Re: And the FZ - X is born

Ok, here is my first explanation. Before assembling the piston, Shv18's mechanic did a careful examination of the piston. He then pointed out something that we both were discussing when quick gun Shv18 jumps in to ask what was the matter. So we tried to explain the issue to him, however, while he seems to have understood the words, he has not understood their context and use.

Here is the issue;

Most good pistons (at least the ones I have come across) have a arrow or a notch or a symbol to indicate which side is forward facing. This piston too has an arrow at the inside bottom of the piston crown. Now the question is why give such a marking when we can all see the valve recesses and know which is exhaust side and which is inlet side? The answer is 'thrust side'. In most cases, while visually the piston wrist pin may seem to be in the middle of the piston, it is actually off to the thrust side to aid in 'balancing' the force upon the piston in the bore.

In this case, while there is an arrow marking the forward side (unfortunately no photo taken) the valve recesses have been machined in wrong side. Meaning they have been flipped, where exhaust recess should be, the inlet recess is and vice versa. If the piston was assembled as per the marking, then inlet recess would be on the exhaust side, therefore, while looking at the photo though it might seem to be a normal assembly it is actually not right. What Shv18's mechanic and I were speculating was the fact that whoever machined the valve recesses, did not understand or even worst care about the marking while doing the machining. At that point Mr. quick gun Shv18 butts in and starts paying his 20 questions game. :-(

Re: And the FZ - X is born

I am not sure why am i getting such a sarcastic tone since the last two posts my friend... but if asking questions is a crime then i am guilty as ever! However, keeping in mind the interest of the community please do share your perspective.

What i did understand from the conversation was that the piston markings with valve recesses were not done right. And the first thing i asked the technician and you was what is to be done? should we scrap the project or go ahead with it? He then mentioned to me it won't affect the engine but in the long run it will affect the crankshaft and at a later stage under 35,000 kms i may have to look at replacing it. Beyond that i felt it would be better that rather than me trying to explain things: your experience, explanation in this regard would help us all that's all..


Cheers,

Throttle Position Sensor for BS 29 carburetor??

Well, with the earlier BS 29 carburetor blunder supplied by RC which was found to be damaged, I had no choice but to start looking for one here in Mumbai. But as we all are aware one of the major concerns related to switching carburetor from the Stock BS 26 to BS 29: the absence of the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) which results in one having to lock the TPS to, Mid level, full or Wide Open Throttle/ WOT and thus, the red engine warning light on the dash glowing constantly on souped up FZs.

Besides many riders have doubts with the recommendation from Joel as locking the TPS to full will result in advancing the spark thus, more possibility of engine knocking. I was planning to source my BS 29 carb from Bajaj's Pulsar 180 UG3 model. Then senior rider PSRji (as always thanks a ton! ) pointed out that the Pulsars did came with Throttle Position Sensor and asked me to check with the Spare Parts guys from Bajaj. They verified the same and off i went to place my order!

Unfortunately the Spares shop didn't have a BS 29 carburetor readily available with them so i have placed an order for the Pulsar 180 UG 3/4 BS 29 carburetor and hopefully should have it in hand in another 2 week's time. Now comes the real challenge.. I am sure the TPS cabling and wire mounts are different of the BS 26 stock carb then that of the BS 29 carb. So it will be really an experiment to see if we are successful in getting the TPS of the Pulsar carb match with the CDI to recognise the throttle inputs.

Below are the images of the parts that make the Throttle Position Sensor in a Bajaj Pulsar 180 series.




Pic 1: Magnet Assembly



Pic 2: Reed Switch


The image below shows how the Pulsar 180 Carburetor TPS system works (Image courtesy PSR Ji):



Pic 3: TPS functioning in a Bajaj Pulsar 180 BS 29 Carburetor UG 3/4


At the total cost of 70 bucks INR, both these parts are dirt cheap so even if the experiment fails, i won't be losing much greens
The cost of the Pulsar 180 UG carburetor? : Rs. 2580/-

As mentioned earlier, for the time being i will have to can the plan of adding kms on the ODO due to work commitments... Hopefully by next week i should start clocking more miles faster to hit 500 kms at the earliest. Till now i have covered about 120 kms and the rpms have been kept within the band of under 4,000 rpm keeping in mind the stock BS 26 has not been tuned yet to provide adequate fuelling.

