is anyone running the OEM Keihin carb on their 80 cube Shovel ? if so how does it perform ...any issues with them? iam looking to put my shovel back to original with ham can. am i crazy...( yes )
my 76 is a 74 inch all original and i have everything in stock so i went on what you want to know - the keihin spit and sputter had a few changes over the short life, it had i believe well i have 3 different ones but they all sort of work the same - no real difference found
put a bendix on as it was the go to in the 60s / 70s for choppers ( no real improvement ) used a fixed jet and one with a adjustable main < its issue is the acc pump not being adjustable - did it work yes but no performance increase
went to an s&s super E - yes right off the shelf 295 and a 70 main - it pulled harder and the engine revved easier and seemed to want to rev faster more RPM on hi way riding - and more with out issue - it really liked the super E
mikuni 42MM - what can i say it was all about thinking it was more modern of a motorcycle not stuck in a rut with 70s carbs
CV carb - works as expected it liked it and seemed to use less fuel then any of the others, as all the carbs i ran a tank of fuel through so i could compare apples to apples
it was a seat of the pants experiment as i ride many actually all the machines that come through the shop - and was looking for more performance with being able to keep the original look of the bike -- the S&S has 2 issues - air filter looks stupid on a collectable and no way to make the choke disappear from the visual - so i live with the spit and sputter not all the time it hates me that carb but i dont give up so we are even
[QUOTE=johnjzjz;19629434]my 76 is a 74 inch all original and i have everything in stock so i went on what you want to know - the keihin spit and sputter had a few changes over the short life, it had i believe well i have 3 different ones but they all sort of work the same - no real difference found.........................................(sni p)
yeah John i was more or less going for the stock look, performance not really a concern nowadays, i sort of remember back in the early 80s blokes buying new shovels and saying before the bike reached the front door of the shop they ditched the carb ,air filter and the pipes to "let her breath." Iam also thinking of resale value (not that iam selling ) as i agree the S&S air filter looks a bit funny also with the choke postion now filled with a domed nut ,nothing catches your attention more than a hamcan air filter, mainly cause you dont see them around much, then or now.
I run the original Keihin on my 1984 FXEF. I rejetted and added a low speed mixture screw, and it has an S&S Air Cleaner. Runs great with stock electronic ignition, points, or Ultima. Starts easy too.
I run an '81version of the Keihin Carburettor on my '83 FXWG, in '83 it was equipped with a vacuum fitting for the VOES, the '81 Carb works better for me as i have a points ignition & don't need a VOES switch, & i am able to keep the OEM Dash mounted choke cable & the "Ham Can" Air Cleaner .
I am not sure if it would work with a ham can, but maybe? I had to slightly modify mine to get the oval back plate installed, nothing a little grinding couldn't fix.
Then I used an enricher **** that attached directly to the S&S but not the backing plate like S&S sells:
I do not have the choke **** on the dash in 1970, but I would imagine you could make a "dummy" choke **** for appearances on the dash instead of the acorn nut. I can post pictures if interested.
My 1984 FXEF with Keihin carb does not have a VOES on it. The parts book says 1981 and later use the same carb. The main difference with the later Keihins from the earlier ones are the limited or blocked mixture screws and push pull throttle cable.
12-29-2020, 04:30 PM
