It is all hard-earned money, I agree, I might calculating it wrong ( feel free to discuss ) but I see it about 5-7% of the cost of the bike ensuring it rides right, or about 30% of the cost of the exhaust system, carb kit and filter to help it running right - not only at idle, but at other operating ranges too. The maximum I could think about is the kit with dual O2 sensors, but for street use I guess it is satisfactorily doable with a single sensor setup, regardless of the brand.
Couldn't the a/f and rpm recordings indicate if we need to drop the needles or go higher on the mains, etc... ( I never used a/f ratio before to tune ) but I assume. ( again, please advise if I assumed wrong, I might just be too optimistic )...
This is exactly what I have been using it for. I have the LM-1 strapped to the bike right now and watch what is going on real time. Lets me know if I am rich or lean and it responds fast enough to give you an accurate measure.
For instance I have adjustable needles.
I was running on 3rd from the blunt end, it was running a little rich on the highway. I have Seans 5th gear overdrive so 80 mph is only 4k rpms. I would go up and down the highway in 4th gear and check all the rpm ranges. Highway runs out real quick around here :damn angry:
Anyways I was getting 30 mpg with it on the third clip and right around 13-13.5:1. Some might argue it is ok.
I then went to the 2nd clip from the blunt end. Mileage went up to 34 cruising at 80-85 and a/f ratio went up to 15-15.5:1 for the highway but riding around town it was higher 15.5-16:1. Again some might argue this is ok. Lean is good as long as it is not surging or popping.
I am now on the 2nd clip with one shim. I like it here and so does the bike. Throttle is a bit crisper and bike doesnt heat up as fast. I am right around 14.5-15:1 riding around town.
As far as the mains it is really hard in So Cal to find a spot that I can pay attention to the rpms and the a/f meter at the same time and not accidentally play tag with some cars. So as far as the mains go I would either need a dyno or a track. Keeping it in 3rd or 4th allow you to get it onto the mains but you still have to pay attention to where you are going.
The nice thing about the LM-1 and some of the wide band gauges is they have record functions vs RPMs that you can download into your computer.
In my opinion they are awesome for tuning but once tuned and nothing changes no reason to keep a permanent one on the bike. It is something different but I find myself watching it too much and that could be a detriment to my health one day. Use it, get it tuned, then take it off. The other reason I like it is when you do a dyno you can compare what the dyno says to what your meter says to get a more accurate representation of what your engine is actually doing.
Also using it at the track with the RPM recorder is another good thing.
If the bike is tuned correctly with one it is not something you need to watch on a
continuous basis like temp or oil pressure.
It is neat to see how just cold air in the morning to warmer air at night on the same day has an effect on your a/f ratio.
