bogging down

[cafe1253]

Hi everyone
I have an 1981 gs 550t with a cut exhaust(with baffel in it) and pods. I have replaced all gaskets in engine also and shimmed the valves back to spec. Now the piston rings i did not change. So heres my issue when I hit 5000 RPM I bog down if I keep on it i can ride through the bog and hit 7000 and start to get power back but not a ton. When I pull the plugs they are Black not a little black but black. (some history I have never pulled the plugs without them being black) My question is what does everyone think is it to rich or to lean I dont see an smoke coming out of the pipes when it warms up but a friend who was behind me said he say red brownish smoke come out on our way home from a 15 min ride
THOUGHTS??

[cowboyup3371]

Your bogging down sounds like the jets and carb passages are pretty dirty so the first question comes down to did you clean the carbs properly per Nessism's carb tutorial?

[tkent02]

If the plugs are always black, it is always rich.
Find out why.

[cafe1253]

forgot to mention the carbs have been cleaned an dipped with all new o rings, so the carbs are clean. i understand that the black plugs mean rich but my question is red brownish smoke i thought that meant lean?

[TheCafeKid]

Did you re-jet the bike for pods and a modified exhaust?

[cafe1253]

i did rejet for the mods, now I am thinking i may have gone to big thoughts?(my jet size is 112 for the mains, needles set at stock)

[TheCafeKid]

You can't rejet CV carbs for pods and a pipe with stock needles.
You need a DynoJet kit. The stock needles will not work. Period.

[cafe1253]

could you elaborate on your statement? I have a dyno jet kit which I used before but had so many issues I decided to start over from scratch and put the carbs back to stock except for the mains.

[TheCafeKid]

The stock needles are not designed to allow enough fuel to pass to compensate for the pods increased airflow.

If you installed the DJ kit and installed per instructions, and assuming your carbs have been correctly cleaned and new orings installed (which needs done or you're wasting your time) you shouldn't have had any issues except for maybe having to move the needle clip lower on the needle...

Vacuum carburetors will not function properly without a suitable jet kit. It's not the mains, its the needles.

[cafe1253]

great thks thecafekid for all the help tomorrow I am going to take the carbs apart and put the jet kit back in and go from there quick question though do you think I should keep the mains I have in for now and just move the needles up?

[TheCafeKid]

great thks thecafekid for all the help tomorrow I am going to take the carbs apart and put the jet kit back in and go from there quick question though do you think I should keep the mains I have in for now and just move the needles up?

With an open exhaust and pod filters id try the stage three kit first. Whatever size the largest mains that came in the kit are. And put the clip in the third slot up counting from the tip on the needle. Mixture adjustment screws three turns out from a light seat.