cheapest jet kit around

[blowerbike]

Yes I meant $ 20.00 worth of jets not the pods.

"your 20.00 <pods> are as/more restrictive than the stock air box.
let me guess...
really prettty chrome emgo's cones?"

If you think the pods are as/more restrictive than the stock air box with two 3/4 holes in it, you seriously need to put down the crack pipe!

Further more I am not saying what I did was right or the only way to do it I am just saying what I did. I spent less than $25.00 and my bike runs great it will break the rear tire shifting into second on a 81 GS750. I spent the other $75.00 plus dollars on beer!

Oh I did forget one small thing I had to dremel the slots on the coil pick ups to advance the timing a little.

So if you want my opinion, just my opinion on jet kits..... BLAHHH!!!!

thanks for the advice,
i'll send all my excess work to you

 

[jeff.saunders]

For some bikes I'm sure the jet kits work fine. But I can give you plenty of examples where is does not, and cannot.

Here's an example I'm very familiar with - Jet kit 2304 is for the 78-80 Kawasaki KZ1000's - one I have wrestled with (and junked).

In 1978 alone Kawasaki fitted 6 different configurations of carbs - some 26's and some 28's. In 1979 & 80 they added an accelerator pump to the carbs and continued to run a mix of 26 & 28mm carbs.

Not only did the carb size change, the slide cutaway changed, the pressed in air jets changed, and Kawasaki switched from air screws to fuel screws. Yet Dynojet has a single kit to cover this selection of 13 different models.

Even with the GS1000's, Dynojet doesn't distinguish between many of the different models. They say the jetting is the same for a Katana, a standard model and a shaft drive bikes whether 1000 or 1100 cc's. Nor do they distinguish between the different exhaust systems. Put a Kerker on the bike and it may run well, put a V&H on the bike and you may have a flat spot.

Another issue with the jet kits, there are many of the kits that require you drill the slide, or in some cases the air jet or other passageways. Once you do this, there is no going back... so the easy of installation isn't that good with many of the kits. I don't know about you, but I would rather entrust a customer to change jets than drill holes in carb slides.

I spend a lot of time on a large number of forums. When you read the negative comments on all the forums, I know it's not just me...

 

[jed.only]

my whole thing with the kit was to get it all in one place, and the fact i didnt know what the bike wanted. the way i gather, its called tuning for a reason. i was not aware of where to get the Mikuni jets from, and i didnt know where to start with jet-size, so i was going to need a few different sizes anyway, because i have no idea what the bike wants, nor do i know what ill need 6months from now.

to these guys spending 25.00 on jets, good for you, im glad you picked the right size jets your first stab. my luck is never that good.

 

[Shaughn]

your 20.00 <pods> are as/more restrictive than the stock air box.
let me guess...
really prettty chrome emgo's cones?

(No Contentiousness, just asking) I thought that the problem with the EMGOs
were that the paper element deteriorated, and let too much through, not
that it was too restrictive, but the opposite, at least a few miles down the road.
Either way, you're right, they're not helping anyone.

..i was not aware of where to get the Mikuni jets from...

Z1enterprises.com has Keihin and Mikuni main jets for around $1-$2 a piece, just FYI. They have pilot jets too. If you're lucky to have an older bike (like me) with adjustable needles it may be a good option for you. You can 5 different size mains for all 4 carbs for under $25, plus shipping. This is assuming you know what you're targeting, which is something that all those onerous "Carb/tune problem" threads are good reading for.

