to remove the needle quick and easy without it flying off, just put it down on a flat surface with the circlip open facing down flat and press on the needle. Clip "unlocks" without flying off.. can put a finger over the clip just to be safe :)
Probably the best advice on needle adjustment here on RUclips. Really appreciate your straight to the point approach without 2 minutes of gratuitous riding footage /crappy music at the beginning.
Thanks a million for this video. People keep on telling me to go leaner on the needle and I had no idea how to do that until now lol, all of your videos are very informative and straight to the point. Thanks man🤟🏽💯
Thank man. I really like all your videos. I have two boys that race and I love working on the bikes. I have an RM 85 that I almost was stumped couldn’t figure out why it was running so rich on the low end because of your videos I fixed it thank you man.
Playing with needles is the best thing you can do that is spot on indeed. I was turning my bike 03 kx250 into a woods bike and could never get the bottom end power I needed did governor mod flywheel weight played with timing on stator gnarly pipe ect ect. Then I did some research and got a few different needles necw necj ect I believe been a few years and they were from suzuki and yamaha and man what a difference before even fine tuning it instantly got beter response and grunt of the bottom as before it was not transitioning on to the pipe smooth at all and i tried alot of tuning with the kx needle. Then I got the new needle and tuned it in no more acting like a 125 where there's no power until hit the pipe it is now a great woods single track machine tuned for colorado high elevation minimal spooge and can even go down to the dessert moab from riding at 10000 feet in the high rockies and just richen air screw and raise needle 1 notch runs like a top
Amazing! Thank you so much. I knew how it all worked and how carbs work. It’s just remembering what’s in what position and which way makes things leaner or richer
Awesome 👌 very well explained. Ive just mounted a pz19 110cc dirt bike carburetor on a very old 3.8hp honda G150. I totally underestimated how much fuel is in constant demand! I also now require notch #4 on the needle, Air fuel mixture screw set 1 1/2, idle speed screw set at 2 1/4, Now she purrs like a kitten and the performance is astonishing. Huge improvement in all rev ranges. Thanks bro 👍
Dual Thumbs Up for liking carburetors brother! Something to be said for simplicity, it's just and advanced mixing valve! I learned something today about the Needle, BTW that was the best part for me, I never knew you counted #1 position from the top notch? I've never really been concerned with what number my carbs are set to, usually just adjust them up or down a notch depending on the climate and altitude of locations be riding mostly in. Huh thanks for the information, cuz seriously I've seen people talking about #1 through #5-7 but never knew how that was untainted by the notches in what direction the starting point of #1 was or was it just something mythical someone made up lol! Sweet bro, thanks and ride it like you stole it! Be safe.
Excellent video, Lets add a detail! Many late model bikes have carbs with needles that only have one needle groove/position. That is to enforce running 'lean' to meet emission standards. A trick often mention to richen up that carb is to place a small washer UNDER the clip, thus RAISING the needle! It is probably fair to assume a bike with non adjustable needles is running lean, so raising by this trick is likely to give better response.
ive done this on my mini jeep but it ran too rich at times so getting a new geniune mikuni vm 22 for it instead of the chinese clone it came with and gonna jet it proper
I also keep a spare in the garage and a little bin with about every chemical I use for my dirt bike goes with me. It has a large pill bottle in it with bolts and things.... a spare clip is one of them. Also the little clip that holds the brake pad pin in the caliper. If you have ever swapped out a brake pad set and spent a while looking in the dirt for that little clip.
2:58...and so instead of laying down a white or light colored towel, he does it over a hard bench that could bounce the clip into his neighbors pool, and it's covered. 🤔😂 Seriously, though very informative, now I know which slot on the needle is 1 , that info is often left out when someone talks about moving it.
Thank you soo much for this!!!! Ever since i rebuilt my 2006 Yamaha Blaster's engine, and then now put a new air filter on it, and fixed the airbox cover, it now runs a bit rich. I'm ok with rich because it's better a 2 stroke runs rich than lean. But it struggles to get to full rpm when revving, and also is a little slow on acceleration. When i bought the Blaster, it had no air filter on it. So, i'm thinking the last owner probably had set the needle to run richer, to acommodate for the extra airflow from the absence of an air filter. Especially because it was fast and strong af when i ran it without the air filter, and was not running too rich at all. I can't wait to properly adjust my carb!!!!
@@noctis_felis not very much. But then again, I have an Ebay air filter (which already had complaints of it being crap and restricting the engine) and on top of that, i had my airbox cover bolted on. My engine developed terrible piston slap from worn connecting rod bearings. I have to rebuild it again. That wasnt bc of the adjustment though... that was just the consequence of me geting it to run as cheap as possible, which was by just replacing top end after the last owner locked the engine up. I didnt change anything in the bottom. So the connecting rod already was badly worn, and piston had tiny bit of up and down play. Rode and rode and now abput a month ago, thats when it died. Lucky me, no catastrophic damage. I'm going to now rebuild it with wiseco. Wiseco crank, rod, and piston. Then i'll get an FMF pipe. And later i'll also get a lightweight flywheel. And new reeds. It's gonna be BUILT for real!!! My situation wasnt a normal situation, since i had cheaped out, and my engine already was getting nowwhere near enough airflow, therefore always was too rich. For you, it most certainly will help it.
@@noctis_felis Also, another tip to mention. When adjusting EITHER mixture for 2 stroke. Whether it's the idle mixture, or the high rpm mixture. DOESN'T MATTER. When adjusting those mixtures, DO NOT RUN TOO LEAN!!!! Not only will a lean mixture cause the engine to possibly not receive enough oil to lubricate it, but a lean mixture will also cause 2 strokes to experience the SCARIEST THING they do!!!! That is LEAN RUNAWAY!!! Lean runaway is when the engine starts dieseling and running on its own, REGARDLESS of the kill switch. And it screams to higher and higher rpm, till either you choke it out to shutoff, pop clutch with brakes to stall it, or it just self destructs. This especially happens when you are low on fuel. This is why I am always cautious of my fuel level, and check it constantly.
