Marks 4 into 2 jetting question

[vmaxrooky]

To answer your question no didn't chop it took it down town for a lil cruise..

 

[DMAN999]

According to NGK mine are pretty much perfect:
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp

In general, a light tan/gray color tells you that the spark plug is operating at optimum temperature and that the engine is in good condition. Dark coloring, such as heavy black wet or dry deposits can indicate an overly-rich condition, too cold a heat range spark plug, a possible vacuum leak, low compression, overly retarded timing or too large a plug gap.

And mine look like #14 (Perfect) on this chart too
http://www.4secondsflat.com/plug_chart.html

PS
I believe (But I'm not positive) the California Model Vmaxes had leaner Jetting (larger PAJ1 and or PAJ2 and Possibly even Smaller Main Jets).
From the Needle Picture you posted and the fact that you have only 1 Air Filter, it seems the Previous Owner of your Max used a Factory Pro Stage 1 jet kit.
Most of the Vmax Gurus (long time tuners) say that the Stage 1 kit is a waste of money and will actually make a Vmax run worse than the stock setup.
I don't have Shimmed needles but if you search on here, you should be able to find out what Shims people use on the Stock Needles.
I do know they used to buy them at Radio Shack.

 

[vmaxrooky]

Cool thanks ya looked again at the pic and remember what a perfect plug looks like that's why I retracted my previous statement lol.. Ya they look pretty dam close to perfect... Ya obviously this jet kit that's in my bike sucks.. (Gas a lot if it) lol... Ya gunna start from scratch get some mpg's back on this beast.. Lol

 

[ninjaneer]

To answer your question no didn't chop it took it down town for a lil cruise..

ya, your pilot circuit (1/4 - 1/2 throttle) is too fat, or was since you readjusted the AFR. makes sense based on you previously saying that you had twisted the mixture screws down to 2ish from 4ish turns.

Cool thanks ya looked again at the pic and remember what a perfect plug looks like that's why I retracted my previous statement lol.. Ya they look pretty dam close to perfect... Ya obviously this jet kit that's in my bike sucks.. (Gas a lot if it) lol...

your DJ needles are set to be very lean (5th clip, right)? so your 1/2 - 3/4 throttle response prolly feels "on", but this is compared to the sluggish pilot curve when in actuality the midcircuit is starving the combustion chamber--hmmm maybe they are actually correctly shimmed in order to compensate a high-rising float...do you know how high the float is? can't hypothesize on the main circuit (3/4 - full throttle)...not enough data.

Where was the previous owner running the bike? at a higher altitude?

 

[ninjaneer]

he's getting 40-45 mpg he said he went to Canada and recorded a 48 mpg once... I want at least to be able to go more than 70 miles on one tank...

take mileage claims with a grain of salt. i can claim 40 mpg but only after calculating roadtrip consumption (like a 2-1/2 hour, 140 mile journies at a sustained average of 75 mph). my daily inter-town commutes results in 33ish mpg (a 15-minute 80-mph interstate romp to the next town followed with 15 minutes of 45-mph cage weaves in between traffic lights). Another observed variable is taking measurements after a full or half tank fill, at which level the tank is filled, the ambient temperature and humidity. And lastly, if someone is claiming 50ish mpg, more than likely the drive has been modded with overdrive 5th gearing.

Ya gunna start from scratch get some mpg's back on this beast.. Lol

There was a call for some stock needles by another member. I hesitated to offer up mine because I lost one of them and it seemed a fruitless gesture on my end to advertise only three. However, I could reel in my apprehension and donate them to your cause. PM me if you want them.

When you tune our stock setup, first pick out the proper main jets, then focus on the needles, and finalize the effort with AFR adjustments. It is not a wasted effort to either break down the carbs and rebuild them after bathing them in carb cleaner, or shotgunning/peashooting them---grains of crap wreak havoc on the carburetors.

Don't know if you saw this: The everything on carbs bible!

 

[vmaxrooky]

Not sure which needles I need they have 2 listed one 49 state and one Cali model??? Should I get the Cali ones since I live here or would the 59 state ones work better???? Thanks for the offer... Ya I'm really comprehensive on people's fuel mileage but went riding with rand5107 we all filled up before we went I got worried cause I don't want to be the one who causes a trip nightmare having to stop and run back and get me fuel so I filled up again and rand5108 didn't then we got to where we were going looked and my odom again started sweating it but made it to the next stop... So I figure the best fuel mileage Iv'e heard sounds like around 38-40mpg I figure my driving and bike set-up I should at least be getting 28MPG... I'm a lil rev happy Hardleys always rev there crappy 45HP bikes at me so I let em know you don't want no e of this MAXDADDY!!!! Lol

 

[ninjaneer]

What's the difference between CA & Non-CA carbs?

 

[vmaxrooky]

Not sure checked the needles out at yamahapartsmonter.com had 2 needle choices one said 49 and prt numbers behind it the other said CA WITH part number behind it I have a smog canister still on my Vmax rand5107 took his off but still has it Cali might smog bikes down the road they already started on diesel pick-up trucks, and big rigs... Freakin tree huggers we have here.. I pm'd you on the needles

 

[ninjaneer]

ya my direct concern was whether a non-cali needle would actually be capable of physically fitting in a cali carb. this is a non-issue apparantly, so my next concern was if non-cali needles would detract from the performance of cali carbs. hehehehe. i don't think that could ever be an issue.

 

[vmaxrooky]

Probably be a lot better!!! Lol you did some research on the needles they will work for my Vmax?

 

[ninjaneer]

yep, no reason, why they shouldn't work.

 

[vmaxrooky]

Ninajeer didn't see that post the needles where on the center clip with a shim on top didn't measure the floats yet. Gunna have to do that while I have the carbs out... There's 5 positions on the needle that I have now and it's in the center with a shim on top of it....