Stock Needle?

I will get there...... I want to work on the top end first though...

Well, I think that I need to drop that main down one size and the n65c needle will have to come out. As I am riding at 30 mph, I notice that there is a stumble as and it sounds like my bike is missing and it is kind of jerky at that speed as well. I also notice that when I want to decelerate, it takes a long time for it to slow down. The cables are adjusted correctly and they return freely. I think that I am still burning a lot of fuel when I am not supposed be..

Suggestions? Thoughts??

hey knuckle head what part of the carb are we on at thirty miles an hour under lite throttle?

46 slow, 175-180 main, leave the n65c in 2 1/2- 3/4 turns from seated on the screw, it's only 1250 or something like that. You are drowning it.

I know for a fact that the my old 185 main is too little. I do not think it is the main at all at this point. I think that it is the needle. BTW DW, I am running 10.5:1 compression... Just saying..

Hey Bp, I still need to accelerate and when I am past 1/4 throttle depending on how I accelerate I do get onto my main.

:roflmao::roflmao:But Paul, nobody told him he has to lean out the slow circuit...

JB, I've seen a lot of Big Twins run a 45 pilot N65C needle and 190 main and they run very good....
There is also a '91 1200 Sporty I know very well that the heads, manifold and carb that a guy worked(kind of a rookie, he's only got 50+years experience at it)

When it got back home it has a 45 pilot, shimmed needle(didn't have a N65C or N72S needle at the time) and a 190 main...it runs like a raped ape and eats hopped up big twins for breakfast...
If it's not going to cost you anything but a little time why not try a 45 pilot and see if you can get a good idle(hint: the air screw will tell you if the 45 is too small)leave the N65C needle in and a 190 main then take a test run...ya never know,might end up with crisp throttle response from idle to red line...

JB,

Carbs are operate on four different circuits.

1. Idle -pilot screw
2. Off Idle
3. Mid-range
4. Wide open throttle.

They also are linear which means the pilot jet feeds fuel through all phases of operation and each circuit overlaps to the next. The main jet is not fully operational until your get above 3/4 throttle. This is when the taper of the needle is fully out of the main jet.

When tuning a carb you should always start with the pilot jet. After the pilot jet then go to WOT and the main jet to get maximum power output for your setup. Finally, go to the needle. This is the mid-range circuit and you adjust for ridability and fuel economy. Because carbs are linear, unlike EFI, they are limited as far as tuning. However, with either system they is no such thing as a perfect tune, you can only tune for best optimum performance based on your engine setup and exhaust system.

Good luck, let us know the results.

Good post Ringo...

Nobody is arguing with you. I want to work on one thing at a time. I have acceleration issues on my top end. My AFR's from my dyno pulls showed that. When I put that 195 in I felt a distinct difference. I am going to drop that main down to a 190 and see how she runs then and go from there. You guys are in such a hurry.

The reason I am being such a pain in the ass about running the 45 pilot is that my indy is dead set against it. I am running out of time, other wise I would do it myself. (Change the pilot and change idle mix that is). I have no idea about what is happening with this needle. When I drop down the main I will be curious as to what happens. I will let you know what is happening though.

I spoke to a shop in Michigan the other day and had asked what the stock needle is for the 883 in my year. They asked why I wanted to know that and I told them what was going on. The basic response that I got was that the N65c is basically a 1200 needle. Well, that wasn't my question. I had then said that I was contemplating putting in an adjustable needle. This shop had a real issue with that. The exact words were, "sounds too gimmicky." Well, I sort of agree with that but it is difficult to find out what needle came in my carb.

So to "start over" would mean for me to bring the carb back to its original configuration then go from there. That is not going to happen..

Not originally......

Dude, I have a lot of stuff done. I have different cams, heads, ignition, air intake/cleaner, 10.5 compression, exhaust....What do you mean that I have nothing done???? I told you that I am not enthused about the adjustable needle, not until all else has failed....

Listen, my indy thinks that the current needle, (N65c) is just too much form my set up. I want to exhaust all other possibilities before I go for an adjustable needle. Just taking a little bit of time is all.

OK, here is the thing, I thought my bike "ran" good in the sense that it didn't break down, always started, and never left me stranded once I got all of the above noted stuff done. That was with a 185 main and my 46 pilot. Got good gas mileage and there was power but I knew something was not right. After putting it on the dyno my thoughts were confirmed that I was running lean. I think that I just went up too much on my main jet. I am going to bring that down to a 190 and see what happens on the dyno. I know already that a 185 main is too small so going back to it is useless. I spend most of my time when I am riding on my main jet. I understand completely that the circuits overlap. My understanding of what Ken explained earlier in this thread is that your pilot is only fully on its own till 1/4 throttle before it starts its transition (overlap). Basically what this means to me is that if I am ripping through the gears hard and bringing it close to my rev limiter through each gear, my pilot is doing none of the work really. It is transitioning quickly to the main. When you are on the dyno you are ripping through the gears as fast as you can so I have a difficult time believing that it is my pilot causing the issue. I have heard my indy talk extensively about how the transition is going rich. Hmm, that means to me that the needle is lifting higher and bringing in the main too early. Doesn't taper have something to do with that??

Yes JB, the taper has everything to do with that...check the CV needle chart I posted and it'll show the different tapers on the different needles from D1-D6(D=Diameter)that is how you fine tune....check your AFR's at certain RPM's and use a needle with a thinner or thicker diameter in that range to raise or lower AFR where needed
I don't know why your indy is so dead against even trying a 45 pilot jet,the reason I suggested trying it was to rule it out as being the right pilot...it's not hard to do and won't take long...
Confirm the 45 is too small then move up to the 46
Then it's onto finding the right needle,you will need a selection of them to get it right and the chart will help you pick the ones you may need(thicker if you're fat thinner taper if you're lean in the sections you need it...they all raise about 1 1/4"(WOT)
...although you are mainly concerned about WOT you're really fat until you got to around 4800RPM's and when it leaned out you barely reached stoich(14.7) a 190 should be fine for your main,should drop AFR's to allow max power(mid 13's I believe)
I'm not sure what AFR's are ideal,maybe one of the other guys can tell us....