Do like my Harley fuel injection....but my Honda is 1980 technology and it's got what it's got. ... Carburators
The Harley EFI 1440 engine gets better fuel economy than a 750 Ural The Ural has about 1/2 the displacement and a lot less horsepower so I think EFI has got to be good....as long as it doesn't fail.
And when it fails...outch. deep hole in the wallet. and not just a few minutes tinkering on the road side.
All Boxers I had to do with from Borough Superior to BMW (I cannot say anything about the new 4 valve airheads) were pretty thirsty compared to my Honda 4 cylinder. R80 against CB 650 = 8,5 to 5,5l/100km on a solo.28mpg against 43mpg
(Except a 250 2 stroker boxer from the fifties. (Victoria? or something with a family name starting with H or K ...Haveland?)) Sorry perhaps the first symptoms of Alzheimer... No I noticed that when I am out of the surrounding I forget names, and the come back when I am in the surrounding again.
Sven
scrinch - 11/3/2009 2:38 PM
Do like my Harley fuel injection....but my Honda is 1980 technology and it's got what it's got. ... Carburators
The Harley EFI 1440 engine gets better fuel economy than a 750 Ural The Ural has about 1/2 the displacement and a lot less horsepower so I think EFI has got to be good....as long as it doesn't fail.
The earlier Magneti-Marelli EFI's on HD were problematical. There were problems with starting, idling and surging that were difficult to cure.
The HD Efi has been rather trouble-free since HD changed to the Delphi systems that they are selling now.
The people who have difficulties with Delphi EFI are mainly tuners who are changing air cleaners, mufflers, cubic inches, cams and so forth. The settings need to be corrected with something like the HD Screaming Eagle Race Tuner (SERT) or a Power Commander. It can be done but it takes a bit of work to get it right.
If you are a Geezer like myself and leave your bike's engine alone and just ride it, the EFI will be a blessing.
It's particularly nice on the sidecar since it automatically adjusts for conditions. While the CV carburetor was very good, they are old technology and in another ten years, you won't be able to even get carburetor parts.
Time marches on and drags us with it. LOL.
IMO, once the carbs on those Hondas are set up right -usually with the help of those mercury things (hwy- I forget things)- they stay good for a mightly long time as long as you don't let them varnish up.
Old Bings were kind of funky, but they always seemed to get the job done...
Worst carbs I had were SU's on an Old Volvo.
UncleErnie - 11/3/2009 5:46 PM
IMO, once the carbs on those Hondas are set up right -usually with the help of those mercury things (hwy- I forget things)- they stay good for a mightly long time as long as you don't let them varnish up.
Old Bings were kind of funky, but they always seemed to get the job done...
Worst carbs I had were SU's on an Old Volvo.
Yeah, they will stay OK once cleaned and set up if the bike is ridden regularly. By the way, the best carburetor cleaner I know of is the Yamaha cleaner from the dealer. You boil the carbs in a mixture of water and cleaner and it really does a job. It doesn't smell like the nasty stuff from an auto store, either.
I also agree about the SU carburetors. I had a Triumph TR56 Sports Car with two of them and they were never right.
Nowadays, even those 50cc mopeds got FI for exhaust emission...
No thanks for me. I will keep my old bikes.
gnm109 - 11/3/2009 6:04 PM
The people who have difficulties with Delphi EFI are mainly tuners who are changing air cleaners, mufflers, cubic inches, cams and so forth. The settings need to be corrected with something like the HD Screaming Eagle Race Tuner (SERT) or a Power Commander. It can be done but it takes a bit of work to get it right.
If you are a Geezer like myself and leave your bike's engine alone and just ride it, the EFI will be a blessing.
I am an old geezer too and just put the original pipes back on my Road King. The previous owner had added after market mufflers. It seems to run much better with the original mufflers. No popping or anything.
I do not know why so many people put "free sight to the valves" pipes on their bikes, 2 weeks ago I even met one with a kind of overflow valve in in a short straight pipe. All they do is disadjust their engines and make noise.
The occasion I went to Finland behind a 750 with a 4 in 1 pipe (800km/day) still at midnight my ears were ringing.
No thanks, I'd even would love an electrical bike for to enjoy nature.
Sven
"I also agree about the SU carburetors. I had a Triumph TR56 Sports Car with two of them and they were never right."
Amen on that!
In the early 60's I got so upset due to the SU's sticking dampers that I took a hammer and knocked the carbs off of my new stage III MGTD engine.
(After the motor blew at 120 miles I also dispatched it with a 7.65 Mauser pistol but that's another story.)
I've mellowed a bit since then,
Lonnie
LONNIE....
Excellent story. Can't wait for the second chapter. Got any photos? They would be great.
Uber
1st reincarnation was with a 259 V8 Studebaker (Hemi) engine with BW 26% OD trans and 4.56 Spicer rear end. Had lots of fun with that one since everything fit under the stock hood with a small bubble for the generator. With15 1" holes drilled in the Stude wheels and MG hubcaps it looked stock. Fooled a lot of Corvettes and Porches and set an 1/8th mile track record at Thunderbird Raceway in Eugene, OR with this setup using 6.70x15 tires.
I used the Stude because the Chevys were like ***holes, everyone had one.
Lonnie
Got lots of pix but they won't upload here.
Please more of the story. Sounds like you were having fun as my father with his beedle and a Porsche engine....
Sven
I'm stepping on Scrinch's post here so I'll move over to a new post.
Sorry Scrinch!
Lonnie
