Fuel Economy

Sorry Rick, I did it before you posted back. I will turn them back and then the 4*.

Nick, you are correct, but I still don't see how it would play a factor with my fuel mileage. My fuel line is clear and it is full of fuel till the tank runs dry so that to me suggests that the carbs are getting fuel fine.

PGDBUD, I don't like you right now with your 51MPG :lol:

I don't know if its a 5 gallon tank, I just said I believe it to be that but I have no idea, if it is around 3.4 - which sounds better, that means my MPG is 22 which is still awful lol.

I'll turn down the screws and run it, see how my MPG is after that.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

Ok guys, I finally got around to getting to the air filter. The bottom half was wet with gas! As I've said before,"I'm not Tim Taylor". What does this mean and how can I correct the problem? Thanks for the help guys.

 

@ Anthony you said

So are assuming the, amount of fuel used at reserve?
You also said

".
You should fill your tank to the top and note the current milage.
When you switch to reserve, fill up to the top again, note the mileage.
Total miles traveled divided by the fuel you just put in will give you an accurate MPG reading.

@ wesley the float or floats have stuck open filling the bowl running back out the intake into the air box.

 

Wesley, check the crankcase for gasoline smell, if you have a hint of gasoline, change the oil and filter too.

 

How fast should I notice a change in the plugs color?

I have driven about 50km with the idle screws turned out the amount Rick suggested and pulled the plugs. They are only slightly changed in color - will this change be more apparent after some more riding? Or do I need to turn out the screws more?

 

Make sure you read The Hound's instructions for checking your mileage. Trying to guess at how much you've used by the time you get to reserve is useless. Top off. Note odo reading. Ride. Top off again. Note odo reading again. Subtract first odo from second and divide that number by the number of gallons of the second fill-up. Repeat and average for a true picture of your mileage.

 

Ok, I pulled the plugs and they all are looking a little dirtier. Each different from each other. Should I adjust the idle screws more? Or still drive and see if the color continues to change?

So far I have done about 100km and have about 1/2 a tank of fuel left.

 

Adjust the Screws until you SEE a difference. If you are too Rich, don't Road Test ... you might foul plugs and get stranded away from the house.

NOW< you have to put your ear into it.
Let it idle.
Crack the throttles open and LISTEN to the Exhaust Note.
Does it pick-up seamlessly or is there a wait?
What's the exhaust sound like at 2,500 rpm.
Steady ... or, "Poppity, poppity, pop-pop, poppity"???
Tune-out the Poppity.
Find the Screw that's still too Rich and Tweak***

Tweak = Barely turn the Pilot Screw. Nudge it a little tiny bit. Put the FINE in "Fine-Tuning" ... Move it and LISTEN.

Lean the Mixtures out until the Idle is strong and steady.
Make the Bike respond to Throttles with a seamless acceleration.
Immediate.
No delay.

Observing all safety precautions for COOLING and VENTILATION ...
Do a workstand Plug Chop.
Run the Bike up to 6~65 hundred and KILL it.
Read the Plugs.

Oil problems and too Rich will be evident.
Adjust EACH Hole independently. As needed.
If you can't see a difference ... clean the Plugs and try again.

EVENTUALLY ... you will get a read on each hole.
When the Bike is ready for Road Testing ... take it to where you can LOOP.
Set-up a little station and ride the loop.
Do the Plug Chop at W-O-T and kill it coasting to your tuning station.

Read those Plugs.
Adjust ONLY if there is evidence to have you do so.

Too CLEAN ... add some Richness --> TWEAK it! FINE Tune it!
Too Dark ... you know the drill ... Lean it some. Tweak it.

There's only four Plugs and the process goes pretty quickly if you are organized with gloves to handle hot Plugs and Tools organized for Pit Stopping.

 

Ok, I adjusted the screws ever so slightly in the appropriate direction and will pull them again later and see what if any other turns are required.

 

Ok, here are some pics...





Left to right - cylinder 1-4.

Let me know what needs to be done (these are the plugs with about 50km since their last adjustment. I am also getting a slight "poppity" sound from the exhaust. Very faint.

Note, plug 4 is black like that on the threads because that was the hole that was heli-coiled and I made the hole a tiny bit too big, so the plug has a little wobble going into the cylinder until the very last threads.

 

#3 is about right on. You're not using "anti sieze" on your threads.
Turn #1 out 15 * Turn 2 & 4 in 30 * Re-test re-post
Try a bunch of anti sieze on #4.

 

Ok, I adjusted the plugs to what you said, and was letting it idle a little bit. The popping got even fainter.

One interesting thing though, I touched all the exhaust pipes and #1 was much cooler then the rest - would does this mean? (I know I have to change the spark plug lead cap, was told it was bad, but I have not got around to it yet).

Could inconsistent firing be the cause of this problem = when I let off the throttle the bike almost wants to come to a complete stop by it's self instead of just coasting, could that be because the cylinder stop firing?

 

As Rick Co says " learn to tune each carb separately"
So try to find where #1 goes rich, then back off a bit.
Find where #4 goes lean, then go a bit richer.
As if you are tuning 4 separate motors.
Also, you have to get #4 to seal-up somehow.

 

I want a colortune! lol

Ok, I will continue 'playing' with the screws...

 

Btw, can anyone sat for certain if the different tank placement could be causing the petcock to not 'touch' fuel and thus forcing me to think that it is running out but really the angle of the tank has caused the petcock to be unable to draw in fuel.

 

You can bench test the flow of your tank at different angles, and different amounts of gas in it, by mouth suction on a long clear hose attached to petcock vacuum hose.
You could empty the tank, and see how much gas it holds before reserve flows, then switch to "ON", and fill until it flows again.
Measure the gas using empty oil bottles.

 

Ok, I think I might have solved the problem. I had to remove the petcock filter and make up my own intake that was a little lower.

So now, if anyone is interested, I have my petcock filter for sale. Just make a offer, its in perfect condition.

 

when your low on gas fill up at a gas station and actually look at the pump to see how much gas you put in, your tank is about that size

 

What you wanna do is go fill up your gas tank and reset the trip odometer... drive it around for 100 miles or so or until you need gas... grab a calculator or a cell phone may have one. go fill up with gas and look and see how much you actually put in. take that number... let's say it's 3.432 gallons... and the miles/KM you drove... lets say it was 124 miles... take the miles and divide by gallons.... 124 / 3.432 = in this case is 36.13MPG (I just made up these numbers)... I do this all the time with my cars and trucks, don't really worry about it on the bike but i am tempted to see what i do get for MPG...

So to wrap up MILES(Driven between fill-ups) divided by GALLONS (amount used at second fill-up)