with the plugs like they are in pic? You are real close to perfect from what I can tell. Should be a little more pinkish tan on the ceramic, and the sooty around the metal base is saying it's not "to" lean. I generally agree with what 1200c says with the exception that I have seen rich conditions wash the oil down the cylinder walls and cause major lube problems for the rings. That however was an exceptional situation. You could always take the plugs as they are by the Service Department, I know my dealers service tech would get a mech. to look at for me no problem.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 10
From: Orange VA
RE: Mixture question...
That white might be left over from before. After I fixed the leaking intake gasket I only ran the bike long enough to tweak the mix and set idle speed. I brushed the plugs with some gas, confirmed gap was within specs and put back in. I'll check them again in a few miles.
It seems to ride very well now. Its much more throaty sounding and feels happier overall. Still not loud enough though. Anyway, I went to the dealer service rep for a second opinion and evaluation of my handy-work. He recommended only 2 turns out for the mixture based on my configuration. I'm at about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4. I'd rather err on the side of rich.
Also discussed only doing the jets the way I did vice a jet kit. I know everyone differs on this but I'm now sold on spending the money for a Dynojet kit. I'm going with:
Dynojet T-slide kit 29936-98A for $139.95 $10 got me jetted close but the extra cash can get me dead on and max out the performance gains.
Doing the jets only is 'A' way to go and works for correcting the lean condition I created by 1) buying a stock HD and 2) adding a high flow AC. But doing the jets alone was described to me as an "old school" way of doing things. Before jet kits were available that was the only way to do it and its time comsuming trial and error. The key benefit of the jet kits is the replacement emulsion tube and adjustable needle combined with the detailed specs to help you dial in your configuration.
So I'll ride it like this until the pipes are in. Then I'll do the pipes and the jet kit together.
After that.....cams. Then I have to convince the wife I NEED the high compression heads.
For the SE AC, I'm thinking about painting the center metal from the filter black and then running it naked like it looks on page 33 of the SE catalog.
It seems to ride very well now. Its much more throaty sounding and feels happier overall. Still not loud enough though. Anyway, I went to the dealer service rep for a second opinion and evaluation of my handy-work. He recommended only 2 turns out for the mixture based on my configuration. I'm at about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4. I'd rather err on the side of rich.
Also discussed only doing the jets the way I did vice a jet kit. I know everyone differs on this but I'm now sold on spending the money for a Dynojet kit. I'm going with:
Dynojet T-slide kit 29936-98A for $139.95 $10 got me jetted close but the extra cash can get me dead on and max out the performance gains.
Doing the jets only is 'A' way to go and works for correcting the lean condition I created by 1) buying a stock HD and 2) adding a high flow AC. But doing the jets alone was described to me as an "old school" way of doing things. Before jet kits were available that was the only way to do it and its time comsuming trial and error. The key benefit of the jet kits is the replacement emulsion tube and adjustable needle combined with the detailed specs to help you dial in your configuration.
So I'll ride it like this until the pipes are in. Then I'll do the pipes and the jet kit together.
After that.....cams. Then I have to convince the wife I NEED the high compression heads.
For the SE AC, I'm thinking about painting the center metal from the filter black and then running it naked like it looks on page 33 of the SE catalog.
Thread Starter
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 10
From: Orange VA
RE: Mixture question...
Sorry ******, was working my post when your previous one went up. I rechecked the plugs after my ride to the dealer. That was a typo in my last post. I was more like 1 - 1 1/4 turns out. Plugs look just like they do in the pics.
It didn't fart or pop and had good power. Didn't notice the pipes glowing either. So I "ll leave it for now, ride it around a while and then read the plugs.
As for the jet kit, I can go back to the stock #42 if the kit calls for it. I kept the stock ones.
It didn't fart or pop and had good power. Didn't notice the pipes glowing either. So I "ll leave it for now, ride it around a while and then read the plugs.
As for the jet kit, I can go back to the stock #42 if the kit calls for it. I kept the stock ones.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,334
Likes: 2
RE: Mixture question...
I have heard a lot of experts say that jet kits aren't needed. Ya, they put in the parts you need to get it right, but you can find the same information online and it's a lot cheaper. Here is a combo that works 45/shim needle/180 and screw out 2 turns. That means you only need to change the pilot jet and shim the needle with 1-2 washers.
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Banned
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 14,082
Likes: 8
RE: Mixture question...
No problem, glad to see it is worked out for you. When I put my slip on's on, all the damn experts were saying you better jet it, you better jet it! but in my mind, after all the years I spent drag racing I for the life of me couldn't see when Mufflers were gonna cause a lean situation, I understand the air in air out, CFM's and all that ****, but a damn carb aint never that close to perfect that a simple change like that is gonna screw you. BUT, I read my plugs every 50 miles or so for two friggin weeks cause these people had made me so paranoid. The key is to read them plugs to remove any doubt! The plugs don't BS ya!
ORIGINAL: bensonjv
Sorry ******, was working my post when your previous one went up. I rechecked the plugs after my ride to the dealer. That was a typo in my last post. I was more like 1 - 1 1/4 turns out. Plugs look just like they do in the pics.
It didn't fart or pop and had good power. Didn't notice the pipes glowing either. So I "ll leave it for now, ride it around a while and then read the plugs.
As for the jet kit, I can go back to the stock #42 if the kit calls for it. I kept the stock ones.
Sorry ******, was working my post when your previous one went up. I rechecked the plugs after my ride to the dealer. That was a typo in my last post. I was more like 1 - 1 1/4 turns out. Plugs look just like they do in the pics.
It didn't fart or pop and had good power. Didn't notice the pipes glowing either. So I "ll leave it for now, ride it around a while and then read the plugs.
As for the jet kit, I can go back to the stock #42 if the kit calls for it. I kept the stock ones.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 21,949
Likes: 6
From: My house
RE: Mixture question...
The header pipes are going to blue no matter what you do, the heat sheilds are there to cover that, the mixture screw you're talking about is the low speed mixture, if you have a decel pop then you would need to back it out around 1/2 turn increments, maybe just 1/4 turn increments until it doesn't pop, and if you have to go more than 3- 1/2 turns, I would probably raise the needle first and then if that didn't help on decel pop I would go up one number on the main. If you are not having any decel pop then I would try different adjustments from 2-1/2 turns to 3-1/2 to find the sweet spot that the bike comes off the low speed system, usually when you have the bike at a idle and do a quick 0 throttle to 100 % throttle twist, it shouldn't fall flat on it's face it might have a slight hesitation but if the low speed isn't right it will kill the motor. The low speed mixture only is in the tuning game from right off idle to 0-10% throttle decel for the most part.