pod filters and fuel mileage

[tab1324]

Wondering if people installing pod filters have noticed an improvement in their mileage. I went on a longer ride this weekend and had about 40 mpg. Last year with the stock airbox, I saw about 35-38 mpg. Now I've got the EMGO pods and have 128 mains (up from 112.5). I guess I'm wondering if I might still be too lean. The plugs look pretty light colored but I'm not convinced I should change things because there's really no other symptoms like bluing of the pipes. I wonder if I should take some temperature readings after riding a while. I also wonder if there's a spot for a cylinder head temp gauge or exhaust temp gauge on an XJ?

Tom B.

[MAXIMAN]

There's a 6mm bolt in the stock system at the bottom of the exhaust "y". Of course it pretty small but you might be able to get a temp sensor in it. On a stock exhaust there are two. One on the left and one on the right.

I'm not sure what it would tell you since two cylinders would be going into one side.

[Chaluska]

I am going to install an O2 sensor in my collector on my 4>>1 exhaust. the O2 sensor is a 1 wire, that makes a very small voltage depending on the air to fuel ratio... it uses outside air, with inside tailpipe exhasut gases, and meters fuel/air combo.. then i already have a gauge it plugs into the signal wire.. and done.. i havent tested it yet.. but it should THeoretically work.

[Hobbit]

O2 sensors

Two things to think about.
First, an O2 sensor only works effectively when it gets up to operating temperature, being located in the collector it may not stay hot enough during light loads. (Two of the wires on the new sensors are for the built in electric heaters.)
Second, the one wire sensors rely on the exhaust system to be the ground connection back to the receiving unit. (Voltmeter, control unit or whatever.)

[Swampthing]

I am using an K&N fuel air meter with a 1 wire O2 sensor placed in in the collector pipe. Once the unit is heated which takes riding at highway speeds it is very acurate. I like it better then using a color tune plug, because you can see the mixture through the entire rpm range and under a load. If you idle to long it will cool of and stop reading.

Gone riding

[beechfront]

you can't determine anything from one high mpg tank. i drive same route every day and my mileage varies tremendously (30-40 mpg) based on speed, wind, and who knows what else. wind will make a much bigger difference then you think.

[RS Thornton]

I have 4 individual filters and like others that ran without airbox felt it was not quite right. Someone else on the forum had a picture of pod filters mounted on the airbox tubes instead of right on the carbs. The theory is that flow is smoothed a bit entering the carbs. I made that change and the bike is running better, my mileage seems up a bit too. I am getting 40-42 running 55-60 mph, drops to 37-38 at ~80 mph, and ~32 at 100 mph (this last data point is a single ride, 50F temp)

Not sure how this compares to others

[tab1324]

mileage

Yeah, I measured the mileage on one trip because it was the most consistent ride I've had all summer - mostly highway at 55-70 mph and I got about 39-40 mpg. On an earlier ride, I actually think I got about 45 mpg which seems eXSively high for this bike. I took out the plugs tonight and compared to the plugs in my car (for color). The oned in my car seemed a bit yellow in comparison where as the ones in the bike were a light gray from the tip up onto the threads. The plugs in the car were a bit blackened around the thread area (but they've been in for about 30,000 miles). So I guess I just can't tell if it's lean or not.

I just don't know how to read plugs that well. I can't figure that a 6 size increase in jets wouldn't get me rich enough but I remember Randy's experience - he went up from 112.5 mains to 142.5 mains and only then did he think it was rich. I went from 112.5 to 128 mains. It seems to run well but for some reason (call it intuition) it seems like it's hot. Maybe just a temperature probe on the cylinder head or pipes or something. I'll try this soon and report. What should my CHT or EGT be?

Tom B.

[pggg]

Seems to me that a lot of riders rely too much on the insulater having to be 'colored'. The 'tan color' is a throwback to old leaded petrol days. Modern unleaded gas is way different. White insulaters are normal. After many months of riding, new plugs slowly dull down to cream or light grey.

There also seems to be a lot of differing 'plug reading' pages on the web that give conflicting info. For me anyways, having some carbon on the plugs from idling is no big deal. It's actually preferable. Once up and riding, as long as there's some light carbon on the 'ring face' and there's some carbon around the insulater base - then things are O.K. - even if the insulater is clean white.

[tab1324]

photos of plugs

How do you post a photo on here? I'd like to post a photo of the plugs for feedback. I know I'll probably get about 10 different opinions but maybe it would help me determine if I'm on or not.

Tom B.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Tab,

I just went looking in the FAQ's and the Feature HOW TO section, and surprisingly it's not noted VERY CLEARLY, how to post photos!? Jerry Wrote a very detailed how to using your own ISP's web space....but it seems a bit TOO TECHNICAL, sorry Jerry! And there have been many replies to folks asking the same thing, so I guess I need to sit down and make a tech tip on it!

Anyways, there are 2 main ways to do it! One is IF you use your personal web space that most ISP's provide, you'll have to get with your ISP to create your web space account, then upload the photos to that space, then get the URL...web code describing the location of that photo....
like HTTP:// www.ISP.com-net/mywebspace/photo.jpg

That's the same kind of code you will get IF you use a public photo hosting service, like Photodump, so again, once you create an account, then upload the photos, you'll find a similar code....

"http://www.photodump.com/direct/topcatgr/basket_6.jpg" and photodump even provides the VisualBasic codes [IMG] & [/IMG] that XS11.com uses to format and tell the site to display the photo IN THE MESSAGE.....I've turned off ALL code Parsing for this message so these examples shouldn't work!?

If you have many photos you want to show, then open up Notepad, copy the URL's for each photo including the [IMG] tags, and then once you're typing your reply, then copy and paste those tags/urls into your message, and they will be displayed.

To keep operational costs down, XS11 was NOT set up to host photos, less storage/server space required, so that's why we have to go thru these Internet Gymnastics to post photos! If you rightclick on photos, and bring up the Properties, you can see where people have them stored. There are a few exceptions, photos that we have for the tech tips are allowed to be uploaded BY THE MODERATORS...and we can borrow that URL to post the same photos within FORUM message as well. Also, I've been able to link to photos I've found like on DK and Partsnmore, even EBAY(that XS750 Chopper series for example!). Okay, hope this helps you and others!?