not getting as much power as i know my 550s got in her. carb problem?

[niggalai]

hey all,

just got my '77 gs550e running as well as it ever has under my ownership. shes still a little sluggish though, i cant go any faster than 55mph in 6th at around 8k rpms. i put pod filters on it and a MAC 4-1 exhaust on it. i still have the stock jets on there. could my problem be a cause of not rejetting the carbs? if so what size jets should i step up/down to? if not what else could be causing this loss of power? still a bit of a newbie as i got her back in late june and its my first bike.



i know you guys like pics....

[BassCliff]

Hi,

could my problem be a cause of not rejetting the carbs?

Yes.

It will take a little trial and error, plug chops, and adjustment. Generally, start about 4 sizes up on the main jets, maybe one up on the pilots, raise the needles a notch. Then do some plug chops and adjust as necessary.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[niggalai]

plug chops

what does this mean?

[cowboyup3371]

The second section here...http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...p.html...gives good information on plug chops. Basically you'll be driving along and without letting off the throttle cut the engine. Pull off safely to the side of the road, remove your spark plugs and check the coloring. Obviously you'll need a spark plug socket, ratchet, and extension as well as probably some gloves to work with.

Once you do that, you'll be better able to tune your mixture screws to ensure the correct setup.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Feel free to visit my little website. You'll find all kinds of interesting stuff there. Like...

Plug Chops-Highest RPM Methods
(by Mr. tkent02 and Mr. psyguy)

You will basically hit the kill switch at 1/4 throttle, 1/2 throttle, 3/4 throttle, and wide open throttle and check the spark plug color at each throttle opening. Then you can tune each carb circuit as necessary. It is possible to be lean on one circuit and rich on another.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff