The old carburetor vs. fuel injection debate is long dead. "Fuelies" may have had a rocky start with the old mechanical automotive systems, but the EPA writing was on the wall and technology won out — for the better. The first mass-produced motorcycle injection system appeared on the 1980 Kawasaki Z1000 Classic, and our VFRs joined the game in '98 with the VFR800FI.
But those of us who play with old bikes still fumble about with carbs. I should create a T-shirt which states, "Still Plays With Carburetors." With the colder weather settling over the Midwest, I'm inside catching up on my carb projects. It's often interesting to disassemble a set from the latest project bike to see what mischief has been wrought by previous fiddlers.
Even nostalgic types have to admit that the new-generation performance tuning via digital mapping is more precise, effective and much, much easier than old-school trial & error with needles and jets. It's also a natural approach for this digital generation. But we're stuck with our carburetors and I will say that there's a certain satisfaction in getting all the parts and ports to align and end up with a sweet-running carbureted V4. Or maybe I'm just old.
But those of us who play with old bikes still fumble about with carbs. I should create a T-shirt which states, "Still Plays With Carburetors." With the colder weather settling over the Midwest, I'm inside catching up on my carb projects. It's often interesting to disassemble a set from the latest project bike to see what mischief has been wrought by previous fiddlers.
Even nostalgic types have to admit that the new-generation performance tuning via digital mapping is more precise, effective and much, much easier than old-school trial & error with needles and jets. It's also a natural approach for this digital generation. But we're stuck with our carburetors and I will say that there's a certain satisfaction in getting all the parts and ports to align and end up with a sweet-running carbureted V4. Or maybe I'm just old.
1986 VFR700 FII carburetor assembly
RSS Feed