wiredgeorge
Member
Reged: 04/30/12
Posts: 92
Loc: Medina County Texas
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Since ethanol has become part of our lives, letting a bike sit for a month or two has brought me a lot of business. I am pretty much swamped and hesitate to move to new markets. The carbs on the America are pretty familiar though as they are on tons of other bikes and are fairly easy to work on. Some of the gyrations folks go through to get more throttle response or performance is kind of incredible. Drilling the slide, clipping the springs... whew... By the way, I am a fan of stock airboxes and stock jetting and nice and quiet stock pipes so will unlikely use my America as a "test mule" hehe I do have a set of Mikuni 29 smoothbores I have been considering mounting if I can figure out how to space them. I would have to have a custom fuel tee but my machinist makes fuel tees and sells them on eBay. 6" spacing and a Sporty is about 4"... hmmmm
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wiredgeorge
TX Hill Country
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wiredgeorge
Member
Reged: 04/30/12
Posts: 92
Loc: Medina County Texas
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Flew up to Tulsa on Sat AM and picked up the America. PO installed a NEW windshield he had at my request. Money changed hands and I took off at about 10AM. Rode about 325 miles; couldn't ride the toll road US44 because I couldn't keep up well; the shield was at a poor angle and I didn't have a hex key to adjust. Once I was going south, I rode into a stout and punishing headwind. Got into Wichita Falls, checked into Motel 6 there and took a quick shower (I always feel like a shower after traveling through Oklahoma (joke). Bought some hex keys at Wallys and at at Cracker Barrel (I am old). Slept like a log and got up at 7:30 and cleaned up, had some breakfast at Dennys and headed down 281 towards home. Ate lunch in Lampasas and spent an hour walking around a small gun show there and then rode on home. It was hot both days but overcast this AM and that helped a lot as I got a sun burned kisser.
The bike performed flawlessly... wished for a tad more power when in the headwind but part of the problem was the windshield was making the situation much worse. With the shield at a more friendly angle it was easy to cruise at 75 mph. Only small complaint was the right footrest. It is a KuryAkn. I would call it a paddle type foot rest and it is at the wrong angle. I saw no way to adjust and have to take my foot completely off the rest to use the brake pedal. Not too thrilled about the location of the ignition key but I am getting the hang of getting the key in the switch while on the bike. I also have to really stretch to reach the sidestand tang to deploy the sidestand. It seems further forward than it needs to be. The pretty aftermarket mirrors on the bike show a good view of my elbows and vibrate seriously... On the positive, the seat never stung me and the KuryAkn iso grips were super comfy... I got 37 mpg. Does this sound about right?
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wiredgeorge
TX Hill Country
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canyonwlf7
3/4 Throttle
Reged: 01/12/05
Posts: 881
Loc: Culpeper, Va
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Hi George, check out my thread in this same forum, I'm buying a 2005 America with only 460 miles, the owner told me he hasn't ridden bike since last summer, no stabil in the gas, when I test rode the bike it ran good and pulled hard, but it back fired quite a bit or popped alot after revving it (noticed that more in the garage revving it up some)
Do u think I have bad gas? If I do the airbox removal kit and change the jets do you think that will fix the carb issues I seem to have! Thanks for your input sir.
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Speedy in Cranberry Red (2011), TOR slip-ons, FI remapped, 16 tooth sprocket, Triumph Gel Solo seat, Ikon 1" lowered Shocks
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wiredgeorge
Member
Reged: 04/30/12
Posts: 92
Loc: Medina County Texas
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I would first be suspicious of air leaks; most bikes in the 2005 year range will have the original carb holders; the rubber things that connect the cylinder head to the carbs. These get hard with age and have a tendency to seal poorly. The clamps may also be loose. If the exhaust has been changed, I am sure there must be some crush-type gasket and it may not have been changed. Air will get directly into the combustion chamber if either the carb holders or crush gaskets leak. You can easily check the carb holders by spraying the area with WD40 while the bike is idling; you will get WHITE smoke coming out the pipes and the idle will change. The WD40 actually evaporates fairly quickly if you don't puddle it. The last thing to check is the smog system... they invariably use reed valves which are opened by a vacuum switch of some sort. The problem with this system is the vacuum hose from the carbs to the valve; if it is compromised (leaking), the bike will backfire as described. The last thing I can think of are the vacuum caps. These cover the vacuum fittings on the carbs and if they are rubber they deteriorate and can leak. Replace them with vinyl. As to the carbs, after checking for leaks, yes they can backfire if the pilot circuit, especially the slow jets are gummed up. The hole where gas flows in the slow jet is pretty small and if the bike has sat I would suspect changing the slow jets would be in order. Don't bother try to clean them as this requires using fine serrated wires which tend to enlarge and oval the beveled hole in the jet. Spend the money for new jets. You can check the flow of these jets by removing and spraying carb cleaner through them. The flow out should be fairly diffuse and in a cone-type pattern.
Last, by some reports from my customers, Stabil doesn't work as well as it once did due to the ethanol in the gas. You need to change your gas filter more often as the ethanol also eats the rubber seal in the gas cap. There are alternative products to deal with the ethanol but I haven't tried any as I ride year round.
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wiredgeorge
TX Hill Country
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Ryk
Learned Hand
Reged: 05/19/10
Posts: 1671
Loc: Pac. NW
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I have had good luck using Star Tron enzyme gas treatment, 8 Fl. Oz. treats 48 Gals. of gas. Even better is to find non Ethanol if available. My bikes run better on 87 Octane non Alky gas than 92 Octane adulterated.
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wiredgeorge
Member
Reged: 04/30/12
Posts: 92
Loc: Medina County Texas
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It should run better on 87 octane than on premium. Octane is put in gas to retard combustion which is necessary on high compression engines otherwise it pre-detonates. For low compression (such as the Bonny America), 87 octane burns better and the octane is actually a negative. The only plus to burning premium is that some companies put better additive packages in the gas... such as cleaners but if a bike is designed to run on regular 87 octane, your plugs will stay cleaner and the engine will burn cleaner on regular.
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wiredgeorge
TX Hill Country
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canyonwlf7
3/4 Throttle
Reged: 01/12/05
Posts: 881
Loc: Culpeper, Va
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Thank you very much George!
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Speedy in Cranberry Red (2011), TOR slip-ons, FI remapped, 16 tooth sprocket, Triumph Gel Solo seat, Ikon 1" lowered Shocks
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edmspeedmaster
Learned Hand
Reged: 07/11/11
Posts: 1294
Loc: Alberta, Canada
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heck i run premium even in my lawnmower LOL, i like it becasue wih a carb bike it does help with elevation charges and the fuel mixture change's. Uhm, at least thats what i was told. Never had a problem.
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2007 Speedmaster and lovin it!
In Memory of "Friar John" 1967-2012 RIP
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wiredgeorge
Member
Reged: 04/30/12
Posts: 92
Loc: Medina County Texas
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Far be it from me to argue with anyone. If premium makes you happy, then by all means fill 'er up with the expensive stuff. No skin off my nose one way or the other; my only advice is to check out advice bwhahaha The internet is the source of all foolishness and rumor!
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wiredgeorge
TX Hill Country
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05woody
Adjunct
Reged: 02/12/11
Posts: 340
Loc: Vancouver, WA
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Just saw your ride. BEEEEEAUTEEFULLL!  Color couldn't be better! Have fun on her! 
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I'm speeding because I have to get there before I forget where I was going.
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