Dyno needed

[solent01]

Hi Guys

Need to know if anybody has (and knows how to use LOL) a Dynojet rig in Chiang Mai, I have asked Nid, my local grease monkey and he thinks I am talking about a Turbo and laughs at me. My Steed 400 has got open pipes on her, with a standard carb setup, it feels really flat (more so than a normal Steed, I know they are low on grunt anyway), and needs up-jetting and setting up properly. Any ideas guys? I know of two places in Bangkok, but thats a little too far for me to go just to visit a Dyno, I live up in Fang on Highway 107

Sol

 

[Pikey]

Sol,

No dyno here so far as I know. IMHO, probably the reason the bike feels flat is that by opening up the pipes you have removed/decreased exhaust back pressure and this is needed to "scavenge" the exhaust gases to empty the cylinders completely prior to them receiving the next charge. If you are dead-set on running open pipes, then I'd suggest to just whip out the existing main jets, see what size they are and then buy the next few sizes up and experiment until it feels better (e.g if they are currently say, 130, buy 135, 140, 145). Also, normally when you open up the exhaust side, you need to open up the intake side by putting a less restrictive air filter in place. Don't expect miracles though!

Cheers,

Pikey.

 

[wimpy]

Do some full throttle runs and pull the clutch and hit the kill switch without closing the throttle prior. Then pull the plugs and take a look at the insulators. They should be a grayish tan color. If they are nearly white, you are too lean and should go up a size or two on the main jets and recheck. I seized one of my Nortons once because it was running too lean. Not a good thing!

 

[mikerust]

Removing the silencer or running with a straight through pipe requires a richer setting.

http://www.klempfsbritishparts.com/techamal.htm#figure

http://sterlingmotorworks.com/amal_carb ... uning_tips

Most applies to Kehin carburettors. If you don't trust this go to Link removed or Link removed or do some surfing of your own.

Before doing Wimpy's "plug chops" ensure you have the correct spark plugs fitted.

Somewhere there is a list. Ie. Open exhaust requires one or two sizes up etc. but i couldn't find it in the 30 mins I spent searching.

 

[solent01]

Thanks for the input chaps, seeing my man tomorrow as I am having her forks serviced (New oil, uprated springs and a new set of seals, got some weeping) so will get him to look at what main jets she is running and take it from there. Back in the UK, I always used to tweak my bikes(Exhaust, intake filter and jets/Power Commander+mapping) or rather I would go see Mr Dyno and he would spend some 4 hours playing around, and I would end up with a bike running some where around the 95% optimum mark, so not really used to doing it myself. On another note, I have been looking at the kwaka Z1000 2007 model, looks real mean, and with an Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust System, K&N intake filter and a Power Commander and map to match the parts, it will output 150 odd horses, but the great thing with the Zed is that its a naked street fighter, so wind buffer will always be a problem at high speeds, the result being great fun upto 120-140 kph then you tend to back off the power a little, so sensible speeds are normally always kept, but if you feel the urge to go like lightning, it will only be in short burst, which we all know is great fun, but high speeds here is very unwise (part of the attraction of my slow old Steed, can't go all that fast with the old girl).

Totally off topic but, after reading the debate about lids, I decided to check the date of my Arai Quantum, oops 1985, think its time for a new lid.

 

[monsterman]

Buy a couple of large round eye wall hooks with a 6mm thread , drill and mount them with Nylocs and locktight about 40mm from end of pipes . they will raise back pressure significantly. it works on Harley Dragbikes and sportsters I have built.or use some small perimeter baffles.

jerry

 

[Pikey]

Solent01,

Any news? Did you get the Steed running decently? Good advice from the other posters but one thing I would be interested to have clarified, is that since the introduction of unleaded petrol, I have heard that "plug chops" and spark plug readings have lost some of their significance to engine tuners since there is no major change in the colouration of the ceramic insulator on the plug - anyone have views on this/can put me right?

One thing I recently accidentally discovered with carburettor settings: I bought an XR400 with an open pipe and at full throttle it would splutter and backfire like it was hitting a rev limiter. Did some work on it to "open up" the airbox and it ran like a dream right up to the redline. My conclusion from this was that it was running rich (i.e "overjetted"). Via another problem where at speed, either wind or vibration caused the choke lever to come on, the same symptoms were experienced. Therefore, to me this proved that the bike was running rich. If you have not played around with the jetting on your Steed yet, try taking it for a run and then when fully warmed up, flip the choke on, thus richening up the carb setting. If it seems to run better then increasing the main jets is the way to go. However, and I am not an engine tuner, I reckon the the root cause of the problem is the change to open pipes/lack of back pressure, especially as you mention that it seems flatter than a standard Steed.

Would be interested to know how you get on, and good luck.

Cheers,

Pikey.

 

[solent01]

Got my bike back and the forks now feel great, my man also put 2" extensions onto the tops of the forks (never seen this before) the result being of course longer forks but slightly more ground clearance for the radiator pipe and slightly reduced rake angle (the angle between the road & forks, not fork to frame of course), but more important, I think it looks better. regarding the carb, I had problems getting my message accross as he doesn't speak English at all, and my Thai is same same, so my wife has to translate for us, but I am ashored that my Steed is running "1 size up nom nu" and that "2 size up don't like, no good", more important to me was the fact that two of the local chopper club guys (both Thai) dropped in to see my machanic, both running Steed 400's in standard dress, and was given the chance to ride both, I have since made up my mind that my Steed is not running flat, but infact just a normal old Steed, SLOW, but very slightly quicker off the mark than a standard Steed, but at the end of the day speed was not the reason I brought and had this bike rebuilt, I just wanted something comfortable to chug around with locally. I am going back to England in a few months to see family etc. when I am there I will try and get a test ride of the new Z1000, as I have been told by the main Kawazaki dealer in Bangkok http://www.kawasaki.co.th/ that they are building a new show room for big bikes and they will be able to import any of the Kawazaki range from abroad as a special order, so if I like the feel of the zed, they can order one for me.

Sol

 

[dirthonk]

solent that z1000 sure is a looker, how much hp is the new model putting out?
let us know if you get hold of one, a green 2004 model was the one bike i was looking at before the gsxr...

 

[dirthonk]

i hear that there are dynos at both the toyota and isuzu garages in chiang mai. however i am informed that they dont like letting random people use them, my friend offered 10,000baht to them to tune his skyline but they turned him down, maybe a naked protest outside the offices would improve the situation..

 

[solent01]

123 Horses, but not sure if thats at the rubber, with some minor mods it can easily push out 150 odd.....

If I was to hold a naked protest outside the office they would surely let me use the Dyno, out of sympathy, looks like a penis, only smaller.

 

[dirthonk]

thats a sweet bike

 

[Pikey]

So they've ditched the 4 pipes and replaced them with a ......? Jeez, from this pic at least, a 5 year old with a box of crayons could have designed a better looking silencer!

BTW, anyone remember the old Z1000s with the Kerker 4-1 pipes - that would be the way to go!

Cheers,

Pikey.

 

[solent01]

I agree with you pikey, the pipes look awful, from what I gather they are still the same setup as the old 2003-2006 pipes, but with reworked silencers, god awful, they will be the first thing to go..... if I was to purchase the bike. The original Z1, wonderful bike, I'll have to dig out my copy of Mad Max.... I used to run mine with a Harris Magnum, it used to growl like a grizzly on steriods. I had a Z750E for awhile also, chopped it in on a GPZ600 which I couriered for 2 years in and out of London.

Sol