Improving Gas Mileage, part 3

[5bikes]

This works on all motorcycles with carbs. I've slightly revised this for better clarification. And I posted to this section for 2nd Gen's to read.

Easy 1-2 Hour job

1. Remove the carb cap, 4 screws. If 1 screw is a security screw used vise grips to turn.

2. Remove the spring.

3. Remove carb slide and diaphram, it's black with a needle hanging out the back.

4. Remove the jet needle, there's a large screw inside the middle of the carb slide holding it in. Pay attention to the order the parts come out.

5. There is a white spacer under a circle clip. Remove it.

6. Replace the white spacer with any small washers about 1/2 the thickness of the white spacer under the circle clip.

7. Ignore the fact that the white spacer has a small tit on one side.

8. You can add 1-2 washers on top of the circle clip to take up the space. (I didn't on my Venture and friends)

9. Put it all back together in the same order it came apart. New washers, jet needle with circle clip tight (check it), 1 or more washers on top of circle clip, small spring, plastic screw, in that order.

10. Carefully reinstall slide and diaphram. Notice diaphram has a tab.

11. Do only one carb at a time. (Can use others as reference)

12. Go for a ride checking gas mileage and performance. My friends 87 Std. went from 37 to 45 mpg.

13. Clean and check spark plugs before and after. Correct color is gray, tan or clean depending on type of gas used. Slightly white electrodes is Ok if the plug base near threads is darker. white base and tip is too lean; black is too rich.

14. SO: Add washers under circle clip to richen, remove washers to lean.

15. My bike is faster now lean (hotter combustion)

16. I set pilot jet screws to 1 3/4 turns out

17. All 4 Ventures were way out of synch before I did them. Much smoother now.

Questions? Send me a PM or email: chuckfrench48@gmail.com (mention VR)

[KiteSquid]

This would be nice to have some photos.........

 

I usually learn more with photos......

 

 

 

Could you list the identificaion numbers from the parts diagrams?

[Yammer Dan]

Good Information!!

[5bikes]

I went to the carb parts diagrams here on VR and they do not show the circle clip and white spacer. But you can't miss them once the carb cap, large spring, and inside the slide is a screw, remove it, then under it is a small spring, washer and the needle. On the needle is the circle clip and white washer. Replace the white spacer with something 1/2 the thickness.

Do this leaning procedure and I gaurantee you will be be getting MPG, & be a "greener" individual. My bike just went back up over 5 mph and best of all, it performs better too.

Sorry, no pics, this is a very simple job.

[Venturous Randy]

I want to add that I did this and my 83 went from 38/42 to 42/48. I have had on more than one occasion 48mpg on a ride that was a leasurely ride with little above 65 mph riding and few WOT runs.

The only thing I want to add is that my spacer was .125 thick and I first tried two #4 washers and it did not run good, but three washers that stacked up to about .093 seems to work fine. It has also reduced the gassy smell while idleing.

RandyA