Newbie carb jet questions

[Guest]

Friend gave me a 1980 GS1100LT, been siting outside 7 years. I have the carbs apart, the jets I had to heat and extract. My question is since I destroyed some jets , my exhaust is all rotten and my airbox a little rough...what jet, exhaust and air pod combo is tried and true for this bike?

[Steve]

Well, that depends.

Are you going to source replacement airbox and exhaust or are you going to go with pods and a header?

You have only listed current condition, not which direction you are headed.

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[Kc1eye]

I'm wanting a reliable bike, I was thinking pods because removing carbs would be easier... my first bike, I'm 54 years old, really don't want a loud crazy bike....just a reliable, fun to ride, easy to wrench on bike...

[Steve]

Well, if you don't want a "loud" bike, you won't like pods on there. Not quite as loud as a header, but they are NOISY.

How many times to you plan on removing the carbs? If you strip them down, clean them properly and put them back together with new o-rings and gaskets, you won't have to do it again for about 10 years.

You youngsters just don't know how to step back and look at the big picture.

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[Kc1eye]

Confession time...I like the looks of the air pods.....I had no idea it made the bike louder.. as long as it isn't obnoxious I'm okay. Can you recommend a jet, pod, exhaust combo ....of course on the cheap....I'm doing a very thorough job on the carbs I hope never to redo them again. This bike needs tires, brakes, new seat, and I hate the pull back handlebars...is all this worth it?

[Rob S.]

57

Buddy, I have an '82 1100 with Vance & Hines "Street Megaphone" 4-into-1 and APE 'pod' air filters (just like K&N, beautiful chrome, but half the price).

My exhaust "needs" repacking (I won't do it), but even so, it's not obnoxiously loud.

[Steve]

Confession time...I like the looks of the air pods.....I had no idea it made the bike louder.. as long as it isn't obnoxious I'm okay. Can you recommend a jet, pod, exhaust combo ....of course on the cheap....I'm doing a very thorough job on the carbs I hope never to redo them again. This bike needs tires, brakes, new seat, and I hate the pull back handlebars...is all this worth it?

Do you remember back in the days of your youth, when guys used to turn the lid of the air cleaner over on the car to enable it to breathe better? Remember that extra noise? That was more of a howl, and usually only at full throttle, but the pods on a motorcycle will be chattering under your legs all the time. As I mentioned earlier, it's not loud like an exhaust system, it just adds to the overall noise while riding the bike.

If you insist on pods, get ready to spend a bit of money on a jet kit or a lot of time in do-it-yourself jetting frustration. Yes, jets are relatively cheap, it's the needles that make the difference, and they are only available in the kit. I think a kit is about $125 or so, but don't know for sure. If you go with pods and a stock exhaust, a Stage 1 kit might work. If you go with pods and a header, you will need a Stage 3. I think that when you get the Stage 3 kit, you also get the Stage 1 jets.

K&N pods are about the best, but expensive. To offset the expence, they can be cleaned and re-used for a long time. APE pods look and act just like K&N pods, but are MUCH cheaper. EMGO pods are cheap paper filters that are about 1/4 the cost of K&Ns, but after replacing them a few times, you will be approaching the same cost. I hear that UNI filters are OK, but have no experience with them.

Does your "very thorough job" on the carbs include an overnight soak in Berryman's and new o-rings from cycleorings.com? If not, plan on re-doing them before putting them on the bike (and having to take them off again). You should also be following THIS TUTORIAL while cleaning your carbs.

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[BluePlateSpecial]

If my bike came with a stock airbox I would have gone that direction but it already had a Vance & Hines 4-1 pipe and no air box or carbs so I decided to go with K&N pods. It's a pain in the ass and it still isn't dialed in right but the upside is that I am learning a lot trying to get it right.

[Kc1eye]

I am doing the full on Berryman soak on my carbs and cycleorings I'm following the tutorial.Now I'm thinking airbox and can I leave the stock exhaust with rotted out baffles? If so will stock jets work? if so how about a good source for the jets/needlevalves...carb kits
THANKS

[tkent02]

EMGO pods are cheap paper filters that are about 1/4 the cost of K&Ns, but after replacing them a few times, you will be approaching the same cost. .

Nah, they are just a couple of cheap screens, like a sifter. No filter element at all.

[Steve]

I am doing the full on Berryman soak on my carbs and cycleorings I'm following the tutorial.Now I'm thinking airbox and can I leave the stock exhaust with rotted out baffles? If so will stock jets work? if so how about a good source for the jets/needlevalves...carb kits
THANKS

If you are following the correct tutorial, you should already know that you don't need "carb kits". All of your brass bits and pieces are likely good enough to use again after a full cleaning.

As far as needle valves, some prefer (insist on) only using OEM, but I have had good luck with the ones from Parts n More.

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[Rob S.]

my first bike, I'm 54 years old

I'm 57, just coming off a 25-year hiatus from motorcycles. Welcome to the brotherhood!