Just sayin'

 

[blowerbike]

my only information being offered is for what i know about very well....
suzuki GS series VACCUM CARBORATORS.
i offer information here to try and save people the headaches ive went through over MANY YEARS.
im not talking about jet kits for mechanical carbs..i never once mentioned mechanical gs or kz carbs.
i state once again,
with the large/fat/not much taper needles that the GS SERIES vaccum carbs offer it is impossible to get the transition correct on a bike without an airbox without changing the needles..PERIOD.
jeff,
i believe your a smart guy that has totally avoided my earlier comment about the GS series CV needles and also about if a tired engine has alot of worn parts that it doesnt matter if your running stock carbs and an airbox or a st.3 jet kit..
a half worn out engine has nothing to do with hamburgers and is not going to run correctly unless worn parts are replaced..
this conversation is just goofy.
so you suggest letting these guys spend hours apon hours shimming CV needles and playing with main jets when they could just spend a 100-130 bucks or so on a st.3 jet kit and be finished..
correctly finished and running properly.
please address my comments and dont talk around them,
i have installed 30+ jet kits and yes 99% was CV GS bikes.
the only time i had to make very serious changes is when the engine was far from stock...those guys needed RS flatslides in my opinion but was out of cash at the time and could only afford jet kits.
in closing..
i have almost zero experiance with older kz/gs mechanical carbs and i will take your word on jet kits and some of the problems surrounding for those model bikes...
happy newyears

 

[blowerbike]

(No Contentiousness, just asking) I thought that the problem with the EMGOs
were that the paper element deteriorated, and let too much through, not
that it was too restrictive, but the opposite, at least a few miles down the road.
Either way, you're right, they're not helping anyone.




Z1enterprises.com has Keihin and Mikuni main jets for around $1-$2 a piece, just FYI. They have pilot jets too. If you're lucky to have an older bike (like me) with adjustable needles it may be a good option for you. You can 5 different size mains for all 4 carbs for under $25, plus shipping. This is assuming you know what you're targeting, which is something that all those onerous "Carb/tune problem" threads are good reading for.

Just sayin'

emgo chrome cones are non flowing pieces of trash.
there is a reason they are only 5-10 dollars each.
i have nothing to gain by making this stuff up..
i do this for a living, work on motorcycles and mostly GS BIKES.
all i can say is take jet kitted correctly running bike and remove the K&N's and pop your buddies emgo's on it and go for a ride..
thats all it takes..
ive proved that to people over and over in person.
also,
origanal mikuni replacement jets are differant from aftermarket(mikuni type) jets and what i mean by differant is...the price of real mikuni jets are quite a bit more money per jet.
im also talking about brand new/ not used or on a trade basis.
they both get the job done, its just the real deal is more expensive.

 

[jeff.saunders]

Blower - it is you that miss the point. The person starting the threat HAS a ROUND SLIDE CARB GS1000... I don't care about your bike - the majority of GS owners do NOT benefit from dynojet kits - they create more problems than they are worth. I did say that the kits probably do work on some bikes - but I know firsthand they on many they do not and cannot. And for you to say you only use jet kits and you call yourself a mechanic.... that says a great deal... sadly...

 

[Shaughn]

emgo chrome cones are non flowing pieces of trash...i have nothing to gain by making this stuff up.........
...the price of real mikuni jets are quite a bit more money per jet.

Hey, they're junk, we agree, never implied you were making anything up. Was just asking.

Are the Z1 mains poor quality? Have you heard of problems from them? They're not much cheaper than the jets Sudco and JetsRUS.com offer as genuine Mikuni jets, for around $3-4/per. Are the jets that Dynojet uses genuine Mikuni? They use their own part numbers, so I can't tell...:-k

 

[blowerbike]

this thread is about jet kit pricing..
jeff,
your point is mute.
you have to replace the needles in suzuki GS CV carbs to get them to work properly without an airbox.
why do you have a hard on for me?
im stating facts.
you want to question who i am or what i know and what i do?
sad sad..
just tell me what you would do to the 85 1150 i mentioned earlier..
the one with the airbox removed, 4 into one pipe ect...
how would you tune these carbs?
you need to read my entire post..not just rush through them.
what you recomend on this 1150 jetting?

 

[blowerbike]

Hey, they're junk, we agree, never implied you were making anything up. Was just asking.

Are the Z1 mains poor quality? Have you heard of problems from them? They're not much cheaper than the jets Sudco and JetsRUS.com offer as genuine Mikuni jets, for around $3-4/per. Are the jets that Dynojet uses genuine Mikuni? They use their own part numbers, so I can't tell...:-k

mikuni jets have there own markings..like a square in a square or something.
if non OEM mikuni jets are used, as long as the sizing is right..save the money.
i ve seen dealerships sell the mik jets for 7-8 dollars each before..OUCH!

 

[rosco15]

I don't know about the pricing, but I get all my stuff from carb parts warehouse in Cleveland. Might be worth the call. http://www.carbparts.com/

 

[blowerbike]

Hey, they're junk, we agree, never implied you were making anything up. Was just asking.

Are the Z1 mains poor quality? Have you heard of problems from them? They're not much cheaper than the jets Sudco and JetsRUS.com offer as genuine Mikuni jets, for around $3-4/per. Are the jets that Dynojet uses genuine Mikuni? They use their own part numbers, so I can't tell...:-k

and on the dynojet jet question..
years ago the jetkit jets supplyed wasnt the size marked on them.
if they said 130...could be closer to a 125 or a 135 mik size.
they did this to make it not so easy to try and duplicate there parts.
now a days, im not sure if what the D/J jet says is the same as mikuni's.

 

[Billy Ricks]

Dynojet does, or at least did, use their own main jet design. And blower is correct, the needles in CV carbs ar the main reason for going with a jet kit. Certainly you can throw bigger mains in and shim the needles. But for CV carbs a jet kit will put you in the ballpark right off the bat. Years ago before picking up a set of RS Mikunis I ran a Kerker K2, K&N pods, and a DJ kit. The bike ran just fine with the DJ kit.

 

[jed.only]

i guess i didnt research the topic enough. i read alot about the dynojet kit, and thought it was what i needed. my bike has VM26 carbs. oh well, if the kit doesnt work, ill just buy the mikuni jets. i thought i was doing the right thing.

 

[blowerbike]

Dynojet does, or at least did, use their own main jet design. And blower is correct, the needles in CV carbs ar the main reason for going with a jet kit. Certainly you can throw bigger mains in and shim the needles. But for CV carbs a jet kit will put you in the ballpark right off the bat. Years ago before picking up a set of RS Mikunis I ran a Kerker K2, K&N pods, and a DJ kit. The bike ran just fine with the DJ kit.

thanks for the honest opinion billy.
im not sure why im the bad guy here.
im not trying to sell anything.
in the off months in ohio i am dead in the water and get bored.
i offer the folks from this board what ive learned over quite a few years of doing the GS's and i wont back down when someone questions my knowledge..period.
i have nothing to gain by offering help here except knowing i maybe saved someone a few bucks or several headaches from the trial and error and mis-imformation that runs amuck on the internet and in person.
sometimes people should think and think again before typing.
happy newyears

 

[Billy Ricks]

i guess i didnt research the topic enough. i read alot about the dynojet kit, and thought it was what i needed. my bike has VM26 carbs. oh well, if the kit doesnt work, ill just buy the mikuni jets. i thought i was doing the right thing.

If you haven't already bought the kit try tuning your carbs first. The VM series carbs already have adjustable needles and a pretty broad amount of tuning can be done to them as they are with the addition of bigger mains. This may seem in conflict with what blower and I have tried to get across, but his and my comments are related to CV carbs.

 

[jed.only]

If you haven't already bought the kit try tuning your carbs first. The VM series carbs already have adjustable needles and a pretty broad amount of tuning can be done to them as they are with the addition of bigger mains. This may seem in conflict with what blower and I have tried to get across, but his and my comments are related to CV carbs.

i have a 4-1 dragpipe and will have very unrestrictive filters on the carbs, or maybe just velocity stacks. ive read about shimming the needle, but my goal is to get the a/f pretty much nuts-on thru the entire rpm band. i figured the jetkit was a good place ot start. im no stranger to tuning, albiet cars and 2strokes, but i figured the kit was as good a place as any to go from stock. im not versed with the mikuni VM26, but i asumed with what i had, stock needles and jets wouldnt get the job done.

