2000 1200S Clutch problems, carb problems, etc.

[rider123]

Woah!! 3 turns?! Thats way too rich, the 1st Gen is like 1 3/4(stock, haynes manual) to 2.5 max with a stock exhaust. Maybe turn them in a half a turn and see what happens. It's possible that the radio shack shims are of slightly different thickness and number 1 has the thickest one. I measured mine with a digital caliper when I used them many moons ago to get the most even out of the set. Might be worth having a look. However a good sync should compensate for it a bit. If you want, exchange the shim from the richest cylinder(number 1) with the leanest cylinder(number 4) and see if the richness moves with it. If not then it's sync. If you have the aftermarket exhaust coming today then don't change it as 3 turns should probably be close to where you need to be with an aftermarket exhaust, although that may even be a little rich. Change the shims for fun with the richest to leanest and maybe it will even the cylinders out a bit more, but to be honest it looks like all low down richness to me from the mixture screws set out way too far. To give you an idea, the shop manual says they should be out 1 3/4 stock. So running well they should be around 2 in reality. With an aftermarket exhaust you might need at least half a turn or so, so start out around 2.5 and work up from there if necessary. Once you get the aftermarket exhaust and exchange the shims then do another sync as the flow of the engine will change a bit with a real exhaust on there.

[mpatrick]

I will turn them in I was just experimenting. I did measure the shims they were all pretty even. The plugs were in there with a stock exhaust the aftermarket should be on my doorstep when i get home.

[rider123]

Awsome let us know how it goes. You're going to be lean up top but just ignore it for now until you get some jets in there. You may have to compensate a bit with the pilots. If the shims are even then don't bother exchanging them. Hell don't change anything, and just pop that awesome exhaust on there and see what happens. It should be close with 3 turns out. It possible that there is a leaky o-ring on number 1 cylinder and some extra fuel is leaking in there. Bikes usually sit on the side stand so number 1 gets more fuel pressure just sitting there which wears out the seals more.

It's one of the best looking mid-pipes and end can's I've seen. Makes me feel dirty with my Muzzy....

Also are you doing the sync the poor mans way or the fancy sync tool way? Believe it or not the poor mans way works better as it's a tug of war between pairs of cylinders, so they are either in sync or they are not, there is no error from a dial or a slide, it's just physics.

Best poor mans way, sync 1 and 2
Sync 3 and 4

Attach number 2 cylinder and number 3 cylinder(root carb) and sync between the two, that syncs the pairs 1 and 2 with 3 and 4.

[mpatrick]

I got over my fear and am doing it the poormans way. I dont try to get them even just not moving. Is that right?

I hoping to leave work early today so I can get home and pop that bad boy on. I'll let you know how it goes.

[rider123]

Yeah they don't have to be even just not moving up one side or the other. When they are out of sync you see one side climb and the other fall. Adjust so that they stop and you're in sync. Of course if it makes you feel better once you get them to stop you could either shut the engine down and let gravity level them then start it up again, or artificially adjust it to where they are more level which is what I do sometimes when I get it close so I can micro adjust it. Use motor oil it has a high viscosity and is cheap, they won't also be bouncing around as much and if you are slow on the kill switch it won't kill the engine or get hydrolock like water would. Turn the idle up a few hundred rpm to say 1400 or 1500 when your close which will agrivate any mal-adjustment. You'll be suprised how well it runs afterwards. Once it's synced and your good, then you can micro-adjust the mixtures if need be and re-sync because any artificial leaness or richness from a cylinder doing more or less work than the others is taken out of the mix. Make sure the bike is nice and warm first and have fun!

[mpatrick]

What I ended up making was almost exactly like yours, but with 2 restrictors inline which help tremendously with the bouncing. I got the restrictors at the autoparts store doorman branded.

[rider123]

Yours is even more fancy than mine so did you bust the bank and get up to an unimaginable $8? Damn you rich folks!

[mpatrick]

it was $8.50, and I put it on a credit card.
 

[rider123]

If you want to experiment with something lighter to increase the accuracy you could try some 2-stroke oil. Since you have the restrictors in there it might not be a bad idea. Especially for you high rollers out there I'm sure adding another $3 is nothing to you!

[mpatrick]

Well it's on and pretty gnarly sounding. It's got some backfire on decel but I assume that will be taken care of with jetting.It seems to climb up to redline pretty quick almost scary quick, I can't imagine what it's gonna be like with the right jetting.

Here's a video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tyBvEQ2Ebg&sns=em

[rider123]

Yeah with the new pipe on there the jetting will be slightly off. You're going to be lean so it will pop a bit, especially when it's cold out or you still have that horrid PAIR shit on there. Check the plugs after you've done some driving the 3 turns out you have on there may be very very close for a mid-pipe and end can. I've noticed in the video seems to be running a bit smoother now that it's not breathing from a drinking straw sized pipe. You probably gained about 5 ponies just with the pipe,shim and mixture screw adjustment. With the new jets K&N panel filter and the airbox mod you'll add another 10-12. The gen1's seem to get another hp or two over the gen2's, probably due to the RF900 carbs with the proper sized pilots and the K&N panel filter. For me with a stage 1 I'll probably be, though I have one notch bigger mainjet around 113-115, you'll be getting 115-117 most likely with the stage 1 setup. You can't complain about up to 17% more horsepower for less than $200. Trust me you're going to notice it.

[mpatrick]

I did notice a good improvement mid range with the mid pipe and end can on the ride into work this morning. The idle is staying pretty even now still not fuel injection smooth but I don't expect that. Noise wise its not that bad it has a nice throaty sound, I ride with ear plugs so cruising is not an issue. Now i wouldn't say it super neighbor friendly. My neighbors aren't a-holes though I mean down the street there's a guy with what has to be straight pipes on his v-max. It has the baffle in now, I might ride tomorrow with out to compare. Quality wise it looks good the welds are nice, everything went together reasonably easy, took about 15-20 mins. Outstanding packaging I was worried about that, the muffler came in it's own foam surround, the mid pipe was wrapped in the most bubble wrap I've ever seen. Overall I am impressed so far, we'll see how it is down the road.

[rider123]

If you're not hammering the throttle and just cruising down the street it shouldn't be too much over stock. My muzzy which is a 17" can(a little quieter) is not much more than stock just cruising around only when I have like full throttle acceleration does it sound like a race pipe. Put it this way you're going to be quieter than any Harley out there so just don't hammer it when you're on little streets and you should be fine. You'll notice though if you go by cars with alarms, they'll chirp from the vibrations.   If you take out the baffle with the stock jets it will run leaner and shittier. Maybe wait until it's jetted, or just do a sound test for the hell of it and pop it back in. When jetted you'll want it out for all the power you can muster from that puppy. Remember there is no such thing as "too much power"

[mpatrick]

Its still the quietest bike I've ever owned, previous bikes were a shitty ass harley with screamin eagle pipes, and a kz650 with basically straight headers.

[rider123]

See how you feel. If it's totally insane without the DB killer installed, just get another set of mainjets one size smaller in case 127.5's are too rich with the DB killer in there. So maybe get some 125's. For someone who can afford a mind blowing $8.50 on fancy pants carb sync tools I'm sure another $12 can be financed over the month. One bike I had I blew the baffle right out of it so that it was a straight pipe on a GS750EF. It sounded awesome, but also like the end of the world. It sounded like a 70's GP bike though. Had to rig up a donor baffle and weld it in there at my friends bike shop.