| Author | Message | ||
     Mikej |
Clean or replace the air filter, or go to a K&N aftermarket filter. Might even flush and clean the carb and jets in case anything got all gunked up if you've got the time/tools/skills or are willing to get them. Quickest route is to just wipe everything down and replace the filter, reassemble everything and see if it helped. If not then crack open the carb. Well, disassemble it by removing the screws as opposed to actually cracking it open like an egg, but then you probably knew that.  . | ||
| Reepicheep |
Add these to your list as well: Check the exhaust headers where they attach to the jugs, you will backfire if they are leaking (for a while, then you will break an exhaust stud or burn up your rear cylinder). Also check the rubber seals that attach the carb to the cylinders. Look for cracks / leaks, or spray it with something like wd40 while running and listen for idle speed changes. The carb is very simple to remove and dissamble (at least to the jets anyway). Pull it off and clean what you can see, and rejet while it is apart. | ||
| Mike75 |
Thanks guys, I wiped off the air cleaner assembly and ran it, no change. I have taken the carb apart down to the top cover/vacuum piston. The inside of the piston was pretty blackened, had a lot of gas pouring out of the carb while i worked on it. I have the following questions: What is the stock jet needle, not really interested in any gain (and want to do it on the cheap) because I am planning to get a mikuni42 soon. The carb is resting in the engine attached by the throttle cable, no tension is on the cables, but is this bad for the cables? Any other tips or advice while I got the thing open would be welcome too. Thanks again, everyone! | ||
| Reepicheep |
The stock needle is fine. Just change the low speed jet (like $3 or something). My high speed jet was already on the rich side from the factory (a 200). You can shim the low speed needle if you wish, it would have probably helped mine if I did. Adjust idle mixture screw as per instructions at the top of this page. I would not mess with drilling the slide, and the advantage of a different needle is very minor. The inside of my cylinders were pretty black as well, I think this is normal. Any signs of intake leaks? Make sure you check the EXHAUST header attachment to the engine as well. A leak there can cause backfires on deceleration, which sounds cool but is the beginning of a nightmare scenario. Also make sure those intake boots that attach the carb to the cylinders are not leaking (spray them with WD-40 or something while the engine is running at idle and listen for RPM changes). | ||
| Chrism |
Anybody, I'm still wondering if the CV44 was an OE on any bike or where can I get one? Suppliers market the intake but not the carb. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Chris | ||
| Mrossi |
I was thinking of running my X-1 with a Forcewinder air filtre and the stock ECM + stock exhaust ; does anybody know whether this is advisable or I need the race ECM in order not to lean out the mix too much ? Any advice is welcome. M. Rossi | ||
| X1glider |
Your stock ECM will work just fine with the Forcewinder by getting info from the MAP sensor and making the proper adjustments. No need to get the race ECM unless you just want it...and you know you do! | ||
| X1glider |
Chris, the only bikes I know of that come stock with a 44mm CV is Harley's Screaming Chicken Wide Glide. From looking at an abundance of websites for porting and polishing, these guys say that a well tuned stock CV40 will do for up to a 95" mildly modded engine. On a Hog most likely due to their typical lower rpm usage. But a much higher revving engine could use the higher flow of a 44mm CV, like my high lift TC95 that spins to 7000 rpm. On the 1203 cc engines, a 40mm CV should be all you'll ever need unless you want to fly at 8000 rpm. But if top end is all you're looking for, then get a flatslide. They flow so much better for mid to high rpms, but typically don't provide as much torque down low. For all around riding, touring and cutting loose occasionally, I like the CV's versatility. Oh, the unpolished CV44 costs about $350 from the stealer. | ||
| Rempss |