@@nascarsimracing1 Thanks a lot for your fast reply! I had a bad runaway case on my 2000 KTM 250EXC, due to accidentally putting WAY too much oil in (I will never stop cringing about that). New crank assembly, checking and cleaning everything (top, bottom, middle, back, everything), 'burned' the exhaust out, new reed valves, you can fill in the rest... Getting parts is hell since KTM seems to think it's an ancient bike. Haven't gotten it to run as it should again though. Been dicking around with carb settings and jets, but didn't fully understand yet what the needle setting does.
It will effect idle mixture slightly. Lower the clip if you are having to turn mixture screw out to far, they can vibrate out if theres not enough spring tension on the screw. In severe cases you can shim the needle with very small thin washer under the clip.
Do this over a large folded rag. Will help it if shoots off or if you drop the needle it won’t damage the tip. Done from experience unfortunately. Protect your tip guys 👍
Thanks for your advice. I have a vm22 mikuni. It's idles fine, but giving it gas it dies, it's in the middle position #3, spark plugs look good. I guess I will have to keep play with it?
Thats one great thing about living where I do. Out of the crate, most bikes run perfectly. Its hard to beat stock jetting. My bikes start n run perfectly, no plug fouling. And they will idle all day. Nice dark golden brown spark plug reading.
@@rickyjennings8627 Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 and no I don't ride a 4 stroke efi. I ride a 18 yz250 and wife's on a 18 kx100, but over 41 years I've had over 30 bikes, trikes n atvs.
@enduro trucker Ernie Desjardins I'm also in ontario, southern Ontario .. I need help with my carb tune any suggestions? 1991 rm250 with fmf gold series.
I got new carb for my yz80 and when I got it the vacuum lines on the side where connected together I guess for shipping I tried everything,and it was those 2 lines connected together took one of them off and it runs good now
I just checked the needle on my "Chinnese " Scoot and it has no c washer at all , BUT it has a grove for one yes only one ajustment I say I'ts at Nr 3 so I'll try Napa to see if they will have one I' ll take the needle with me so I could put it on right in the store in case it'll flay off I can get one more ;) When I checked the spark plug it was white so I wanna lift that needle up a bit so it's light brownish looking not white and not black I guess the dealer that last owner got it from had a feeling that that original plug from Chinese factory wasn't is good as NGK and it was changed for one, but I had IRIDIUM one handy so I pushed that one in the motor, stars better and a bit better trothle resp. after that.....Next thing to do is taking off the restrictor plastic ring off from under the belt where the rollers are located it restricts the belt to open up all the way up I'm sure all YOU guys know about that one....
I owned an Elsinore 250 when stationed in Alaska. We would ride trails that started at sea level and climb to about 6K feet. Half way up we would have to stop and I would raise the clip two settings in order to lean the carb, otherwise the plugs would foul and the bike wouldn't idle. Of course we would have to reverse the procedure on the way back down. You are right about that clip wanting to fly off in the worse way and I always carried extra. By the way safety wire can work in a pinch to replace the clip if need be. Don't ask how I know...
I've done everything to these carbs on this bike except for needles. It dies upon throttle everytime, unless i spray the carb with fuel. Then it revs just fine. Without spraying the carbs, itll just die wen given throttle. Only thing i havnt done is needle and thats because it has no slots. Is it okay to use washers to allow more fuel ? Any help is appreciated. Also I love your vids.
@@highlandcycles I’m also from Denver area. My bike has run poorly since I moved back here from traveling in my RV (AZ, NM, SoCAl). No adjustment on my pin. I stuck a small wire up my jet. Bike ran great!!! I ordered an assortment of jets. Thank you!
@@highlandcycles but I see a video where they show at full throttle the piston sucks only air out of the main jet...the pilot circuit is open butt most of the off all of the suction goes through the big carburator hole ...
Hi! I have an husqvarna cr144 2011 with tmx38 carburetor and when I accelerate I feel like the gears are too short and I would like to have it more longer but not so sure if changing needles clip position will help in this case , I love this moto but it’s too dirty bike always with valvule exhaust open it’s kind a motocross style. Cumpliments from Portugal 🇵🇹
So does needle height only adjust throttle response? It doesnt do anything to resolve air/gas ratio or fix things such as four stroking on a 2 stroke engine?
Just want to share a story lost my e clip and ended up snapping my needle tring to maul the end to act as the clip. I needed a fix now so I smoked a joint and got to thinking. What happened ended up being genius. I used a air needle for filling up basketballs and engine has never run so well! 😂 crazy I know no joke tho!!
@@highlandcycles I'm on the dyno tomorrow and racing Eastern Creek ( Sydney) on the weekend. I'll be happy with 41hp. Give me 45 horses and I'll start dropping lap records. I like your channel, mate. Subscribed.
Our KX 60 is revving SUPER high at start up…. I MEAN SUPER HIGH - like I’m afraid it’s gonna blow. Could a carb adjustment gone bad have something to do with that?
Did you figure out the issue? I’m having this problem with my 2000 kx250 and I just rebuilt the carb…. Tried adjusting the idle with the carb screw but I thought I was gonna blow it up when I kicked it over…
One question I have, do these needles wear out a bit on the bottom causing the performance to change? Mine has never been touched but suddenly I don't seem to be getting enough air in the carburetor. Only thing I changed was the float needle and seat. Jets are all good and cleaned. I have intermittent bogging on acceleration.
Dude I’m oblivious about dirt bikes. Just got a 2021 DRZ400. I live in Texas and plan to take my bike to the mountains next month in Colorado and Utah. I will be going from 1200’ elevation to 7000-11,000’. Any recommendations on what I should do to prep the bike to run great in the mountains. I don’t really want to purchase a lectron carb yet with the bike being so new. Thanks for any advice. 👊💪
hello, I'm Brazilian and I would like to ask a question, does the position of the clip influence the high rpm of the engine? I've heard that at 100% acceleration it doesn't influence regardless of where the clip is.
my ZX6R they are in the 3rd position. and it's not running good, also the pilot screws are only 1 turn out witch doesn't seems right but according to the idle sound it's what they like. bike bogs down when i go to take off. should i try raising or lowering the needle?
I lost a clip once so I got a coke can and cut off the tiny little piece what attaches the pull tab too the can and used that. It was that good I never took it off just kept it 😂
Hey boss great video. I have a 2022 YZ250X and I live in south texas off the coast a little it’s very hot and humid . I think the factory jet tuning for the carb is off for my type of environment. Should I run Richer or leaner ?
