Fuel Economy - Final post

Alright, I admit I am not mechanically inclined thus have paid 2 different mech's to work on my '85 Maxim XJ700n. I had been, and still am getting around 24 mpg, the first found no problems, opened up the carbs and cleaned them a bit but found no major deposits, d/n know to remove caps to adjust fuel/air, I showed the 2nd Rick's carb rebuild and specifically the section on removing the plugs to adjust, he did. They adjusted it repeatedly for 7 adjustments, ending at 1-3/8 turns out from bottom to "optimize" the mixture. This seems way of the recc'd 2 3/4 turns out. The bike really has never ran bad, it does lag when starting at stop when warm, the bike then really catches and takes off about half way through 1st gear, it may be running a little leaner now as it seems to have lost some power, but my gas mileage is no better. This bike has 12,450 miles on it and is in excellent condition, but I've now got over $2k into it (bike plus repairs). Any suggestions? Anyone want to buy it? I just want to ride and I do want to get good fuel economy. I would prefer a Triumph Bonnie but felt guilty about the pricetag for first bike in 30 years. Thanks.

 

set the mixture screws @ 2. 3/4 turns out to start, give the bike a good run & pull the plugs, lets see what they look like before tweeking further.

 

What are you using to determine your mileage? It could be that if you are using your odometer, it is registering incorrectly and needs repair/adjustment. Buy/borrow a GPS and get real numbers.
Another thought is wheel bearings, have you inspected them recently? It is possible that your engine is properly tuned but the bearings are grinding. Pull your wheels and inspect. ANY irregularities and I would replace them, especially given the age of the bike. Please speak up if you are unsure as to how to inspect them.
Hope this gives you some more food for thought, it sounds like you have put a lot of effort into this. Best of luck.