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Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:55 am
by VTRDark
I think the rad looks pretty good. It's like the firestorm sticker, silver with black border.

and the fairing bracket/clock stay always get a bit rusty. That was one of the first things I done on my bike. Bet you had fun re-routing all the wires and getting the fairing back on.
That bracket by the way, did you notice the two black caps on the end of the tubular bits by the mirror mounts. Inside there should be little weights that help reduce vibration.
(:-})
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:17 am
by scott02464
Hey thanks Carl! I just took my time re-routing the cables, I gave em a clean while I was at it too ;-)
I did notice them weights mate but didn't know what they were until you said lol!
I just got it all done before the rain! Glad I got up early, well got woke up by the 3 month old :-)
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:57 pm
by VTRDark
I went for a run down the A3 yesterday and was just not happy with my wide open throttle and main jet sizes. I had got to the point of a bit of stuttering and silly fuel consumption.
Did not fancy leaving it like this until workshop day so stripped me carbs again. They are now set as follows.
K&N
Front carb
180 main
50 pilot
needle clip 4th from the top
A/F 1.5 turns out
standard emulsion tube back in
Rear carb
182 main
50 pilot
needle clip 4th from the top
A/F 1.3/4 turns out
I know I should only change one thing at a time but I changed the pilots back to 50's and also put the emulsion tubes back to standard set up. I'm considering blocking 1 of the slide holes in each carb. The mixture I set with the carbs off as I don't have a screwdriver to fit with them on and bike running.

took a guess and the idle does not fluctuate much, so must be near enough good.
After going for a test run, the mixture could be made a tad richer, maybe another 1/16 to a 1/4 turn. or I may try moving the needle 1 clip richer instead.
I still have my new diaphragm springs to fit Saturday and after the run up north I will decide whether I want to move the needle clip position or mixture.
(:-})
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:59 pm
by scott02464
I'd love to learn how to strip the carbs down like that mate, even if its only to give them a clean down and learn something.
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:10 pm
by VTRDark
It really is simple to strip the carbs except the diaphragm spring can be fiddly at first. The worst bit is taking the air filter and carbs off the bike. Its one of those thing's the haynes manual and stuff make it sound complicated, but once you have done it once you will wonder what the fuss was about. In fact I would advice not going near the haynes manual it just over complicates things.
Actually what I might do this weekend at workshop day is strip mine down AGAIN

Take lots of pics and post a carb strip down thread.
(:-})
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:31 pm
by scott02464
cybercarl wrote:
Actually what I might do this weekend at workshop day is strip mine down AGAIN

Take lots of pics and post a carb strip down thread.
(:-})
That would be brilliant mate If you did! I would deffo give it a go after a good read up first. Iv never been a big fan of Haynes manuals for that very reason (they seem to make it sound more complicated) I'm not saying they are no good, but for my level of caliber it's not very confidence inspiring if you know what I mean.
Iv more or less stripped down the entire bike, in stages, so I'm not spanner illiterate.
If I was to strip them down are there any settings (so to speak) I could mess up?
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:13 pm
by BigVeeGrin
Carl - told you you should be CyberCarb now.
Scott - I'm a bit of a mechanical duffer, but tackled a carb clean etc, with Carl's guidance remotely. It was easy, took my time, got organised etc. go for it

Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:23 pm
by VTRDark
If I was to strip them down are there any settings (so to speak) I could mess up?
Only if you started playing around with different jet sizes and thing's. Which if, where not right would make the bike run rough, rich or too lean. If you felt it did not run right then it could always be reverted back. But that's the only way to learn and a lot of it is trial and error.
If you decided to investigate the diaphragm and needle part of the carb there is always the risk of nipping the diaphragm rubber, but once you have worked out how to get that and the spring back together it's not a problem. It's just a bit fiddly at first.
And off course when putting things back together it's a case of making sure the carbs sit properly in the intakes rubbers and they are done up tight and the vacuum and breather hoses all go back in place.
For the first time stripping it all down, taking the carbs off giving it all a spray through with carb cleaner would probably take you an hour maybe an hour and a half taking you time, including fag and coffee break.
The other thing that is worth doing while the carbs are off, if you haven't already is sort out the front and rear vacuum take off's for carb syncing.
http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 31&t=18430 carbs ideally should be synced every time the carbs are removed. BTBH if you have not changed any jets or mixture settings and everything goes back the same then they would not be out of sync by much if any.
(:-})
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:37 pm
by scott02464
Thanks for that mate, im deffo going to have a play around with them and get to know what's what hands on.
Iv got a carb balancer too so that will come in handy, already fitted my hoses in place for ease of balancing.
Once Iv stripped them down for the first time I wouldn't mind, like you say, and start experimenting with different jets, I have blue flames on and wouldn't mind eventually getting a piper cross/k+n filter.
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:38 pm
by scott02464
BigVeeGrin wrote:Carl - told you you should be CyberCarb now.
Scott - I'm a bit of a mechanical duffer, but tackled a carb clean etc, with Carl's guidance remotely. It was easy, took my time, got organised etc. go for it

Thanks mate, I like the sound of that ha :-)
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:45 pm
by seb421
scott02464 wrote:Thanks for that mate, im deffo going to have a play around with them and get to know what's what hands on.
Iv got a carb balancer too so that will come in handy, already fitted my hoses in place for ease of balancing.
Once Iv stripped them down for the first time I wouldn't mind, like you say, and start experimenting with different jets, I have blue flames on and wouldn't mind eventually getting a piper cross/k+n filter.
I have a a k&N for sale 30 quid delivered mainland uk mate, just needs a clean
Sent from the Bat Cave via Cup and String
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:49 pm
by scott02464
seb421 wrote:scott02464 wrote:Thanks for that mate, im deffo going to have a play around with them and get to know what's what hands on.
Iv got a carb balancer too so that will come in handy, already fitted my hoses in place for ease of balancing.
Once Iv stripped them down for the first time I wouldn't mind, like you say, and start experimenting with different jets, I have blue flames on and wouldn't mind eventually getting a piper cross/k+n filter.
I have a a k&N for sale 30 quid delivered mainland uk mate, just needs a clean
Sent from the Bat Cave via Cup and String
That sounds good to me mate, will I need to get anything else (other than re-jetting) to fit it?
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:56 pm
by VTRDark
8mm socket or spanner for front tank mounting bolts and a philips screwdriver for air box lid
You never know, when you open your carbs you may find someone has already put a jet kit in there. You wont know until you open them up. If there is an adjustable needle you are halfway there.
(:-})
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:03 pm
by scott02464
cybercarl wrote:8mm socket or spanner for front tank mounting bolts and a philips screwdriver for air box lid
(:-})
:-) :-)
When I get them stripped mate I'll take some pics and see what you think, weather you think they are untouched.
But everything else was very standard when I bought it, even exhausts not even drilled lol
Re: what have you done to your "bike" today
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:20 pm
by lloydie
i do enjoy playing with carbs
but as i found out and its a must carl ONLY CHANGE ONE THING AT A TIME
if you change two or more thing at a time you dont know whats working and whats not .
you need to walk before you run or youll fall over as they say

.
it did take me a while to find that out
my carbs are very nearly there now

just feels a little week up top 7-9000 rpm (mains jets )
but im not fitting the bigger ones (190) till i see what it is doing on the dyno .