Carb/Exhaust combo..What is the best for higher gas mileage?

[Jeff Tate]

I'd have to say that for an economical all-round solution would be to start cheap, and get the carbs cleaned and/or rebuilt, install a K&N aftermarket aircleaner (stock replacement) and install a K&N stage 1 or Dyno-Jet jet kit. I believe these will be fine with a stock exhaust and will allow the engine to breathe a little easier while allowing some tunability (tuna?) :roll: tuneability. Your mileage and performance may both increase some. I, myself went with the 4-1 pipe and stage 3 kit with pod filters and had to do alot of fiddling (learning) until I was satisfied. This whole pipe, carb, jetting thing can turn into quite a hobby that you may or may not be prepared for. This is just my opinion. Only you can determine what's best for you and your scoot.

[Anonymous]

Afer reading my long winded post over again it looks as if I downplayed the performance gains that can be had with new exhaust and intake. I tried to let you know that if more engine work was done then the cab/exhaust combo will be that much more effective.

Is the motor sound mechanically? If you plan on glass beading to make it look nice does that also mean you are going to pull it apart? I also have an '80 GS110E that I'm working on right now. I my case, I will have to (minimum) put in new pistons - long story. I'm not an expert on glass beading, but I would think that the cost of doing the carbs would be trivial compared to the entire engine.

I'd like to hear from others on this topic, but it never hurts to go slow on modifications unless you know exactly where you are going. I really don't think you can go wrong with new exhaust. It will make your bike look much better and give a bit of a boost also - I never did like the stock exhaust. Personal preferences though. The carbs can be rebuilt and jetted for the new exhaust system or you can buy aftermaket. If you decide to rebuild and re-jet you can always go the aftermaret route later. Those carbs can be sold or put them in a place of prominance in the garage. No garage is complete without clean, shiney topics of conversation.

The bigger question that I think needs to be answered is what carburators to upgrade to - performance aftermarket or maybe a set from a GSXR. I'm actually leaning in this direction. I have a Yoshi pipe on that I installed 18 years ago that is still in dectent shape (never been down - I leave that for the dirt!). I'm currently reading through past posts on this subject. A lot of knowledge in the collective heads around here - it's worth picking at.

Anyway, good luck with your project.

Steve

[Anonymous]

here are my qualifications...

Steve,

I'm starting to follow what your saying...but to make things easier on me...I'm going to give the following info:

Bike knowledge: 4 (on a 10 scale)

exhaust knowledge: 3

Carb Knowledge: 3

My bike's engine condition: 8


What I hope to achieve:

-To make the bike look as good as new...And in the process, balance performance and gas mileage the best I can.

If YOU had my bike for a month, how would YOU achieve that? (in terms of exhaust/carbs/air filter replacement)



Rudi

[Anonymous]

Rudi,

I'm really not in a position to give advice - but, I if were in your position I would probably follow the advice of Jeff in an earlier post. A nice exhaust followed by K&N filters with a stage 1 kit. You can always farm the tuning out to a reputable shop and save yourself the effort.

I know that sounds a little tame, but going slow on modifications never hurts. These old 1100's have pleanty of zip to begin with, and unless you have a severe need for speed, these mods should give you a nice adrenaline rush.

Then sit a bit forward on the tank and drop the hammer. Lot's of fun.

Steve

[Anonymous]

....

what does a "stage 1" kit do for your bike?

[Anonymous]

Maybe you could do what Suzuki did between 81 and 82. The 82s have something like 30 more horsepower than my 81 :x What did they do for such a big gain?

Steve

[Anonymous]

Really? I wasn't aware of a big difference in hp between 82 and 83. Maybe they cheated and calculated output shaft hp instead of rear wheel hp. I wouldn't put it past manufacturers. Anything to get good numbers even if no changes were made.

As an example of this kind of foolishness when Chevy introduced their 396 engine in 65 (exact dates are a blur) they initially rated it at 425 hp. This put their 396 Camaro in the same brackets as the Hemi Cuda and they lost their butts. The next year the very same motor (exactly the same!) was rated at 375 hp and was competitive again. It's a miracle!

Steve

[Jeff Tate]

Re: ....

what does a "stage 1" kit do for your bike?

Hello again Rudi. I checked on Dyno-jet stage 1 jet kits and they state that they are intended for use with a well disigned exhaust system and stock replacement airfilters. you should expect better throttle response and driveability. Also an approximate 5% power increase.

[Jeff Tate]

Here's a website that explains how to tune CV Mikuni carbs. It may be helpful to people having problems doing the work themselves or others that may be contemplating doing. Just so can see what kind of process (and endeavor) it is.http://www.factorypro.com/tech/carbtun.html