@@highlandcycles I feel like it’s running a little too rich , would you recommend just adjusting the Pilot jet screw ? Or main jet ? I’m still trying to grasp the whole carburetor process and tuning in a nut shell . The bike runs amazing but I feel it could be more crisp
So dropping the clip down to say position 3...would richen it correct? Because it's affectively raising the needle and allowing more fuel or air right?
@@highlandcycles I've got a stumble around 1/8-1/4 throttle that I can't diagnose once I'm past it she takes off like a rocket. Turbo Suzuki bandit 1200
I have a question I'm really hoping that you can help me out a little bit not that long ago I bought a Polaris xplorer 300 4x4 which is a 2-stroke engine old school carbureted no exhaust valve nothing fancy but I do not know anything about tuning a carburetor I'm not looking to make a ton of power just for it to run good it had carburetor problems since I got it but I noticed it felt like it was running a little Rich smoked a lot used a lot of gas started messing with the needle got it to run a little bit leaner seems to run better but I don't want to run it too lean I'm still running the stock jetting do you know if it's possible to run it too lean and cause damage having the stock jetting buy adjusting the needle I am assuming with the stock jetting they kind of built it for idiots like me so you can't run it too lean but I don't know
I have the Keihen PKW 38mm now on a 19 300xc. I put a TSP medium head on too. Question is are you familiar with the STIC METERING BLOCK that is another $300.00 to swap out the stock block and install this STIC. Have you heard anything about this STIC? Or is this just lip stick on a pig gimmick? Thanks man!
I have heard really good things about the STIC and I have ridden one bike with it. It ran really well but I don't know if it was enough better to make me want to spend the money.
Question for you? Struggling with a 2016 kx85 bogging going uphill, 140 main ,38 pilot needle at 3rd position. No clogs, no air leaks. Any advice. Ky elevation.
@Highland Cycles thanks for tour help, I found the issues was the power valve was not clocked correctly and was stuck open. Set powervalve rod to line up with dot and casting mark. Bike runs great now.
when I'm about 3/4 to full throttle she starts to bog out.....runs strong in the lower end... Its a banshee with a 38" Makuni 2 into1... I cant figure it outand don't wanna go back to double carbs 🙄
Great info, I have a vm22 on a 125cc changed the jet to 120 great idle and no hesitation. My problem is that when I turn the throttle down the carb stays on high for a few seconds. Not instantly like it should. Any ideas. Thanks
Can needle height affect/fix a bog when you trust the throttle quickly? My kids 50cc will bog, and die if you hold it, when you rip the throttle off idle. If you go a little slower it revs fine without dying. With my adult butt on the bike, it seems to lose power on hills at WOT (will pull harder if you let off a little), but maybe that's just my size. Anyway, I've taken the carb apart and cleaned many times, adjusted float level to try and get more fuel flowing. No change. Bone stock, low hours. No air screw, only idle. Could raising the needle fix this kind of issue? Thanks greatly
Use a flat nosed standard plyer to pull the clip out from the closed end pulling away from the needle, its not going to get lost that way. IF YOU ARE HOME WITH TOOLS OFC
But you also have different size needles , they can either be rich or lean by going up in number or down . with out changing the main jet , and by changing the slot your changing how rich or lean it is , longer the needle less fuel . shorter more fuel .
Hey, I have an 86 xr600r. Carbs cleaned, re jetted 155. It ran fine I towed it to az from md it will start and idle! If I barely crack the throttle it will build rpm’s but anything past that just breaks up. I’m lost dude
Question:...My YZ80 (2002) in Quito (altitude 2500meters) is bugging, wants to turn off in the curbs when rpm's go below lets say 2000rpm. With the choke on it does not do this. What could be wrong with the adjustment of the carburator...?
Love your videos! Question: so to make the bike run richer you're just adjusting the needle clip, are you adjusting anything else? My bike is running a bit rich it's good for cold weather but now it's getting warmer (Las Vegas Nevada USA) and want to lean it out, do i just move the needle clip one notch up? Thanks
The easiest and safest way to change your needle position is to use a small pair of pliers and grip the E clip from the back center of the clip to pull it off and whilst still holding it just move it to the new position.
Hi , If I am right at the number 1 needle groove and it feels it could need to go leaner still do I go smaller pilot jet or main jet. Also my air screw does almost nothing until almost all the way in then splutters a bit. Thanks.
@@yeahrightmate you need a bigger pilot jet if the air screw is all the way in. You want the air screw to be roughly 2 turns out. The carb needs more fuel, if it's all the way in go up at least 2 sizes on the pilot, then get the motor running, roll the throttle to about 1/2 and see what it does. If it backfires or bogs go richer on the needle. After thats dialed in get the motor warm, then crack the throttle wide open, if it does or bogs you probably need a bigger main. I know this is late I hope you fixed your issue!
Great video. I have a huge question if you have time to answer. When putting around at maybe 1/4 throttle the carb is choaking, 3/4 to WOT it runs fine, Idle it runs fine. Just the slow putting around every now and then it does that choking bog sound. Should I adjust needle or change pilot jet? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I have a carbureted 2008 Crf250r. It runs great, the only think wrong with it is that it sputters in the high end of 1st gear and 2 bad gear when I steadily accelerate at a slow pace. In the rest of the gears, the sputter happened in most of the rpm ranges. There is no noticeable sputter when I quickly accelerate though. I’m not sure what this problem is, if it could be my carburetor, spark plug, or anything else. If you could help me that would be great, thankyou!
I hate carburetors things are freaking annoying mine starts but act like its in full throttle then when i tried to reset the idle and the mixture screw it wont stsrt at all the clip on my needle was set to the 4th clip i set it to the 3rd and i guess it wint run at all now
I realize this is an old post, hoping you're still active. I have a 49cc 4-stroke with a PWK type carb. I do have some experience with jet tuning, and it's running great at both idle and full throttle, but sometimes bogs a little at midrange. Would this more likely be from a lean condition, or rich? I'm thinking it's a little lean, but would love an expert opinion. Thanks a ton!
