Looking for more opinions on my mixture

[Guest]

I am Soooooooooo close to perfect that I am getting greedy I think. It runs strong to red line and I am no longer afraid to take it on longer rides. This weekend I went on a spirited ride with the wife. Didnt really beat on it and it never went over 6000rpm but we raced around the mountains. It was about 97 degrees out

Last week I had the idle so it was dropping rapidly at lights and engine breaking was great but it would bubble a little at long lights going between 1000 and 800. Never stalled but it was a little weird. I had my screws open to 3 turns. The plugs were looking blackish but not sooty.

I did a sync after that and I turned the screws down 1/4 turn. When I went out this weekend it dropped quickly and stayed at 1200-1100 and sounded great. After about 35-40 miles it started hanging at 2000 rpm at lights for a 10-15 count and then drop in at about 1500.

I pulled a plug today which was the first day since that ride and it looks grey with some tan. I think I either have to lower the main idle screw a tiny bit to compensate for fully hot or turn my screws back up 1/4.

I am that close to perfect. I went from not running to talking about 1/4 turns!!

[Steve]

Those look rather lean to me. If you think 1/4 turn might be too much, try 1/8 turn.

.

[Boriqua]

Thank you steve. I thought it looked a bit lean too and am thrilled you chimed in. Going to bump it up a touch and check again.

[Tom R]

Before you turned not the screws down a 1/4...If you bumped the throttle a bit when sitting at the light, did it idle good again? If it’s only at long lights, could just be your carbs loading up a bit and a blip should fix it.

[Boriqua]

Well I turned them back up 1/4 turn to 3 turns out and the idle drops like a stone and engine braking is nice even after its hot hot. But if I sit at a light it continues to drop slowly and then looks to stall and bliping the throttle doesnt help. So I did as steve suggested came back and turned it down 1/8 and it is a happy medium. Will sit for lights without a problem, engine braking is good but the idle when when the bike is very hot kind of cruises down to idle and doesnt drop to it. I think I am as good as this bad boy is going to get and I am cool with that.
alex

[Wingsconsin]

At some point you have accept "good enough"
At least that has been my experience and practice

[Boriqua]

At some point you have accept "good enough"
At least that has been my experience and practice

You are so right sir. I forgot these old bikes have a bit of "personality" and you have to buy into it if you want to enjoy owning one. Runs great and is fast, nimble enough and my wife loves it. I will just enjoy it and stop obsessing.