I Joined a Bike Gang

I have been thinking this over for a long time now. This isn't something that I ever really wanted to do. I have heard horror stories regarding the gang initiation and didn't know if I had the balls to go through with it. But I did. There were a couple of rough spots but overall it wasn't too bad.

What Gang did I join?







If I tell you, I'll probably have to kill you!









OK, I'll tell.



















I joined the XJ BIKES CLEAN CARBS GANG



Who do I have to contact to get my colors? Rick-o-matic? Robert? Maybe Chacal since he has everything else.

Was it worth it?
Yes. It passes the clunk test with flying colors. The enrichment circuit is 100% clear. All new seals and o-rings. New bowl gaskets. New throttle plate screws. New upper mounting rail screws. New bowl drain screws. I am 100% confident in my work and the carbs.
Problems?
Mangled a few mounting rail screws. Setting float levels is a royal pain. How the heck does anyone with bigger than size small mitts get their hand in the airbox to push the boots back out? THAT was the biggest pain of all.
Did it help?
As far as power and performance........no. The bike is still the same as ever, which was very good. It does start, cold, a little quicker. It still seems to flood itself when it is hot and sits for 20 minutes or so. I can live with that. I still have just a couple degrees of tuning to do on the idle jet screws. I'd say the bike is at about 97%. Where a big gain was made, is that when I end up 2,000 miles away from home, which I do on a yearly basis, I know that none of my throttle shaft seals or fuel rail o-rings are going to start leaking. I rebuilt the petcock as a preventative measure as well.

I would, and often do, strike out for far off destinations and I am very, very confident that the bike will not let me down. It never has in the past and I'm sure it won't in the future. What more can you ask for?

How about those colors?

 

Congratulations! ... now you need a colortune and vacume test

 

The colors you want are on Sno's swag-for-sale page. I'm jonesing for a golf tee myself (mommy wasn't receptive to the idea this evening...).

 

The T-shirt that would be most popular would be the one that reads:

AFTER THE THIRD ROUND, AND TRYING EVERYTHING ELSE INSTEAD, I FINALLY GOT MY CARBS CLEAN.....

 

...with a picture of a carb body and a guy in a clean-room suit.

 

......with carb cleaner in his eye

 

HA I would definitely buy that one! It could also say I FINALLY did it right!

 

Hows this?



:lol:

 

I love it that would be a cool T shirt

 

What? No three piece patch for the back of my jacket? I already have the hat and t-shirt. Maybe I'll just have to have the exploded picture of a Mikuni carb put on the back of a shirt.
Some of you belong to the "XJ BIKES CLEANED CARBS SEVERAL TIMES" gang. Sorry but I don't want to join that club. My motto was "one and done".

 

That would be cool. Even better if the profits help support the site. I like TShirts - always room for more....

 

I'd buy that.

 

Update. I had a slight stumble just off idle that I've been trying to work out. I went about 1/16 to 1/8 of a turn leaner on the idle jets today and I think I have it! Stumble seems to be gone and the plugs look great.
Biggest improvement was the installation of stainless steel brake lines on the front.

 

This is the kind of Post I'd much rather see more often than ones from somebody who is starting-off Summer with a slipping Starter Clutch.

That's for sure.

Congratulations.
You have a License to TWEAK!

1 Down ... 4,999 to go!

 

My carb bowls are so clean I poured some cheerios and milk into one to celebrate!

Yay! 8)

 

Now you have to clean them again!

 

Yeah, but that was gooood cereal.

Note: Don't add sugar to your cereal while it sits in the bowl, no matter how clean the fuel bowl may appear. Also, dried milk is not affected one iota with carb cleaner, carb dip or high powered air pressure.

 

LMAO - I don't think I will need that information as I don't intend to put milk in my carbs