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I know they're not THAT expensive but when you have a new baby your finances are locked down pretty tight. Eventually I want to buy my own Colortune (and a nice set of carb sync gauges) but right now it's money I don't want to spend on a tool I'll use 15 minutes then put up and not use for a while. Is there any member that would consider renting me one? I could PayPal a $50 deposit (or whatever if fair) and pay for shipping. Shipping could be pretty cheap if it will fit in one of those Priority Mail boxes, not the flat rate unless it's heavier than I'm guess, and I would pay it both ways. So yeah I'd still have the shipping costs to spend but $12-13 vs $65+ right now is $50 I'd have in my pocket. If no one is interested I may keep checking eBay and maybe I'll find a cheap used one for like $25.
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1979 Special with 1980 motor and 1979 carbs -
Sounds like alot of drama when setting idle mix can better be done with your ears/vacuum gauge......81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top. -
Lol yeah I agree but trust me I tried tuning by ear and either I am doing it wrong or something is wrong with my carbs. I printed off the directions to tune by ear and it seemed like I either didn't make a difference or it was worse than when I started. Any tips.1979 Special with 1980 motor and 1979 carbsComment
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Get some vac gauges and set the idle screw to the highest vacuum on each cylinder and then resync after each cylinder.
Colortune is over rated in my opinion.Nathan
KD9ARL
μολὼν λαβέ
1978 XS1100E
K&N Filter
#45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
OEM Exhaust
ATK Fork Brace
LED Dash lights
Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters
Green Monster Coils
SS Brake Lines
Vision 550 Auto Tensioner
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore RooseveltComment
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i have one, pm me your address, keep your deposit and remember to mail it back to me
i have tried it both ways. Mine is running well but not sure how i got it there."If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut." - Albert Einstein
"Illegitimi non carborundum"-Joseph W. "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell
1980 LG
1981 LHComment
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Fast, Cheap, Reliable... Pick any two
'78E original owner - resto project
'78E ???? owner - Modder project FJ forks, 4-piston calipers F/R, 160/80-16 rear tire
'82 XJ rebuild project
'80SG restified, red SOLD
'79F parts...
'81H more parts...
Other current bikes:
'93 XL1200 Anniversary Sportster 85RWHP
'86 XL883/1200 Chopper
'82 XL1000 w/1450cc Buell, Baker 6-speed, in-progress project
Cage: '13 Mustang GT/CS with a few 'custom' touches
Yep, can't leave nuthin' alone...Comment
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-1 on that.
AFAIK, it's the ONLY way to get a proper tuning done. Without it, there would be no way for me to properly tune my carbs without checking the plugs and re-adjusting (which requires removing the tank) over and over again. By the time I finally got it tuned, it would be time to re-clean my carbs again!1980 XS850SG - Sold
1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).
Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
-H. FordComment
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Nathan
KD9ARL
μολὼν λαβέ
1978 XS1100E
K&N Filter
#45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
OEM Exhaust
ATK Fork Brace
LED Dash lights
Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters
Green Monster Coils
SS Brake Lines
Vision 550 Auto Tensioner
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore RooseveltComment
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bug,
your carbs are either way out of spec jet and float-wise or they're just badly assembled. been tuning carbs for 40+ yrs and by ear gets 'em real close. By vac gauge & external tach gets 'em tighter than a clam's a$$.
Now, if you're dyno-tuning for racing or whatever, colortune MAY be the ticket, by really, how many of us are doing THAT?Former owner, but I have NO PARTS LEFT!
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Do you use the vacuum port on the carb manifold to accomplish this?Marty (in Mississippi)
XS1100SG
XS650SK
XS650SH
XS650G
XS6502F
XS650EComment
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That's just it, "By ear" means absolutely nothing to me. That method may as well not exist at all. The only thing I can hear is when I turn the screws all the way in, and the engine starts to sputter because of it. When 1/16th of a turn makes a difference in tuning, there is no way that I can hear that in the engine. A vacuum gauge has nothing to do with the fuel/air mixture, but I keep my carbtune attached for sync purposes while colortuning.1980 XS850SG - Sold
1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).
Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
-H. FordComment
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1980 XS850SG - Sold
1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).
Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
-H. FordComment
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Thanks again!
I have tried tuning mine by ear and either my carbs have other problems or I just don't have the ear or patience for it. Sometimes I could see the tach drop and rise when turning the screw in but then I'd either doubt myself or would end up going in circles and getting aggravated and give up.
dpotter58 is letting me borrow a carbtune as well which is great because when I rebuilt the carbs I just bench sync'd it with a paperclip just hoping it would be good enough to get riding. With a good sync tool and a colortune I should be able to really do some fine tuning. I've own a few older bikes and a few newer bikes and I always join a message forum for that model bike to get help or to share pictures/stories. The older bikes may require much more repair and maintenance but the type of people who own older, especially unique bikes, are so much more helpful. Maybe because the members are usually older and wiser but this site has been a great resource and without it I'd still be stuck where I was when I got the bike last year: a bike that barely ran and no idea about all the little tricks and common issues with a bike.1979 Special with 1980 motor and 1979 carbsComment
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