One more info for all: I have asked a friend of mine to get hold of these Jet sizes 120, 116, 119, 121 from shops like Sandhya Spares in JC Road, Blore as my search for higher end main jets have remained unfruitful in Mumbai. I am also trying to get hold these guys, Pacco india which manufactures different jet sizes for carb manufacturers like Mikuni, Keihin, Pacco, Mikuni-Solex etc. to see if they can provide me jet kits of different sizes to play around with the fuelling.

UPDATE: As per rider MadMik The stock TPS gives out following values: 0 volt at closed throttle position and 5 volts at Wide Open Throttle/WOT. Will have to use a volt/multimeter to confirm whether the same values are given out by the TPS for the BS 29 Pulsar UG3 carb.

Cheers,

Re: And the FZ - X is born

What you are referring to is the pin deviation. On the stock FZ16, the pin hole is 0.25mm. towards the intake .
On RC's piston, the valve recesses are not machined (only the piston crown, pin hole, ring grooves and skirt are) but come from the casting/ forging, as you have been able to see. Where the person doing the machining has to be careful is when doing the hole for the piston pin, and he usually marks the "IN" side on the intake valve recess (which was the case), and/ or an arrow pointing forward. If in doubt then, only a call to the manufacturer, with pictures, could clear it (and cause delays!), or carefully measure the piston pin position. Very strange effectively that, in this case, the obvious valve recesses (plus the "IN" marking) showing the intake- exhaust sides would be contradictory with an arrow marking...!!!

Anyway: I doubt it would have been possible to install the piston with the intake and exhaust valves recesses in the wrong position as the intake valve could have come in contact with the piston!

Then, although this piston pin deviation, or off-center machining is basically for reducing stresses on the the piston just before, at, and just after the Top Dead Center positions (that becomes a bit too complicated to explain here), I can't see how the consequences of a wrong piston pin deviation could affect the big end of the conrod and crankshaft, but the piston skirt if machining the pin hole has been done wrongly. This would show "rather" early (1k. km), but only by opening the engine, by asymmetrical wear: on the aft side (intake) at the very top of the piston skirt, and on the forward side at the bottom of the skirt. It would then be under the manufacturer's unlimited guarantee for such defective machining. On a longer run, the piston would start wobbling and making a characteristic "slap" noise. Would that then happen, the cylinder too would need re-boring, or at least re-honing.

When opening (and could have been done when assembling), it will not be difficult to mark on the crown an approximately transverse diameter of the piston, then take this marking down along the skirt right and left. If the pin offset is 0.25mm. like on the stock, the difference between right and left measurements will be half a millimeter, which is easy to measure and then ascertain which side is this offset/ deviation.

Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

Hi All,

After a brief sabbatical from biking thanks to work schedules, i was finally back on track trying to finish the run-in at the earliest! So here is the report after hitting around 346.1 kms since, the heart transplant on my FZ-X:

1) After 346+ kms, i can verify that the pilot jet: 17.5 is the correct jet size for this RC set up. Engine cranks at one or two goes by applying a slight throttle when the engine is cold. After that i let the engine idle for about a good 3-4 minutes just to ensure that the engine is hitting the full operating temperature and with the tolerances so tight, adequate amount of time is given to the engine to circulate the oil all across various parts of the engine.

2) I have observed reverse cranking once or twice during the operation of the engine where say i have switched off the engine too cool off and then when attempted to start her, there comes a reverse crank! I am glad that the decision of keeping the decomp unit was taken as i am sure in the long run it will affect the engine. (P.S: My thoughts only, no technical explanation can be given from my end in this regard!)