Mrossi, Get the Race ECM also. Like X1 said you know you want it, and may well need it. It's probably only a matter of time before you repalce the stock pipe. The X1 has no MAP/MAF sensor to read airflow, only a TPS sensor which measures how much the throttle is open as a voltage/degree value. With only that information the stock ECM will only "think" "X" amount of air is coming in as determined by the stock air filter assembly in factory testing of CFM of airflow. The feedback from the O2 sensor should tell the ECM it's a bit lean and add some more fuel, but not having collected any information on the parameters of the stock ECM, I do not know how much more fuel it can/will flow. So, all that said, stay on the safe side and get the Race ECM. Jeff | ||
| X1glider |
Ooops, no wonder people don't like taking their Buells to the dealer for service. We Hardley people don't know them. (Like that's news, eh?)Sorry! I've been real lax in learning my X1. The Harley FI uses the MAP sensor in addition to the TPS, a change that happened a couple years ago. I think Harley made the switch thinking that TPS info only wasn't as accurate in conveying to the system what was needed in certain situations. The TPS simply told the ECM "this is what the rider want's to do." Whereas the added MAP with the help of the other sensors told the ECM "then this is what needs to be done to satisfy the riders wishes." I think the MAP helped the ECM do a better job. I'm pretty sure the V-rod does the same. I wonder if the XB followed suit. | ||
| Rempss |
X1, I agree a MAP/MAF would be a good addition to the system. It does allow for a more accurate air/fuel mix quickly, not after the fact. Not sure on the XB9's, anyone? Though the throttle body does look very similar to our "tubers". Jeff | ||
| Blake |
X1G rides his Softail like a Buell, but treats his X1 like softail.  | ||
| Chrism |
Thanks X1 for the reply. With the work that I've done to my bike, it feels like the signal at mid range is greater than what the carb likes to see. Whack the throttle open and the thing drowns. Roll on smooth and it screams. It feels like the either the accelerator pump is making to big a shot or the slide is coming up too quick. Unfortunately no one locally has an A/F meter on their dyno, and after seeing Aarons work, I don't want to waste time and money playing the guessing game. I know of one with a meter on the far side of Baltimore, just have to schedule time. Again, thanks for the reply. Chris | ||
| Blake |
Here's a neat trick suggested by Smoky Yunik that can be useful for diagnosing carburetion problems. You use this procedure only at your own extreme peril and risk. You could easily kill/injure yourself if you aren't careful. Smoky suggests running a long enough tube from the float bowl vent so that you can hold the free end in your mouth like a straw. Then replicate the problem, and simultaneously apply a slight pressure to the tube and thus float bowl. If that ameliorates the problem, it indicates that you are too lean. If it worsens the problem you are likely too rich. Likewise, you can try the same thing but instead of blowing-into/pressurizing the tube, try applying a slight vacuum by sucking on the tube. If that diminishes the problem, it indicates a too rich condition. If it exacerbates the problem, then carburetion is too lean. Too lean is very bad for your engine, so don't subject it to that condition for more than a second or two. If the engine is very hot, don't do it at all. | ||
| Jrh |
HaHA That,s a joke right Blake?Man you are funny,HEhehe | ||
| Mrossi |
Thanks Jeff & X1 for your answers; I'll most certainly get a race ECM soon and I've already got an aftermarket pipe - made by Mickey of Eyeball Bikes in UK , a real work of art - I just wanted to fit the forcewinder filtre right now to get rid of the ugly breadbox and I'm still uncertain as what to do; plugs - Torquemaasters - seem to indicate a fairly rich mix as things stand - black and slightly sooty - and I don't ride it very aggressively, actually quite the opposite , mostly in the 2000 to 3000 rpm band but we'll see. Thank again M. Rossi | ||
| Radon30 |
Those of you that have done engine mods(cams headwork etc..), what are you using for intake and carb? Just trying to get some ideas. | ||
| Blake |
CF Race Intake. Stock CV40 carb with jetting/tuning. | ||
| Ocbueller |
Are the intake gaskets for F.I. bikes the same as the carbed bikes? Will I disturb the TPS if I replace the intake gaskets? Does the spray test for leaking intakes work on a F.I. bike? Inquiring minds want to know. SteveH | ||
| Blake |