I wrote several times but youtube seems to erase my messages. So, I have a weird case. The YZ 80 was stalled for 10 years. The carb was terrible so I bought a new one on mycarb (Amazon). The new carburetor looks impeccable. This carb only has two adjustment options. The air idle jet screw and the main idle screw. I have the slag on the cable, so the slide does fully close. The bike only runs and starts (zero throttle) with the air idle jet screw fully closed and the main idle screw fully opened. Still the idle rpm's keep to high! The weird thing is when I pull the choke out th idle rpm do drop. Any opening of the air idle jet screw even by a 1/4 turn kills the engine. The bike tends to bogg when opening the throttle fast and the bike hasn't got any power between throttle 0 and 40%. Also the bike idle rpm's rize similar like when you have no fuel and then the engine tends to shut off. As the bike was smoking a lot and the spark plug black and oily I lowered the needle to the lowest position. It did improve the performance a bit. My question is; What is wrong with this carburetor and which steps to do to make the bike run well?
My son has a 07 kx65. It absolutely screams. But off idle, if you blip it to fast, it bogs. If you roll it , it rips. Never hesitates in any rpm range. Only if you are too quick with the throttle. If i drop the clip down a spot or 2. Will it help that??
@@highlandcycles if your already on the bottom needle groove and you're still getting a bog when you grab a lot of throttle like that should you try a slide with smaller cut out? Idle is good and wide open is good. Where do you find throttle valves (slides) for a vm22 mikuni?
@@highlandcycles I have an 03 CR250R that I swapped to a pwk a/s. I think the slow(50) and main jet(175) are good. But the plug still gets a lots of carbon build-up. At my local trails, I can't really open the bike up, but I got a trailer last fall, so now I can ride quite a few places that are less trails and more ash dumps and hill climbs. I think the build up was more from putting around and not from jetting. I may move the clip and lean it out a little
Thank you for the video, If I wanted to jet my dirtbike two steps leaner do I need to just raise the clip up two spots? Would I also have to put different jets in?
I have a 22 125xc im trying to change out the emulsion tube on the Mikuni tmx and cant get it to move tryed brass punch any suggestions??? Called Dealer he never changed one?? Need help
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
to remove the needle quick and easy without it flying off, just put it down on a flat surface with the circlip open facing down flat and press on the needle. Clip "unlocks" without flying off.. can put a finger over the clip just to be safe :)
Great tip
Useful info. Grreeeeeeeeaaa5ttt
ha ha,... very cool Joao..
Was just about to post this!
Great thanks mate 👍
Probably the best advice on needle adjustment here on RUclips.
Really appreciate your straight to the point approach without 2 minutes of gratuitous riding footage /crappy music at the beginning.
Thanks.
Agreed MAVAS!
Thanks a million for this video. People keep on telling me to go leaner on the needle and I had no idea how to do that until now lol, all of your videos are very informative and straight to the point. Thanks man🤟🏽💯
Glad to help
Thank you for explaining 1-5 clip position. Top to bottom is how its counted...thank you!~
Thank man. I really like all your videos. I have two boys that race and I love working on the bikes. I have an RM 85 that I almost was stumped couldn’t figure out why it was running so rich on the low end because of your videos I fixed it thank you man.
Awesome
You should make a video on how it runs in each position, with cold starts and warm starts.
you really need to trim theose
I just found your channel and have been watching a bunch of your vids. Great stuff from a regular dude riding bikes!
👍🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Playing with needles is the best thing you can do that is spot on indeed. I was turning my bike 03 kx250 into a woods bike and could never get the bottom end power I needed did governor mod flywheel weight played with timing on stator gnarly pipe ect ect. Then I did some research and got a few different needles necw necj ect I believe been a few years and they were from suzuki and yamaha and man what a difference before even fine tuning it instantly got beter response and grunt of the bottom as before it was not transitioning on to the pipe smooth at all and i tried alot of tuning with the kx needle. Then I got the new needle and tuned it in no more acting like a 125 where there's no power until hit the pipe it is now a great woods single track machine tuned for colorado high elevation minimal spooge and can even go down to the dessert moab from riding at 10000 feet in the high rockies and just richen air screw and raise needle 1 notch runs like a top
Amazing! Thank you so much. I knew how it all worked and how carbs work. It’s just remembering what’s in what position and which way makes things leaner or richer
Awesome 👌 very well explained. Ive just mounted a pz19 110cc dirt bike carburetor on a very old 3.8hp honda G150. I totally underestimated how much fuel is in constant demand! I also now require notch #4 on the needle, Air fuel mixture screw set 1 1/2, idle speed screw set at 2 1/4, Now she purrs like a kitten and the performance is astonishing. Huge improvement in all rev ranges. Thanks bro 👍
Always make sure you have the correct needle for your carb as well. You never know if someone has been in there and changed some stuff on a used bike!
It's crazy how such small components have such an effect
I carry a small box of clips after mine fired off, after a surplus I haven’t lost one👍
what’s the small box called
@@rumurz. taco
Dual Thumbs Up for liking carburetors brother! Something to be said for simplicity, it's just and advanced mixing valve! I learned something today about the Needle, BTW that was the best part for me, I never knew you counted #1 position from the top notch? I've never really been concerned with what number my carbs are set to, usually just adjust them up or down a notch depending on the climate and altitude of locations be riding mostly in. Huh thanks for the information, cuz seriously I've seen people talking about #1 through #5-7 but never knew how that was untainted by the notches in what direction the starting point of #1 was or was it just something mythical someone made up lol! Sweet bro, thanks and ride it like you stole it! Be safe.
Thanks so much
Man this helped so much. Don't have a dirt bike but an rd350 that's been struggling with mid throttle. My dumbass moved it to 2 thinking it was 4.
