XS11 Carb Sync [Video]

[3Phase]

LarryM and I used three cameras to create a carb sync video. Larry spent two days editing the final video to use picture-in-picture showing the vacuum gauges and the external tachometer.


Sync

[Rickrod3]

You guy's make it look easy
Nice Vid

Rick

[GARTHXS]

So you finally synced it and you are showing off. Nice work and I really need an external tach

[3Phase]

Thanks, guys, it really is easy. It takes less than three minutes unless the carbs are really way out of adjustment.

You can spend a lot of time playing around and second-guessing so I just open and close each screw to find the settings for mechanical sync, then do the same for the mixture screws.

When you close the mixture screw to far it goes lean and the engine slows down; too far open and it goes rich and the engine lopes. The tach isn't really necessary. I didn't use it but it's there for those that like to watch gauges.

[CaptonZap]

When you close the mixture screw to far it goes lean and the engine slows down; too far open and it goes rich and the engine lopes. The tach isn't really necessary. I didn't use it but it's there for those that like to watch gauges.

How far back from lean do you set yours? CZ

[3Phase]

How far back from lean do you set yours? CZ

The same amount from rich but the other direction.

Seriously: about 1/8th to 1/4 turn CCW from lean, depends on how it idles.

[soccer4m]

nice work

Nice video, just needs a few closeups, not to be picky, but beginners might want to see how to hook up the gauges with the tubing to the nipples, which screws{close up} to turn- hard to see any detail, etc. Its good to see others using the simplest gauges for synching, I use mine- exactly the same as the video, available from jcwhitney for around 50.00. Roll on,,,,,,,,,,,M

[natemoen]

Maybe also for beginners, calibration of the gauges.

[3Phase]

Mike, I suppose it could have been done with a series of videos but that would quickly become tedious and pedantic. In the end we decided without prejudice that if someone cannot correctly connect four vacuum lines to four gauges and turn the correct screws to make the adjustments the bike should be taken to someone that knows what they're doing and have them do the work.

We did take some establishing shots showing the screws and vacuum lines in detail but it was too intrusive. It's not complicated and shouldn't be time-consuming; much less than five minutes if the engine is working correctly. It took more time to adjust the cheap plastic metering valves to stabilize the needles on the gauges than it did to do the actual sync. In a nutshell: if it takes more than a couple of minutes or the adjustments don't seem to work then something is wrong and synchronizing the carbs is not the answer.

The idea for the video was to make one relatively small clip showing the process in realtime that even people on dialup would be able to watch without tying up the computer. Also, it would have taken Larry four days instead of two days to do the final editing! Of course the trash truck came by just as we started the video (no bike should sound like that!) but it didn't turn out too bad even with the background noise.

This time around and the reason I was doing the carb sync in the first place was because the engine started popping and backfiring during deceleration. It turned out that the pickup coil plug connector at the TCI was loose and the coils were dropping spark at random times. In this instance the old truism, "90% of all carburetor problems are electrical!" applied in spades and I dove into the carbs for no reason... except to make a video.


Setting XS1100 Base Ignition Timing

[GARTHXS]

Funny you should say that in the video "its a little retarded" I hope. You are talking about the timing! Lol

[3Phase]

Maybe also for beginners, calibration of the gauges.

Here you go, Nate!


Check vacuum gauge accuracy




Adjust a vacuum gauge to reduce needle flutter

I hope. You are talking about the timing! Lol

<thump chest with edge of one hand>
What are you talking about, Garth, of course it's just the timing!
</thump>

[Larrym]

Publish or Perish...

Also, it would have taken Larry four days instead of two days to do the final editing!

Uh...That's a big problem I have: The editing is never "Final". As long as I have the raw video I keep on Fussing wit'it.

Thankfully, Simi Valley is close to Hollywood so Scott knows what to do:

Grab the video from my filthy mitts and publish it before I RUIN it.

( A Natural Producer he is....)

[3Phase]

LMAO! Larry, you did great with the video/editing and you have way more patience than I do; taught me a thing or two about planning a video, then the actual shooting and editing.

FWIW it rained again today so you didn't miss anything and the storm didn't follow you when you left; no ride and no video for Rockedyne.

[Larrym]

The Fourth Wall....

No Rain here in Az.

Will be unloading the bike and making that vid of the XS deploy/capture system.

Translation: Walk the bike down the ramps and then drive it back up for the "audience".

Keep practicing the Rock-a-Dyne run: I'll try not to wobble or "lose the line" as I follow you but there's no guarantee I'll be up to the standard of someone who's had as much track time as you...

[natemoen]

Will be unloading the bike and making that vid of the XS deploy/capture system.

Thought you were developing an XS tow bike like those jap tow bikes