I wonder if HDs efi is as reliable as the Japanese bikes. Almost everyone I know with a late model Japanese bike with EFI has never had a problem even the ones with huge milage.

 

In reguards to those who think carbs are easyer to work on than EFI, I was an auto mechanic for 20+ years, EFI is way easyier once you UNDERSTAND it. As for carbs being more efficiant, if they were they would still use them on cars, EFI is much easyer to get through emissions, Once you learn both you will realize it is easier to load a spec into a ECM to adjust than remove and replace jets, adjust mixture screws, hope no piece of crap gets stuck in your needle, adjust your float, etc. Carbs serve there purpose, but EFI is the future, no one can argue that.

 

Personally, I don't think that it would do any good to argue about efi is the future because it will be here whether we want it or not.

 

[sm=nxsmile.gif]

Alot of guys like carbs simply for the easy adjustablity of the engine themselves without having to spend big bucks to re-flash the computer every time you do a mod.[like me...constantly improving??? performance

How ever, I buckled under a bought a new bike with injection. Go figure...now I keep spending money on programming, at least I went with race tuner which works well.

[sm=nxsmile.gif] Sadly I always need MORE power, it's an addication.

 

Gettin' a kick outta this thread. Most of us know EFI is more efficient. And we all should know that carbs are gonna disappear on new bikes in the very near future. But when someone says EFI is simple or not complicated, they have obviously never seen the mask used to produce even the smallest IC chip used in the computer that manages the whole shebang.

EFI is as complicated as any modern piece of electronics. When it functions as desired that complexity doesn't matter, and is actually a good thing, in that it can tailor the mixture precisely under most any condition. When it screws up, or when a sensor goes bad, then that complexity means you'd better have the boy's toys (read "expensive") and the knowledge to use 'em to diagnose and repair the problem. If not, you are at the mercy of the tech, and your wallet is at the mercy of the stealer.

I'm not knockin' EFI, and especially not the techs who have the skills needed to service them. Heck, I work on electronic control systems that are so much more complicated than an EFI on a bike, that I know what it takes to keep 'em workin'. I just would rather have an old carb that I can mess with along the road, than an EFI that is gonna cost the price of the typical 3 year old metric bike to repair. But then I'm an old geezer, at least in my bike preferences.

 

I'm with you, Skip - this is an interesting thread - I love learning this stuff - I'm gonna be a mechanic in my second life.

 

O-K Skip, now I know you're an old school kind of guy, heck I like old and new school, but is all of your vechicles carb, or is there possibly a EFI in there somewhere and if so how much money have you spent on the EFI repairs? Now one thing about the EFI is that if there is a problem you will get a code and you basically know where to look, a carb says nothing but cough, spit, or fire belch.

You're right this is a kick on this issue or really a non issue, it's really at this point just a personal preference, but before long the carb will go by the wayside except for the old revamped bikes or a custom. I really wish you would get an EFI Harley and put about 50,000 miles on her and then make an assessment of what you think. By the way Skip, I think you can get chromed fuel injectors along with a chromed throttle body, that sure would look good don't you think? Darn there's that C word again, sorry!

John TN

 

You go Ted, I believe you will.

 

All my cages are new enough to have EFI. Two of 'em are old enough that if the EFI craps out and has to be replaced they'll probably get retired 'cause even a set of tires are worth more than the vehicle! I hope to someday have a bike with EFI, but also hope it is a new one, and not for another 20 years. Heck, the bike I have now only has 100k on it, and is 18 years old. It oughtta have plenty of life left, given a couple rebuilds.

EFI is great. Its nearly as reliable on bikes as on cages. I don't think it ever will be completely as reliable due to the nature of bikes; more exposed, more vibration, etc.

And you are correct, at this point it is nothing more than personal preference. Just like keeping an old nearly infinitely rebuildable Evo, instead of a newer Twinkie with the cast-in main bearing races, that are way expensive to rebuild, if they can be rebuilt when something happens to that main bearing. The EFI, the short-cuts taken to keep the prices down, and the way too many "furrin" parts are just things that sorta irk me.

At least if the EFI junk was chromed I could hide it behind a flat black air cleaner.

 

Exactly!
And the "future" begins with the 2006 models, as only one or two Harley models will be offered with carbs. In 2007-08 there will be no more carbs.

The Keihin CV carb that the MOCO used for soooo many years was a piece of junk anyway. It was cheap and EPA-friendly.
You'd have to buy a Mikuni HSR if you wanted to have a carb that would make your bike perform.

Late model Harleys with Delphi EFI have been very reliable.