Excellent video, Lets add a detail! Many late model bikes have carbs with needles that only have one needle groove/position. That is to enforce running 'lean' to meet emission standards. A trick often mention to richen up that carb is to place a small washer UNDER the clip, thus RAISING the needle! It is probably fair to assume a bike with non adjustable needles is running lean, so raising by this trick is likely to give better response.
ive done this on my mini jeep but it ran too rich at times so getting a new geniune mikuni vm 22 for it instead of the chinese clone it came with and gonna jet it proper
Keep a magnet tray in your tool box. Perfect for changing the clip position
Do it inside a baggy😁....i havnt done it, just thought it up just now! 🤯
I also keep a spare in the garage and a little bin with about every chemical I use for my dirt bike goes with me. It has a large pill bottle in it with bolts and things.... a spare clip is one of them. Also the little clip that holds the brake pad pin in the caliper. If you have ever swapped out a brake pad set and spent a while looking in the dirt for that little clip.
Danny Compton totally!!
2:58...and so instead of laying down a white
or light colored towel, he does it over a hard
bench that could bounce the clip into his neighbors
pool, and it's covered. 🤔😂 Seriously, though
very informative, now I know which slot on the needle
is 1 , that info is often left out when someone talks
about moving it.
Thank you soo much for this!!!! Ever since i rebuilt my 2006 Yamaha Blaster's engine, and then now put a new air filter on it, and fixed the airbox cover, it now runs a bit rich. I'm ok with rich because it's better a 2 stroke runs rich than lean. But it struggles to get to full rpm when revving, and also is a little slow on acceleration. When i bought the Blaster, it had no air filter on it. So, i'm thinking the last owner probably had set the needle to run richer, to acommodate for the extra airflow from the absence of an air filter. Especially because it was fast and strong af when i ran it without the air filter, and was not running too rich at all. I can't wait to properly adjust my carb!!!!
Awesome man!
That sounds familiar! Did changing the needleposition help you in this case?
@@noctis_felis not very much. But then again, I have an Ebay air filter (which already had complaints of it being crap and restricting the engine) and on top of that, i had my airbox cover bolted on. My engine developed terrible piston slap from worn connecting rod bearings. I have to rebuild it again. That wasnt bc of the adjustment though... that was just the consequence of me geting it to run as cheap as possible, which was by just replacing top end after the last owner locked the engine up. I didnt change anything in the bottom. So the connecting rod already was badly worn, and piston had tiny bit of up and down play. Rode and rode and now abput a month ago, thats when it died. Lucky me, no catastrophic damage. I'm going to now rebuild it with wiseco. Wiseco crank, rod, and piston. Then i'll get an FMF pipe. And later i'll also get a lightweight flywheel. And new reeds. It's gonna be BUILT for real!!!
My situation wasnt a normal situation, since i had cheaped out, and my engine already was getting nowwhere near enough airflow, therefore always was too rich. For you, it most certainly will help it.
@@noctis_felis Also, another tip to mention. When adjusting EITHER mixture for 2 stroke. Whether it's the idle mixture, or the high rpm mixture. DOESN'T MATTER. When adjusting those mixtures, DO NOT RUN TOO LEAN!!!! Not only will a lean mixture cause the engine to possibly not receive enough oil to lubricate it, but a lean mixture will also cause 2 strokes to experience the SCARIEST THING they do!!!! That is LEAN RUNAWAY!!! Lean runaway is when the engine starts dieseling and running on its own, REGARDLESS of the kill switch. And it screams to higher and higher rpm, till either you choke it out to shutoff, pop clutch with brakes to stall it, or it just self destructs. This especially happens when you are low on fuel. This is why I am always cautious of my fuel level, and check it constantly.
@@nascarsimracing1 Thanks a lot for your fast reply! I had a bad runaway case on my 2000 KTM 250EXC, due to accidentally putting WAY too much oil in (I will never stop cringing about that). New crank assembly, checking and cleaning everything (top, bottom, middle, back, everything), 'burned' the exhaust out, new reed valves, you can fill in the rest... Getting parts is hell since KTM seems to think it's an ancient bike. Haven't gotten it to run as it should again though. Been dicking around with carb settings and jets, but didn't fully understand yet what the needle setting does.
It will effect idle mixture slightly. Lower the clip if you are having to turn mixture screw out to far, they can vibrate out if theres not enough spring tension on the screw. In severe cases you can shim the needle with very small thin washer under the clip.
Yeah mine vibrated out😅 will lower the clip when i get the new carb, thanks
The idle adjustment screw raises & lowers the slide the needle is attached too so yes if it's out of range you can adjust needle height to compensate.
I needed this info. Thx a bunch!
Great video. Great explanation
Hah! Lucky me I have E-clips from my rc cars. Definitely a good piece to have in the mobile shop
Great tips and advice 👌
Do this over a large folded rag. Will help it if shoots off or if you drop the needle it won’t damage the tip. Done from experience unfortunately. Protect your tip guys 👍
Thanks for your advice. I have a vm22 mikuni. It's idles fine, but giving it gas it dies, it's in the middle position #3, spark plugs look good. I guess I will have to keep play with it?
Yeah. The good thing about carbs is that it’s easy to swap stuff
Thats one great thing about living where I do. Out of the crate, most bikes run perfectly. Its hard to beat stock jetting. My bikes start n run perfectly, no plug fouling. And they will idle all day. Nice dark golden brown spark plug reading.
Awesome
nice^^^ what state do you live in?
@@rickyjennings8627 he lives in that imaginary state that doesn't exist.
Or he's referring to a four stroke that is fuel injected....
@@rickyjennings8627 Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 and no I don't ride a 4 stroke efi. I ride a 18 yz250 and wife's on a 18 kx100, but over 41 years I've had over 30 bikes, trikes n atvs.
@enduro trucker Ernie Desjardins I'm also in ontario, southern Ontario .. I need help with my carb tune any suggestions? 1991 rm250 with fmf gold series.
I push mine out of lock position, push down, then push down again to snap it locked.
Short and sweet ..!
good advice..thanks
Showed my kid as we Run quads… love the 250R’S !!
I got new carb for my yz80 and when I got it the vacuum lines on the side where connected together I guess for shipping I tried everything,and it was those 2 lines connected together took one of them off and it runs good now
I just checked the needle on my "Chinnese " Scoot and it has no c washer at all , BUT it has a grove for one yes only one ajustment I say I'ts at Nr 3 so I'll try Napa to see if they will have one I' ll take the needle with me so I could put it on right in the store in case it'll flay off I can get one more ;) When I checked the spark plug it was white so I wanna lift that needle up a bit so it's light brownish looking not white and not black I guess the dealer that last owner got it from had a feeling that that original plug from Chinese factory wasn't is good as NGK and it was changed for one, but I had IRIDIUM one handy so I pushed that one in the motor, stars better and a bit better trothle resp. after that.....Next thing to do is taking off the restrictor plastic ring off from under the belt where the rollers are located it restricts the belt to open up all the way up I'm sure all YOU guys know about that one....
