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

 

do you have access to a colortune.
its a 50 dollar investment that someone like YOU would like.

Or do as I do...pull the plugs to see how my mixture is burning.

the way yours sounds I would point to lean.
\
spend a weekend working on it and you will thanks yourself, these bikes have some umph!!

 

Not trying to be a ass but, are you calculating your mileage right?
If 2 mechanics have been through it(not knowing about the pilot adjustments may mean you have the wrong mechanic) and don't feel anything is wrong, I wonder.

 

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.

 

Check for brakes dragging as well.

 

Thanks for all the responses. Good point about the colortune, but you'd think it would show other perfornace signs if its were that far off though. Other than the lag when warm, it performs fine.

I mentioned the possibility of the breaks dragging to the first mechanic but he said he checked that and found no problems.

That's the first time I've heard about checking the wheel bearings, so if you have instructions on how to do so, please post them.

Finally, as for the odometer, I guess it could be bad, but I a m riding it to/from familiar destinations and if it is off, its only by a mile or two at worst.

 

haig,

an investment in a manual can keep you from going to the expensive mechanic.
A trained monkey could work on SOME of the maintenece just by looking at the pictures
I never trust anyone else unless I watch the entire process being performed.
SOME, not all, mechanics will only fix your bike enough to get it back on the road.
Me, and almost everyone in the forums, do the procedures the right way. And the bike STAYS on the road.
Keep that in mind...even if you get a brand spanking new steed