Same gaskets at cylinder head to manifold. Gasket/seal at throttle body to manifold may be different. TPS should not be disturbed if you are careful. Spray test works for EFI too. | ||
| Josh |
Spray test for leaks will work, make sure you get what ever you're spraying near the bottom of each injector to check for o-ring failure or mis-alignment. Josh | ||
| Ocbueller |
Thanks guys. Bought intake gaskets today just for insurance. Will test when I get some time. Been experiencing some surging at cruising speed. Idle and WOT are fine. Hoping to dodge reseting timing and TPS . SteveH. | ||
| Ara |
Has anybody added a fuel filter to their bike? I have a '97 S3 and there's nothing to filter fuel except a screen in the petcock. My impression is that the aperatures in the screen are too large to do any good. Petcock screens were originally instituted to catch rust particles from steel fuel tanks, weren't they? Since we have rust-proof plastic fuel tanks, the screen appears to be useless to me. I questioned a Buell mechanic about this when I first owned the bike and was told that "these bikes don't need fuel filters." He might be right, but every automobile and truck on the road is equipped from the factory with a fuel filtration system. I know that my carbureted bike may not need a filter as much as an FI model, but it's still a concern to me. Would appreciate any thoughts and comments from the group. Thanks, everyone! Russ | ||
| Reepicheep |
I had one on for about 2 years, and just pulled it off. It had done nothing in terms of catching gunk. People have reported performance increases from going to a better flowing (pingel?) petcock on hopped up engines, so while I doubt the stock setup is constrained by the petcock, I doubt that it has a lot of margin either. If I were to put a filter back on, I would go for a big automotive type, not the little motorcycle kind. At least on my Cyclone, the single carb is SO simple to remove and rebuild, I hardly think it's worth the filter unless you have some other concern (like third world gas stations). Bill | ||
| Scot |
The X1 comes with a filter.That would probably be the one to get. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Didn't know that... wonder why it ranks a filter... perhaps it is easier to clog an injector then a carb jet. I would believe that (but have no facts to back it up). But the X1 also has a fuel pump... so that filter still might not flow freely enough for the carbed Buells (without a pump pushing it). Of course all the cars have fuel pumps as well, so those filters may need a push as well... so I don't know what I would use, which is why I use none. Well, that and the fact that having one on for almost 10,000 miles (clear plastic) showed not even a speck trapped, so I guess I have none because I have no reason too and wouldn't know what to use if I did  . | ||
| Ara |
Guys, I remember that Purolator used to make a fuel filter with a replaceable element. It had a glass tube that allowed you to view the filter element without having to disassemble it. I recall that it was available in several sizes depending on the ID of the fuel line. I don't think it's designed to withstand FI pressures, but it might be suitable for the carburetor models. I had one on my Honda Transalp years ago, and like Reepicheep I never saw any debris in the filter element. I don't know, I was just thinking. Thanks for the input! Any other thoughts??? | ||
| Ara |
Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I had a Pureolator add-on fuel filter on my Honda Transalp years ago. It had a glass tube that allowed you to check the filter element without disassembly, and the element was replaceable. Probably would leak if subjected to FI pressures, but might OK on the carbureted models. Like Reepicheep, I never saw any debris in the element. I was just thinking, and appreciate the comments. Other thoughts??? | ||
| Kahuna |
OK! I give up!! My slow return to idle just refuses to be fixed! I have tried everything. changed all the intake seals! changed all the sensors! just sprayed half a can of WD-40 on the intake and no drop from 2K rpm. Its driving me insane! Any ideas? Cheers. | ||
| Madstuka |
I have a 98 S3 with a HSR 42. It started to die out on me once and a while. After a minute or two, it would start again but when I put it in gear and release the clutch, it would die again. The idle is very erratic and the idle adjustment knob is not working the way it used to. Any suggestions? Pat |