I owned an Elsinore 250 when stationed in Alaska. We would ride trails that started at sea level and climb to about 6K feet. Half way up we would have to stop and I would raise the clip two settings in order to lean the carb, otherwise the plugs would foul and the bike wouldn't idle. Of course we would have to reverse the procedure on the way back down. You are right about that clip wanting to fly off in the worse way and I always carried extra. By the way safety wire can work in a pinch to replace the clip if need be. Don't ask how I know...
Hahaha, awesome.
Excellent. Here its about 5k feet elevation, like most of Wyoming. Need to raise it a notch or two up. Thanks
Great wish saw this video last year when I was dialing in my bike
I use locking forceps available from Harbor Freight to do that.
Great tip
So moving the clip down will only richen 1/4-3/4 throttle? Not full throttle?🤔
Not really. Once you get it wide open the needle is essentially out of the way
I've done everything to these carbs on this bike except for needles. It dies upon throttle everytime, unless i spray the carb with fuel. Then it revs just fine. Without spraying the carbs, itll just die wen given throttle. Only thing i havnt done is needle and thats because it has no slots. Is it okay to use washers to allow more fuel ? Any help is appreciated. Also I love your vids.
You’re going to Oklahoma from where? (Starting and ending elevations?). And how did you know to go to the 4th position?
From CO and lots of fiddling
@@highlandcycles
I’m also from Denver area. My bike has run poorly since I moved back here from traveling in my RV (AZ, NM, SoCAl).
No adjustment on my pin. I stuck a small wire up my jet. Bike ran great!!! I ordered an assortment of jets.
Thank you!
Hello ,at idle they say the trottle is a little bit open ! But also at idle will there be gasoline coming out of the needle?
Yes. A little. All circuits are active all the time.
@@highlandcycles but I see a video where they show at full throttle the piston sucks only air out of the main jet...the pilot circuit is open butt most of the off all of the suction goes through the big carburator hole ...
@@benkr5870 that is true. But the pilot is still in play. Not a lot of effect but some. Same with the main at idle. Less effect but still in play
@@highlandcycles ok thank you
The trick is to use the table with your thumb on the needle and other thumb over the clip lightly
Exelente video gracias
Hi! I have an husqvarna cr144 2011 with tmx38 carburetor and when I accelerate I feel like the gears are too short and I would like to have it more longer but not so sure if changing needles clip position will help in this case , I love this moto but it’s too dirty bike always with valvule exhaust open it’s kind a motocross style. Cumpliments from Portugal 🇵🇹
Took me an hour to find all the parts in my sons bike. Lesson learned. Lol
Does lean mean reducing gas or reducing air?
Reducing gas or increasing air
I call it the “Jesus” clip, cause when it pops off I holler “Jesus, where’d it go!”
So does needle height only adjust throttle response? It doesnt do anything to resolve air/gas ratio or fix things such as four stroking on a 2 stroke engine?
It has the most effect on throttle response. It can help with those things too but not a huge amount
Just want to share a story lost my e clip and ended up snapping my needle tring to maul the end to act as the clip. I needed a fix now so I smoked a joint and got to thinking. What happened ended up being genius. I used a air needle for filling up basketballs and engine has never run so well! 😂 crazy I know no joke tho!!
That is awesome!
Needle nose visegrips. Small ones to keep in your tool kit .
How often are you wide open throttle? 98% of the time. Honda RS125. Great vid too. Cheers.
YES!!! I tuned an RS125 a long time ago. We got like 45 hp out of that little thing.
@@highlandcycles I'm on the dyno tomorrow and racing Eastern Creek ( Sydney) on the weekend. I'll be happy with 41hp. Give me 45 horses and I'll start dropping lap records. I like your channel, mate. Subscribed.
@@SPOOKSTR awesome!!! Thank you and 41 is damn good.
thank you
Thank u for the tip
Our KX 60 is revving SUPER high at start up…. I MEAN SUPER HIGH - like I’m afraid it’s gonna blow. Could a carb adjustment gone bad have something to do with that?
It could be an adjustment or it could be something with the throttle. Make sure you have freeplay in the cable
@@highlandcycles Will do. New cable just arrived!
Did you figure out the issue? I’m having this problem with my 2000 kx250 and I just rebuilt the carb…. Tried adjusting the idle with the carb screw but I thought I was gonna blow it up when I kicked it over…
Would this work for 206m ? Oklahoma is 365m I’m over in Canada currently at 206m
If you take the needle circlip off under water in a plastic tub it cannot fire off somewhere.
One question I have, do these needles wear out a bit on the bottom causing the performance to change? Mine has never been touched but suddenly I don't seem to be getting enough air in the carburetor. Only thing I changed was the float needle and seat. Jets are all good and cleaned. I have intermittent bogging on acceleration.
Yes they do. So can the brass tube they go into
Dude I’m oblivious about dirt bikes. Just got a 2021 DRZ400. I live in Texas and plan to take my bike to the mountains next month in Colorado and Utah. I will be going from 1200’ elevation to 7000-11,000’. Any recommendations on what I should do to prep the bike to run great in the mountains. I don’t really want to purchase a lectron carb yet with the bike being so new. Thanks for any advice. 👊💪
I would get the JD jetting kit for it and put what they say in it for your trip. Should work great
@@highlandcycles thanks brother I appreciate the quick response.
hello, I'm Brazilian and I would like to ask a question, does the position of the clip influence the high rpm of the engine? I've heard that at 100% acceleration it doesn't influence regardless of where the clip is.
That is correct
my ZX6R they are in the 3rd position. and it's not running good, also the pilot screws are only 1 turn out witch doesn't seems right but according to the idle sound it's what they like. bike bogs down when i go to take off. should i try raising or lowering the needle?
