GSX550 twin throat carbs - needle adjustment?

[triffecpa]

Have a mid 80's GS(X)550 with the twin throat Mikuni carbs. I'm trying to figure out how to adjust the needle on the slides. The needle is held in place with a funky looking plastic holder. The holder spins around in the slide, but I can't seem to figure out how to actually remove it so that I can get the needle out to adjust the height.

Any help here?

TR

[p_s]

With needlenose pliers you can work out the plastic thing. It might go flying across your garage. There is no point though since there is no way to adjust it. The washer trick does not work.

[Colorado85gs550]

you need to spend the $150 to get the DynoJet kit for our carbs and you will reap the benefit

[triffecpa]

it looked to me, per the BikeBandit diagram, that the needle has an E clip on it? Is that not true? The bike in question belongs to a friend of mine. It's had some pretty extensive engine work done, porting etc. He bought it for a track bike/vintage race bike and has been working thru issues to get it running. Seems like the mid-range is too rich. I assumed that someone had raised the needles. At 5000'+ in Albuquerque, we usually end up leaning things out a bit to get things to run correctly. The bike came most recently from the LA area. This thing might already have the jet kit installed. Won't know for certain until we get the needles out.

So, just tug on the funky plastic thingie, eh?

TR

[550ERAT]

you need to spend the $150 to get the DynoJet kit for our carbs and you will reap the benefit

Can you run the stock exhaust with the dynojet kit or do you need a 4-1 or similar?

[Colorado85gs550]

Can you run the stock exhaust with the dynojet kit or do you need a 4-1 or similar?

there are different stage kits.........you would need stage 1 for the stock exhaust and K&N filter in OEM airbox, and Stage 3 for Pods and 4to1.

[550ERAT]

Thanks for the info