My 2001 RK is a carb; thinking about going to a good EFI for the bike. Hoping I can get better performance and easier starts.

Anyone know what the best route would be?

 

It would be a pretty major change, with lots of parts and expense. I'd spend some time dialing in the existing carb...or replacing it with an S&S or Mikuni carb. Much more cost effective and should produce good results.

 

I think Holley had a conversion kit many years ago. Dunno if they still do.

 

the keihin CV carb is one of the easist to tune, most reliable carbs out there- it'll perform flawlessly through altitude variations of many thousands of feet ( try that with a mikuni or S&S).

it also performs very well- the performance bottleneck on your year model is the heads- not the intake or fuel mixture.

so keep the carb.

if you have operability problems, perhaps you are in need of a rebuild, fresh seals on the intake.

cold starts shouldn;t be a problem, pull the enricher, let it warm until the rear head is warm to the touch and ride on.

mike

 

One of my bikes has a carb and the other is EFI. I prefer the carb and if I change anything it will be swap out stock for a Mikuni with a larger throttle body.

 

I'll be the ahole: a better option may be looking for an 07+ RK, or an 09+ for the better frame and EFI

 

oh I agree, the changes to the efi in 2007 are leaps and bounds better than the previous versions.

the MM efi used by HD starting in 1995 was more expensive, less reliable, produced less power, less mpg and higher emissions than the same year carb'd bikes.
Don;t blame MM, the systems they built for other brands at same time were very good.


I'm thinking that if the OP is having trouble, he may just need a carb rebuild


Mike

 

By the time you get it all, you're spending a grand. No way you'll save that much money in gas in your lifetime....


Like everyone said, drivability is a tuning issue, and so is starting. They started right up in 2001. You have to get it back to that state of tune.

 

You guys are right, probably better off getting a newer bike.

 

And, ironically reduce the value of resale. Not that an 01 has a high resale anyway.

Beary