So I found some time today to pull the plugs on my GS, which I modded about a week and a half ago.
current mods: lunchbox, giant fart can (think honda), 40 pilots and 152.5 mains, no shims on stock needles, pilot screws 3.25 turns out, no petcock, float height set to max of service range, all of this and one sexy rider on a 555cc 79mm bore 1989 GS.
so the bike is way faster with the jets, but a little stumbly at partial throttle, low revs, more so when cold... so im thinking to myself, wrench in hand "its probably just a little lean".. turns out the plugs are having their own KKK convention, ghost white, like I never even TRIED jetting the carbs. this is after my evening commute from toronto, first some city driving, then some highway, followed by some fast city driving, so a real good mix of idling right up to 9~11 grand at all throttle points.
anyways, moral of the story: MORE FUEL! I'm adding shims tomorrow when I get my springs from ronayers (one carb spring broke on me, so I soldered it as a temporary fix.) I've also cranked out the pilot screws to 3.5 turns, and it helps the stumble a bit.
question: how many shims can one add before it makes more sense to go with a larger jet? my local bike shop (slicks, brampton ontario) is pretty cool about trading jets after i purchased a few, so i can just run back and squeal "MORE FUEL" and they'll let me root through the box.. the only problem with that is that they mix their two stroke and four stroke jets there, so sometimes you'll get a 42 pilot thats FARKIN HUGE... always check em before you buy em. (shoulda seen the bike runnning on two stroke 47 pilots. even with the pilot screw closed it was belching carbon)
I would start with 45 pilots and 155 mains. Way back when that was what the 541 were needing if they even ran stock carbs, and yes washer away, 3-4 easy then better swap the mains up.
Cool.
Buddha.
bwahahaha! this means my bike is gonna be way faster!
buddha, given that my muffler is a shiney version of an open pipe (its got a 2.5" core diameter.. i think) you still reccommend those jets, or should i go bigger still on the main?
Muffler aint no thang ... you put an open or slip on or anything other than the stock pea shooter, its the same, the restriction/limiting factor is in the head/port and that 90 degree up top.
Cool.
Buddha.