Running rich?

[CaztheClash]

Earlier while riding around town on my 2000 'Max, I came to a stop at a red light next to an older couple on a great hulking behemoth of a Harley Roadking and the guy riding yelled something at me. I flipped up my shield, asked him to repeat himself, and he yelled "YOU NEED TO CLEAN YER' CARBS!" and his female passenger exclaimed "IT STINKS!" (because, you know, you learn a lot about the mechanics of motorcycles while sitting on the back of one, right?) then the light changed so I took off and left them both sitting there gaping at me. I get decent gas mileage when I put my mind to it, my big ole' Delkevic cans don't pop at all, and I've never had any of the guys I ride with tell me my bike smelled especially gasoline-ey. My question is, what are other signs that my bike is running too rich? Was this guy being an elitist f*** and being condescending, or is it actually plausible that he could smell my bike running extra rich as soon as I pulled up next to him? Whatchya guys think?

 

[Tex85]

I think they were simply jealous

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[maleko89]

Doesn't hurt to check. Mine has a rich dip on the dyno about 4K rpms that I never have been able to fix. I'm thinking of removing Stg 7 needles and trying stock.

 

[srk468]

80% of Harley guys don't know shit about motorcycles, your probably fine...

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[Rusty McNeil]

If your mileage is fine I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[CaztheClash]

Kind of what I figured. I mean, I'm not kidding when I say I was next to this guy for ten seconds before he diagnosed my bike from seven feet away. Either he was just a hater or I've been riding in a cloud of noxious gas fumes that I hadn't noticed.

 

[m-cman]

I have had friends tell me they smelled raw gas on my bikes before. Usually because of being rich. Wouldn't hurt to check. Don't think they were trying to be bad, maybe just concerned.... I always try to give the benefit of the doubt to peoples motives... :biglaugh:

 

[marsmax85]

Hahaa They were maybe referring to rice burning !!

 

[davesax36]

I'm pretty sure mine's a little rich at idle.

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[Fire-medic]

Somehow I think they just probably do that to every Japanese bike they meet, just to "knot your undies." They probably have been doing it for years, and enjoy the self-doubt and needless concern they cause. Then again, that's because I agree with the #4 comment from srk468.

This should be easy to diagnose, just get your bike warm, and while it's on the sidestand or centerstand, walk around behind it and check for yourself. A rich condition should be very evident.

One of my favorite moments from being in Daytona for Bike Week, and I've been there for nearly 20 spring seasons, was this year, when we were headed down to a seafood restaurant off Nova, south of US 92 (Speedway Blvd. which passes the track). There were some Gen X-looking younger Harley bikers, and they were in the lane to my right. One pair was a guy & his "bitch," or whatever they call their female riding partners, who was on the back. Traffic was heavy, pretty-much stop & go. It took us several lights to get through an intersection, and every time we moved, they were about next to me and my bike.

Now, Just before I was getting ready to leave for Daytona, I had a mechanical issue come-up, which my shop owner, Steve, at Under Pressure in Dania Beach FL, fixed for me, otherwise I would have been a four-wheel attendee, as I won't ride my sportbike in that traffic, my back can't take it. Just prior to that last-minute thrash, I had him install my UFO 4/1 Dragstar full exhaust, w/the bologna-cut stubby 'muffler' (a muffler in name-only, not by function!).

Having ridden the bike around for a week before Bike Week, I was amazed at the sound level the bike had. It sounded more-like a dragstrip exhaust, which, bearing in-mind its name, I guess it is! I tried calling the late Jon Cornell (prior to his demise, of-course), and asked him to fab-up one of his megaphone exhausts. He said he could make it, no-problem, but since he sends it out for the Jet-Hot coating, he couldn't guarantee I would get it in-time to install for Daytona. I even told him to overnight it if it could get to me before Thursday before the last Bike Week weekend. If it couldn't, then just send it regularly.

Well, he couldn't get it back in-time for me to install, so I went to Bike Week this year w/my UFO 4/1 loudly-proclaiming the sound of the 'Max.

So, there I was in stop & go traffic, just south of the Speedway, Friday night, and the Harley guy & his passenger next to me. Every time we moved a length or two, she got a UFO-salute. I watched her, and she kept wrinking up her face, and finally told her boyfriend, "that rice-burner is too-loud!" Not too-loud for me to hear her, and I have to admit, if you can make a Harley rider or passenger complain about your Japanese bike's noise, it must be "worthy," in the sense of Wayne's World. I just laughed at her, and once we were clear of the intersection, I didn't encounter them again. We had a great seafood dinner that night, and I slept soundly, even though my bike was to loud for a Harley passenger.:biglaugh:

I still think those H-D people were just trying their best to cause you needless concern. :damn angry:

 

[johnpclynch]

Rev it in a garage for a few seconds, if you have to run outside to throw up in a flowerbed then it's running too rich :biglaugh:

WARNING - if you don't get out for fresh air, things can turn real nasty real quick :wacko:

 

[dannymax]

If your bike starts good, runs good, gets decent mileage and the plugs look good I would tend to ignore their advice. unk:

 

[sdt354]

If your bike starts good, runs good, gets decent mileage and the plugs look good I would tend to ignore their advice. unk:

+1, they also might have been smelling their own bike. Ever get stuck behind a pack of untuned American motorcycles? Straight pipes, too big, an badly tuned carbs. Not all, but many. Sometimes you meet an owner with more than a hammer and vice grips.

 

[CaztheClash]

Fire-medic, I know what you're talking about, my man. My Delkevic cans sans baffles make quite an unearthly racket. Makes me really popular in my neighborhood. Especially since I leave for work a solid couple hours before the sun comes up. > Typical old coot on a Harley trying to be condescending.