 

[kokopelli]

ok, i know you guys are havin a heated thing bout jet kits but here goes
i got a 1982 gs650g running pod air filters with a 4 into 1 pipe with the stock carbs. i've bored out the main with a bike mechanic friends kit and a larger pilot... only went up 1 size in the pilot and ended up puttin back in the stock size. so now the bike runs fairly good but does still have somethin missin i feel. i don't think i should have ahd to go up quit as mush as i have with the main and i've been thinkin stage three jet kit mainly for the smaller needles.
sorry to be so long winded in the setup but what the hell are they including drill bits and a screw in the kit for? i'm thinkin there is appearently more to this than i had realized. so what all IS invovled in installin the stage 3 kit?

 

[Billy Ricks]

ok, i know you guys are havin a heated thing bout jet kits but here goes
i got a 1982 gs650g running pod air filters with a 4 into 1 pipe with the stock carbs. i've bored out the main with a bike mechanic friends kit and a larger pilot... only went up 1 size in the pilot and ended up puttin back in the stock size. so now the bike runs fairly good but does still have somethin missin i feel. i don't think i should have ahd to go up quit as mush as i have with the main and i've been thinkin stage three jet kit mainly for the smaller needles.
sorry to be so long winded in the setup but what the hell are they including drill bits and a screw in the kit for? i'm thinkin there is appearently more to this than i had realized. so what all IS invovled in installin the stage 3 kit?

It's the needles in the kits you really need for CV carbs. The drill bit is to enlarge the hole in the bottom of the slides to compensate for more air flowing through the carbs and causing more vacuum, thus raising the slides higher than needed. The screw is there to remove the caps from the idle mixture adjustment screws.

 

[Griffin]

I agree that the Dynojet kits may not be the "end all" product for every circumstance, but they seem to take a lot of guess work out of the equation and get you at least in the ballpark for about $100. You may not be out $100 by trying different jetting/needle configurations on your own (although you might), but the time involved in pulling/reinstalling the carbs (if you keep the airbox) on some models will quickly make $100 seem like a bargain if it saves you two to five carb removals/installations.

My own experience with Dynojet kits is fairly limited (three bikes, all GSes with CV carbs), but I'm happy with the results in each case. All of my bikes have the stock airbox, stock exhausts, and K&N OEM-style replacement elements.

On the 700, I purchased the combined Stage I/III kit that normally sells for about $110. I got one off ebay for $40. I installed the Stage I stuff and followed the directions verbatim. Bear in mind that I've owned this bike for over 20 years, and it was entirely stock the whole time. What I immediately noticed was:

- warm up time on a chilly morning went from 3-5 minutes to less than a minute
- the midrange stumble from 4K-6K rpms was gone. Power is now much more linear from 3K through redline
- the plugs went from grey (a bit lean) to the perfect toasted marshmallow beige color on plug chops at all throttle positions
- mileage during general riding dropped from about 43-46 mpg to 40-43 mpg

Overall, I couldn't be happier with the results.

My '81 750E and my wife's 550L both became happier as well with the Stage I kits. The 750's warm up time also dropped drastically, and it's mid range improved noticeably. I didn't have enough experience with the 550 to really get all the details on it's operating performance (I installed a kit as soon as I had it running), but I can say that it takes a lot less choke to fire up, and idles well within a minute or two, not five to ten minutes like it needed before (the cv-equipped 550s were notoriously lean, and even borderline unrideable in '82, their last year of production).

Stage III kits with pods and such I can't report on firsthand, but I've talked to many people who have used them, and generally the consensus is that they are either spot on, or close enough to save you a lot of time.

Your mileage may vary, of course....