3) Once the engine heats up properly, one doesn't need to apply throttle again to crank her to life should you switch off the engine and want to start her again. So that's a good sign. The idling rpm is very stable and not jumping around.

4) The engine heat i was experiencing earlier has gone down significantly. As mentioned in my previous posts, i am taking precautions, shutting her off at intervals of 20 kms and then giving her cool off breaks for atleast 15 - 20 mins before resuming the run-in operation. At the max i only give two way 20 kms runs and then that's about it! All the run-ins have been done later at night to avoid unwanted stop-go traffic, cooler ambient temperature for better engine cooling and also no signals so i can do my mile crunchers as i please. Plus i am usually a creature of night.. so this task didn't feel out of place for me (Did i mention that i am crazy!!)

5) I was quite surprised by the fact that even with the bump in CCs and tight tolerance RC piston, i am not experiencing any heavy vibrations as i was expecting earlier. Though yes there is only say slightly more vibration from the engine when compared to the stock; i guess its due to the fact that the counter balancer in the engine is designed for the 153cc piston and the vibes it produces and not for the 182cc RC piston. But regardless i am happy to announce that there is more or less no compromise on the refinement from the engine in this regard. Thumbs up to RC for this. I guess these vibes will go down further as i continue clocking more kms

6) There has been a definite change in character of my ride post the heart transplant. She seems to be eager to go past 4k rpm in no time which was earlier found to be sluggish with the 153cc stock set up. Though with the limitations of the stock BS 26 carburettor, i am restraining myself with all my might not to cross the 4k rpm limit for atleast another 150 kms. Believe me my ride now is literally tantalising me to go past that set barrier with the new found power!! So one thing is for sure the RC mild lift camshaft does what it promises! a very prominent bump in power.

7) As far as the "Stitching noise" from the camshaft is concerned, Yes it is there but negligible according to my experience so far. The noise becomes apparent when keeping the engine at 4k rpm band but moment i leave the throttle it dies down plus with the loudest loud pipes fitted onto our Mumbai auto-rickshaws, the noise gets completely muffled in traffic. At idling, unless one is really looking out for it.. it is indistinguishable from stock but i would still say about 50-60% louder if i do comparos with the stock cam. i am waiting to see if there is any change in the sound post the valve clearence at the upcoming 500 kms run-in interval with the oil change and the rest of the set up being re-checked thoroughly.. so lets see whether the RC mild lift camshaft's noise goes down or remains there.

8) The RC Stiffer Clutch Springs seem to be doing their job. The clutch response has become even more smoother when compared to the stock bike. I am not experiencing any clutch slippage or hick ups. The gear shifts have become super smooth. So far the reports are positive. Real tests will be when we we attempt to do the speed runs.

9) Mileage?? NOT BOTHERED AT ALL!!


I GOT IT!! I GOT IT!! BS 29 Carburettor

With the wait for the BS 29 carburettor being imminent and long after my interaction with the Bajaj spares shops here in Mumbai, i decided to check with rider n-o-v-i-c-e if there is anyway he can help me procure the same. He was kind enough to quickly make a dash to the nearest and the biggest Bajaj spares distributor in Pune and got hold of a Bajaj Pulsar 180 UG 4, BS 29mm CV carburettor for me. Thanks a lot mate!! Since, i was out of town for a project, i requested n-o-v-i-c-e to ship it to me in such a way that it reaches to me on Monday (6th May) and the poor lad did all the hard work and wallah!! it was here.

Price of the carburettor?? Well Rs. 2380/- which is indeed a sweet deal!!



Pic 1: Box packed BS 29 Carburettor, Pulsar 180 UG 4



Pic 2: 29mm UG 4 Carb, bajaj Pulsar 180 now unboxed!!



Pic 3: 29mm Cv carb from Pulsar UG 4 series with an inbuilt choke lever.