I lost a clip once so I got a coke can and cut off the tiny little piece what attaches the pull tab too the can and used that. It was that good I never took it off just kept it 😂
Nice
Hey boss great video. I have a 2022 YZ250X and I live in south texas off the coast a little it’s very hot and humid . I think the factory jet tuning for the carb is off for my type of environment. Should I run Richer or leaner ?
Might need a little more gas but I’m not sure what it’s doing?
@@highlandcycles I feel like it’s running a little too rich , would you recommend just adjusting the Pilot jet screw ? Or main jet ? I’m still trying to grasp the whole carburetor process and tuning in a nut shell . The bike runs amazing but I feel it could be more crisp
@@txwicked1804 ok. That’s good info. I would start by dropping the needle (raising the clip) one position and opening the air screw 1/2 turn.
So dropping the clip down to say position 3...would richen it correct? Because it's affectively raising the needle and allowing more fuel or air right?
Yes. More fuel earlier in the throttle opening
@@highlandcycles I've got a stumble around 1/8-1/4 throttle that I can't diagnose once I'm past it she takes off like a rocket. Turbo Suzuki bandit 1200
@@joshsutcliffe6099 hmmmm. I’d try leaning the needles
@@highlandcycles topped out
@@highlandcycles I'm 1.5 turns out on my adjustment screwa
Thank you!
I have a question I'm really hoping that you can help me out a little bit not that long ago I bought a Polaris xplorer 300 4x4 which is a 2-stroke engine old school carbureted no exhaust valve nothing fancy but I do not know anything about tuning a carburetor I'm not looking to make a ton of power just for it to run good it had carburetor problems since I got it but I noticed it felt like it was running a little Rich smoked a lot used a lot of gas started messing with the needle got it to run a little bit leaner seems to run better but I don't want to run it too lean I'm still running the stock jetting do you know if it's possible to run it too lean and cause damage having the stock jetting buy adjusting the needle I am assuming with the stock jetting they kind of built it for idiots like me so you can't run it too lean but I don't know
The stock jetting will never be too lean. Also you can’t ruin a motor with the needle position. You should be fine.
I lost an eclip in the rock parking lot once, was down for 2 hours until we finally found it!
Oh crap
Can the position of the clip cause bike to bog when you try to give full throttle from the jump??
Yes
@@highlandcycles so if it’s bogging out I should lower my needle if I can?? Haven’t gotten into it yet but needin some tips
I have the Keihen PKW 38mm now on a 19 300xc. I put a TSP medium head on too. Question is are you familiar with the STIC METERING BLOCK that is another $300.00 to swap out the stock block and install this STIC.
Have you heard anything about this STIC? Or is this just lip stick on a pig gimmick? Thanks man!
I have heard really good things about the STIC and I have ridden one bike with it. It ran really well but I don't know if it was enough better to make me want to spend the money.
Question for you? Struggling with a 2016 kx85 bogging going uphill, 140 main ,38 pilot needle at 3rd position. No clogs, no air leaks. Any advice. Ky elevation.
Check compression
@@highlandcycles just installed brand new topend last week. But I'll pull a number tonight. What range should I be at?
@@barryrose4091 somewhere over 130
@Highland Cycles thanks! I'll look into it. Would a upside down ring cause the issue?
@Highland Cycles thanks for tour help, I found the issues was the power valve was not clocked correctly and was stuck open. Set powervalve rod to line up with dot and casting mark. Bike runs great now.
My banshee is bogging when I open her all the way up.... could that be the needle being in the wrong position?
I don’t know what you mean
when I'm about 3/4 to full throttle she starts to bog out.....runs strong in the lower end... Its a banshee with a 38" Makuni 2 into1... I cant figure it outand don't wanna go back to double carbs 🙄
@@666hood_wood6 sounds like you need more gas. I’d try raising the needle first but you might need a bigger main
Great info, I have a vm22 on a 125cc changed the jet to 120 great idle and no hesitation. My problem is that when I turn the throttle down the carb stays on high for a few seconds. Not instantly like it should. Any ideas. Thanks
Probably need to richen up the pilot circuit
@@highlandcycles thanks, should my carb cleaning wire go all the way thru. My smallest wire won't. It may be plugged.
@@Ken-it8wv yes it should
Can needle height affect/fix a bog when you trust the throttle quickly? My kids 50cc will bog, and die if you hold it, when you rip the throttle off idle. If you go a little slower it revs fine without dying. With my adult butt on the bike, it seems to lose power on hills at WOT (will pull harder if you let off a little), but maybe that's just my size. Anyway, I've taken the carb apart and cleaned many times, adjusted float level to try and get more fuel flowing. No change. Bone stock, low hours. No air screw, only idle. Could raising the needle fix this kind of issue? Thanks greatly
Yes the needle can effect that.
If i change to say number 4, can the idle Need too be lowered?
Maybe.
Use a flat nosed standard plyer to pull the clip out from the closed end pulling away from the needle, its not going to get lost that way. IF YOU ARE HOME WITH TOOLS OFC
But you also have different size needles , they can either be rich or lean by going up in number or down . with out changing the main jet , and by changing the slot your changing how rich or lean it is , longer the needle less fuel . shorter more fuel .
What do i do when my bike cuts out when i let go throtte its 2 stroke 70cc yamaha jog
Hey, I have an 86 xr600r. Carbs cleaned, re jetted 155. It ran fine I towed it to az from md it will start and idle! If I barely crack the throttle it will build rpm’s but anything past that just breaks up. I’m lost dude
From Maryland? Probably need smaller main
Any time I have to deal with stuff like this I do it inside a zip lock bag. When the clip goes flying the bag traps it
Great tip
If I go with a biger main jet after a big bore would you wanna put u out clip up one
Maybe. I’d try it first
Also, after a big bore, you normally run smaller jets because it draws harder so it will be too rich with bigger jets
Nice video. Thanks. It would have been nice to see you remove this needle from the carb just to get an idea of how it was installed.
Great suggestion!
Question:...My YZ80 (2002) in Quito (altitude 2500meters) is bugging, wants to turn off in the curbs when rpm's go below lets say 2000rpm. With the choke on it does not do this. What could be wrong with the adjustment of the carburator...?
Put one size bigger pilot jet in it
Thank you very much. I appreciate it and I will try that!
