dave j wrote:
I put a 45 pilot in it set @ 2-1/4 turns on the screw ]

Your mileage is gonna suffer big time with that pilot jet, unless there is an air leak which would balance it out. But of course having a leak is no good either. How is your accelerator pump ckt set? Carb cough here and there is normal, especially and more so on a cold engine since gas does not atomize as well. Also blipping will cause a cough.Also the main is too big, I can't think of anyone using that big a main with any after market air kit. I would suggest to check for leaks around the manifold to heads connection, there have been known leaks there straight from the factory too. usually having to go to that size pilot jet is due to a leak so the larger pilot jet compensates for it, but expect mpgs in the 30's. There is absolutely no reason not to be able to get 50mpg at a cruise speed of 65 to70mph. I have seen a few riders with who have done a air/fuel monitoring run and cruise at 14:1 ratio yields 50mpg, I get 50mpg and low 40's city. I've used this sites air/fuel numbers to dial my carb in, for each ckt I use the leaner side of the spread to still have good mpg's: http://www.daytona-sensors.com/tech_tuning.html

I did have an air leak when I started and it had a # 60 pilot when I first took it apart. (installed at the dealer when air kit was installed) I fixed the leak verified by using carb cleaner and again with propane. Positive no leak. I'm gonna check mileage and go from there. I would like to see someones temp readings. I agree with you on the puking, It can be resolved. But want to know if there is heat issue and a float level issue.

I checked a couple sites Cutomfighters.com and hubpages.com and they list fuel economy for a 99-2005 road star to be 35-39 MPG and Star motorcycles.com list 09 to be 36 MPG. So i'm guessing that anyone getting mid to high 40's is running extremly lean and hot as hell.

dave j wrote:
I checked a couple sites Cutomfighters.com and hubpages.com and they list fuel economy for a 99-2005 road star to be 35-39 MPG and Star motorcycles.com list 09 to be 36 MPG. So i'm guessing that anyone getting mid to high 40's is running extremly lean and hot as hell.


Not running lean at all and not even close to being lean. And I get 50mpg hwy and low 40's city. And backed up by air/fuel monitor. And I know others who have done the monitoring and get 50mpg and we are all the same AFR at cruise to get that mpg. Those sites mpg's are based on a carb that is tuned more for performance. There is no right or wrong. There is a spread in air/fuel ratio's where you can tune a carb without any issues to a bike engine. Ideal combustion is an AFR of 14.7:1 ratio. good for a liquid cooled engine, but will keep an air cooled engine towards the hot side, but even at 14.7, ya not gonna do any damage. I run my cruise speed at a 14:1 and get 50mpg, at a 13:1 I'm down to 40mpg. At WOT, I'm at 12.5:1 the richness to keep the engine cool and to prevent detonation. I use 65mph to check cruise mpg and do at least a 100 mile ride, same speed that Mikuni uses for their test purposes. I used the afr table from this site to tune carb, I did tune to the leaner side of the spread they show for each carb circuit to maintain the good mpg's: http://www.daytona-sensors.com/tech_tuning.html.

As soon as the weather here cooperates I'll do a mileage run and let ya know. Still like to know your eng temps

dave j wrote:
[quote] Still like to know your eng temps [/quote]


Have no idea other than the fact that I can feel by hand that it's cooler than when I had it tuned a little leaner than I have now, maybe 1 point worth at idle. But it was never tuned too lean to cause any type or close to having engine damage. I have Dooley's and even the crossover pipe is cool, I can hold my hand an inch off the pipe a few inches away from the heads for quite some time and not burn. I've read where some with the Dooley pipes were melting the middle side cover piece, that is way to lean then. Even when I was miss-tuned, was never that hot to melt the plastic piece, so those who melted the cover, boy, they either were tuned way lean, or had an air leak to get that pipe so hot to melt plastic. I'm also running the 42hsr carb, much easier to tune, better separation of carb ckts, and it's the needle that effects cruise mpg's more so than the pilot ckt. of which I have optional needles I can use.. Also, the pilot screw adjustments does not really changed mpg's as compared to the stock carb. The HSR by choice of pilot jet is a fixed gas amount entering that ckt, while the pilot screw adjust the air to mix with it. Stock carb is the opposite, the air is the fixed amount, and the pilot screw adjust the amount of gas entering that ckt.

Sorry I wasn't trying to say lean enough to cause eng damage from heat just wondering if hot enough to cause fuel expansion and puking.
I'm not familiar with an air/fuel monitor sounds interesting, How does it work ? can you see the #'s while your riding or is it a read out when your done with the trip (test)?

There's a 42hsr in the classifieds if anyone is interested......

Alright here we go, I just moved the float level in my scoot to ~1mm below the mating surface even though I have an 06. That is the only thing short of going pumpless I have not tried to stop the puking. It has been too rainy to get out and ride, but I will let you know what I see. It could take a while to see if the puking has stopped as it was very intermitent. I am hoping this will stop the fuel smell in the garage after I park her.

Mines an 03 that does that on occaision. i started leaving the motor running for a minute or two after shutting off the fuel valve and so far havent had the problem since. I dont know if its just coincidence or if it worked.