Triumphrat

Thullan · 04-25-2006

Hi,
I will start with my question: Can I still ride this bike untill I get the carbs set up for my modifications, or is it a bad idea?

The Legend I bought last year came with a K&N air filter installed. I also got a pair of Raask Minizoom mufflers with the bike, which were not mounted at the time when I bought it. I have now put the Raask mufflers on but haven't done anything at all with the carbs. Unfortunately I don't know if the previous owner did anything either, so I have no idea if the carbs are set up as they came from the factory.

The bike still runs pretty ok after I put the Raasks on, but I guess it is a bit lean after the mods? It also goes up to 1500-2000 RPM on idle. I have booked a time in the workshop in three weeks from now, hoping to get the carbs set up to better suit the K&N and Raasks.

But again, can I still ride this bike untill then without any adjustments to the carbs, or will something get damaged? I don't want to put the bike in the garage for three weeks, but I don't want to destroy it either

Thank You very much!
Daniel

Spooner · 04-25-2006

I think you need to adjust your idle mixture screws. With your current set-up 2.5 turns out should be fine.

I used to run my bike with Triumph offroad pipes and a K&N filter with the mixture 2.5 turns out and the bike ran really well....a few pops on decel but that comes with the territory.

Idle mixture screws

As you can see in the picture they might be plugged...if that's the case you'll need to remove the plug to get to the screw...that means drilling.

It's hard to say if you can still ride the bike or not without tweaking the carbs....it depends on how lean it's running. All I know is that running a bike lean is far worse than running a bike rich. I'm sure there are a couple of experts around who can give you better advice on whether to ride or not before you go to the shop.

[ This message was edited by: Spooner on 2006-04-25 11:55 ]

vonbonds · 04-25-2006

Is there an "easy" way to remove the caps with the carbs still on the bike?

Wombat · 04-26-2006

The way shown in the link in Nurse Spoonmans post *IS* the the *easy* way.

Thullan · 04-26-2006

Thanks alot for your input guys. I guess I better put on the original mufflers untill I can get the bike to the shop, to be on the safer side.

I have no practical skills on carb tuning, but I have tried to read as much as I can about it. What I have read is that you look at the spark plugs to see if the engine runs lean or rich. I will have to remove the tank to get to the spark plugs, and then I will be able to see if everything is ok or not?

If it is not ok, the spark plugs will allready have been ruined. Then I will have to remove the carbs and open up the mixture screw 2-2.5 turns, get new spark plugs and start over again to see what happens this time. Possibly even change the jets and/or pilots to whatever I feel is right. Am I correct?

I don't feel that the bike runs bad or loses power, except that it goes up to 1500-2000 RPM on idle after a while. I am however afraid that something that I don't know of will get damaged. I don't ride hard at all, mostly cruising around town.

I know there have been hundreds of questions about jets, needles etc on this forum before. But what I really want to know is if something will break if I don't do any tuning at all after my filter and muffler mods. I really appreciate your help!

TBSstunta · 04-26-2006

You might as well get acclimated to the airbox removal song and dance.

Tre900 · 04-26-2006

I think what your looking for is a yes or no answer.

But you can't get one for the question " will something bad happen if I leave it as it stands".

As a comparison I offer my own experience. I took my factory mufflers, and used a 7/8" drill bit with extension and drilled them out until I could see through them, so there was no more resistance at all. The exhaust was flowing through the mufflers freely which is far from the recommended set up and does have an effect on the air/gas flow equation.

I have read the same stuff you have read and never had an old man to show me around a shop but I never touched my carbs feeling that the technology Triumph slapped together stock could handle this type of modification.

That was 4 years ago. From time to time I will adjust my idle to keep it at 1000 RPM.

That's my experience and I hope it helps.

As a side note to checking your plugs, make sure you have a thin walled socket that will fit in the chamber, a standard craftsman type spark plug socket doesn't work to get in the chamber after you remove your gas tank.

I also agree that you might as well get use to checking your plugs and removing your tank. It gets expensive to take it to the shop everything there's something weird going on.

Hope this helps

Tre900

Thullan · 04-26-2006

Thanks everyone for all your help. That's probably as close to a Yes or No answer I can come

It probably woun't break into pieces if I ride a couple of blocks a few times.

NCB · 04-27-2006

You *probably* won't mess it up too much as long as you don't go too far. Also, the information you get on the bike's behaviour may help your mechanic know what needs to be done. As for the plugs, in my experience, a stiff wire brush can be used to remove most fouling from incorrect mixture, and the condition of plugs after 500 miles or so can tell the mechanic what needs to be done to dial the bike in. Of course, this only works if the status of the plugs is known before you start. Tre900 is ab-so-lute-ly correct on the tip for a thin-walled socket. The regular spark plug wrench just will not fit and will jam in the hole if you try. The one in the toolkit that came with my TBS works great, though. In fact, that's the only tool I still have from the original kit.
NutCaseBob