At full throttle it won’t rev idk where to put my needle position based on that
Probably doesn't have anything to do with the needle
Hey bro I have a 2017 ssr 125cc is there a way to know if the valves need to be adjusted?
Take the covers off and check them
Love your videos! Question: so to make the bike run richer you're just adjusting the needle clip, are you adjusting anything else? My bike is running a bit rich it's good for cold weather but now it's getting warmer (Las Vegas Nevada USA) and want to lean it out, do i just move the needle clip one notch up?
Thanks
Yeah that will help. If it’s not enough you might have to go down a size on the main too.
The easiest and safest way to change your needle position is to use a small pair of pliers and grip the E clip from the back center of the clip to pull it off and whilst still holding it just move it to the new position.
Hi , If I am right at the number 1 needle groove and it feels it could need to go leaner still do I go smaller pilot jet or main jet. Also my air screw does almost nothing until almost all the way in then splutters a bit. Thanks.
@@yeahrightmate you need a bigger pilot jet if the air screw is all the way in. You want the air screw to be roughly 2 turns out. The carb needs more fuel, if it's all the way in go up at least 2 sizes on the pilot, then get the motor running, roll the throttle to about 1/2 and see what it does. If it backfires or bogs go richer on the needle. After thats dialed in get the motor warm, then crack the throttle wide open, if it does or bogs you probably need a bigger main. I know this is late I hope you fixed your issue!
Great video. I have a huge question if you have time to answer. When putting around at maybe 1/4 throttle the carb is choaking, 3/4 to WOT it runs fine, Idle it runs fine. Just the slow putting around every now and then it does that choking bog sound. Should I adjust needle or change pilot jet? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I’d try the needle first. Drop it one position (move clip up one groove)
@@highlandcycles awesome. I'll give it a try and thanks for the advice.
@@Rizzel101 Did raising the clip up a notch help you solve your issue?
Can the main jet affect 1/4 to 3/4 tuning if even lowest needle is too rich
Yep
I have a carbureted 2008 Crf250r. It runs great, the only think wrong with it is that it sputters in the high end of 1st gear and 2 bad gear when I steadily accelerate at a slow pace. In the rest of the gears, the sputter happened in most of the rpm ranges. There is no noticeable sputter when I quickly accelerate though. I’m not sure what this problem is, if it could be my carburetor, spark plug, or anything else. If you could help me that would be great, thankyou!
I would try moving the needle. Try both ways
@@highlandcycles alright thankyou, I will try that sometime.
I hate carburetors things are freaking annoying mine starts but act like its in full throttle then when i tried to reset the idle and the mixture screw it wont stsrt at all the clip on my needle was set to the 4th clip i set it to the 3rd and i guess it wint run at all now
Update got it to run but now still having the same issue the wheel spins without me even touching the throttle
Thanks!!
Can you tell me what causes mine to backfire out the exhaust over quarter throttle?
I don’t know
I realize this is an old post, hoping you're still active. I have a 49cc 4-stroke with a PWK type carb. I do have some experience with jet tuning, and it's running great at both idle and full throttle, but sometimes bogs a little at midrange. Would this more likely be from a lean condition, or rich? I'm thinking it's a little lean, but would love an expert opinion. Thanks a ton!
Probably lean. drop the clip one position
Have a rm250 Boggs 1st-2nd main jet158 & pilot 45 riding 870ft above sea level, any suggestions on what size jets I should try?
Go up on both.
Okay I’ll give it a shot! Subscribed
@@drinkacase1736 thanks.
Hello, can I ask another question?
Sure
I wrote several times but youtube seems to erase my messages. So, I have a weird case. The YZ 80 was stalled for 10 years. The carb was terrible so I bought a new one on mycarb (Amazon). The new carburetor looks impeccable. This carb only has two adjustment options. The air idle jet screw and the main idle screw. I have the slag on the cable, so the slide does fully close. The bike only runs and starts (zero throttle) with the air idle jet screw fully closed and the main idle screw fully opened. Still the idle rpm's keep to high! The weird thing is when I pull the choke out th idle rpm do drop. Any opening of the air idle jet screw even by a 1/4 turn kills the engine. The bike tends to bogg when opening the throttle fast and the bike hasn't got any power between throttle 0 and 40%. Also the bike idle rpm's rize similar like when you have no fuel and then the engine tends to shut off. As the bike was smoking a lot and the spark plug black and oily I lowered the needle to the lowest position. It did improve the performance a bit. My question is; What is wrong with this carburetor and which steps to do to make the bike run well?
@@robertjongejans I don't know. I don't ever deal with aftermarket carbs. It might be fine but I have seen lots of them be really weird
I do understand. What would you recommend if it would be the original carburator? I would like to send you some pics, what is your mail address?
Or WA?
My son has a 07 kx65. It absolutely screams. But off idle, if you blip it to fast, it bogs. If you roll it , it rips. Never hesitates in any rpm range. Only if you are too quick with the throttle. If i drop the clip down a spot or 2. Will it help that??
It should help. Might richen the pilot too
@@highlandcycles if your already on the bottom needle groove and you're still getting a bog when you grab a lot of throttle like that should you try a slide with smaller cut out? Idle is good and wide open is good. Where do you find throttle valves (slides) for a vm22 mikuni?
Does moving the clip one position make a big difference?
It can depending on the carb and bike
@@highlandcycles I have an 03 CR250R that I swapped to a pwk a/s. I think the slow(50) and main jet(175) are good. But the plug still gets a lots of carbon build-up. At my local trails, I can't really open the bike up, but I got a trailer last fall, so now I can ride quite a few places that are less trails and more ash dumps and hill climbs. I think the build up was more from putting around and not from jetting. I may move the clip and lean it out a little
Thank you for the video, If I wanted to jet my dirtbike two steps leaner do I need to just raise the clip up two spots? Would I also have to put different jets in?
Yes just raise the clip. Try it and if it’s still too rich maybe go down on the main jet
Thanks
Thank you
I have a 22 125xc im trying to change out the emulsion tube on the Mikuni tmx and cant get it to move tryed brass punch any suggestions??? Called Dealer he never changed one?? Need help
Why are you changing it? I haven't changed one either.