Hi there, I own a 1984 Harley Roadster XLS 1000, i bought it about 3 years ago, apparently its a "drag bike" and turns "low 11's" on the strip. no not sure what hes done to it as for he did not give me any paper work to go with the bike but she sounds mean and she fly's, has "crane cams HI-4 Dual Spark" ignition box/ w timing light and that sort of jaz, Jugs and Pistons are stock i do beileve. Has also been fitted with drag pipes. ( ive read can cause bad carb profarmance?)

So my problem is: the bike ran fine with no problems the first year i owend it, 2nd year half way thru season i had to tear apart the carb and do a basic rebuild witch got me thru the rest of the season...the next summer or last summer (2017), i did a full rebuild ( i did not replace the main jet however) and now the bike sounds like its idling in 2nd gear maybe close to 2000rpm (dont know for sure my RPM guage is not wired in) When i go to adjust GAS and AIR mixture she refuses to slip into the "sweet spot" and the one time it did, i snapped the throttle and she choked out, I recently this year also replaced my intake, bands, and, clamps, and i still have the problem, i have the pops, the sneezes, the stumbles, and the black smoke, she fowls out plugs, and obviously smells "rich".

been thinking about taking the carb rebuild out at puting the old parts back in just to see if theres a diffrence.....obviously ive ran out of ideas and solutions haha
any help would be extremely appreciated.

 

what is full rebuild? stock carb?
float height can cause some of the issues. so could ignition. best to do ONE thing at a time and document it so at the end, you can point to the real issue. it is best to start with basics. new seals might not be 100%.

 

Add a cheap mod like a AEM AFR meter.
Takes all the fun out of guesswork.
.Trust me, its one of the best tools that you will ever invest in.

 

2nd. Best $160 I ever spent when it comes to carbs. It almost feels like cheating when it comes to tuning. You'll never buy another dyno session again.

 

Aint that the truth!
Plus, It is the real world conditions, Not some dyno room we can tune to.
No guesswork required.
I have been messing with engines and carbs for 50 years,
The pleasant surprise this little unit brings my stupidity is amazing.

 

Yup, I got mine taped to the handlebar for long term tuning of my new engine with the 12V plug going to the battery tender lead so I can just unplug when I'm stopped.

I don't even have the speedo mounted yet, just the little red AFR flickering and changing as I'm hauling *** down the highway.

 

Confirm that your ignition system is working correctly BEFORE blaming the carb, you could have a weak coil, bad plug wires or something going on there that could be why you arent getting anywhere with the carb. Ignition needs to be confirmed before going to carb. Also verify engine mechancal condition, run a quick compression test.
m

 

Yup mine too, is right by the throttle, EZ to see at all times.
The AEM came with a provision to mount it so I used it.