Now if one notices the 29mm carburettor from the Bajaj's stable, it is clearly visible that the carburettor itself has an inbuilt choke lever. Thus the Choke lever present on our bikes will become useless as this feature is directly present on the Pulsar carburettor. Personally, i have never used choke to start my bike even when the ambient temps have reached really low.. so i am really not bothered at all!!

Since, I had the damaged carburettor still lying around with me (which was unfortunately taken to such a stage thanks to the callouss attitude from the packing and transit guys!!), i decided to click a comparo pic just to see the difference between these two carbs.



Pic 4: Carburettor supplied and pre-tuned by Race Concepts (Left) & Bajaj Pulsar 180 UG 4 carburettor (Right), both 29mm CV Carbs.

The 29mm carb on the left of the image is from Race Concepts. It doesn't have a choke lever but in place, one can connect the stock choke lever of the bike via the cable. The Bajaj 29mm carburettor has a built in choke lever and also the it has special mounts for the stock Pulsar 180 reed switch and magnet assembly which acts as a TPS for the Pulsar range bikes on which this carb fits as shown in the pic below.



Pic 5: Bajaj Pulsar 180 UG 4 carburettor with the TPS system installed and explained.


Personally, i found the UG 4 carburettor to be built slightly better compared to the latter. The Bajaj Pulsar 180 UG 4, 29 mm Cv Carburettor comes with a 112.5 mainjet and has the same needle jet and 17.5 pilot jet as mentioned for the jet kit (DJ121056) in one of my earlier posts on this thread.



Pic 6: 112.5 mainjet on the Baja Pulsar Ug Carburettor


So one has to change the stock mainjet of this carburettor from 112.5 to various combinations to see which one matches as per the altitude and weather conditions they live in. As per rider Jonahmano and rider Murali, Both have had a good experience with the Main Jet being 120, Pilot Jet being 17.5 and the Needle Jet from the Pulsar jet kit (DJ 121056), their carburettors being from Race Concepts. Mind you though, both these gentlemen are still on stock exhaust. So if one chooses to install an FFE then the carb will have to be rejetted accordingly.

In my case, currently i am on stock exhaust for the time being. So i will try various combinations of 115 main jet, 117.5 main jet and finally 120 main jet and confirm which one works best at sea level conditions. At a later stage, I will most likely opt for Leo Vince GP Corsa because of its quieter nature, sublime build quality and also the power band in the mid range being accentuated even further and no major loss even with the DB killer on! But until then i shall continue the tune ups with the stock exhaust.


For the benefit of the community: As per my research i have been able to confirm that 120 main jet can be found from big maruti spares dealers. This particular jet size was manufactured by UCAL for the 1987 Maruti 800 carburetted model so it is bit of a pain in the a$$ to get hold of but Maruti being Maruti, if one is persistent i am sure one can get hold of it soon enough!! 117.5 Main jet is easily availble from any of Bajaj's spares shop. Look for the Jet kit (Part no. DJ121056) and there you have it!!

115 main jet is also easily available from the spares shops of motorcycles. I was lucky enough to send one of my friends on a hunting mission at JC Road, Blore. Look for Sandhya Spares at JC Road, Blore and then start hunting for main jets from there on. i got 115 main jets for 10 bucks a pop so ordered 6 nos.


Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)

As we all are aware right now that the biggest drawback with using a carb other than the stock BS 26 is that it doesn't have a Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) port in which the stock TPS cabling can mount directly without any fuss as shown in the picture.



Pic 6: Stock BS 26 Mikuni Carburetor. the red highlighted Lever is connected to the butterfly valve of the carb which turns the mechanism inside the stock TPS to provide throttle input information to the stock CDI (Pic: courtesy Murali)

Thus, one has to lock the TPS to full in order to gain performance. However, there has been a significant debate going on over this as many riders feel that with locking the TPS, one is clearly advancing the ignition map which will affect the performance and longevity of the engine and not to forget the knocking issue.



Pic 7: Bajaj Pulsar 180 Ug 4, BS 29mm Cv Carb. The same place, there is a metal (Dark greyish) cap sealed shut. I am not sure whether there also exists a lever in this carburettor which is connected to the butterfly valve and if it does, whether it is compatible with the stock TPS.


Anyways, i have been interacting with a lot of riders outside the realm of xbhp in this regard and also senior rider PSR Ji to see if we can find an alternative route to hotwire the BS 29 carburetor with the TPS so that the CDI can get the throttle inputs accurately and then the stupid RED - Light engine warning stuff is also thrown out of the window for good and hopefully one experiences a better and smoother ride. There are people crazy enough who have already begun experimenting in this field to see how efficiently one can make the TPS system work as is the case with the stock Mikuni BS26 carburettor.


Rider MadMik was kind enough to provide me enough data to confirm that the functioning of the TPS is linear and not On and OFF feature like it is on stock TPS of the Bajaj Pulsar 180 system. Here is an excerpt from the Yamaha FZ service manual to confirm the same:



Pic 8: Diagram showing steps to check whether the TPS is functioning or not on Stock BS 26 Minkuni Carburettor for Yamaha FZ. It confirms the fact that the CDI requires linear input from the TPS in order to give out correct ignition maps as per throttle input.


PSR Ji has been kind enough to share his thoughts and views regarding the same to help me figure out the best possible way to attempt getting the TPS work on the BS 29 carburettor to ensure trouble free operation on my bike. According to him the TPS system which will match closest to the functioning of the stock one is from Hero Honda ZMA which has more or less same voltage output as the stock TPS does at closed throttle position and WOT. All this is really just an attempt to see if we are successful in this crazy little project. If not then i will follow Joel's advice and lock the TPS on full!


Will update more as i continue my journey..

Cheers,

Re: The POWERHOUSE Fz18

What about the mileage?just confirming the joel's claim of a better or at least stock average per liter of gasoline.

Re: The POWERHOUSE Fz18

With the AFR still running slightly lean, the kms clocked so far still under run-in period and with the limitations of stock BS 26 carburettor (if you have already read the earlier posts on this thread) it doesn't make any sense for me to keep a tab on every drop of fuel she burns. And i have always been least bothered about FE even before i went for this route of hot roding.

For the sake of it i will do a mileage test post installation and fine tuning of the BS29 mm Cv carburettor after the proper fuelling is sorted out.
If you must know rider Jonahmano & Murali with 120 main jet, 17.5 pilot jet and needle jet from Pulsar 180 currently doing duty on their carbs have witnessed the following FEs:

35 kmpl during hard ripping and 38-40 kmpl during sane riding. I still have to install and tune my carb so till then shall refrain from logging any fuel runs during the extended run-in process.


Cheers,

Re: Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

Happy to help...only thing is you owe me a health check-up as treat for venturing out in the sweltering heat.

Its good to know you will complete 500km soon and then put on the BS29. Just wait to experience it.

Do you mean to say there is reverse cranking even with the decomp unit still kept on?

The stitching noise will be there for the rest of the time. Luckily yours is a little less than ours.

And I think the TPS is actually at Full position when we remove it from the BS26 carb and leave it hanging just like that.
Just think about it. So basically the timing is advanced throughout.

cheers...

Re: Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

Thanks again mate . May not be a health check up but a mid way treat for sure!!

My ride has hit 476 kms as of now on the trip meter. Engine cranks at one go. Yes reverse cranking is there but have witnessed it once or twice as of now. It is still too early to come to a conclusion about the kits and the especially the RC camshaft so lets not give green lights just yet! I intend to test my ride to the limits (after proper check up ofcourse!!) and only then shall give out my verdict.

At the moment, a major problem i am facing right now is with the 500 km drain interval approaching soon, unfortunately there are major protests and indefinite strike called out by traders association all across Maharashtra: As a result all shops are shut. Been trying to get hold of Motul 300V 15W 50 FS oil since the last two days but the results have remained unsuccessful!!

So my fellow Mumbaikars!!, if anyone can help me get hold of Motul 300V within the next 2 days it would be awesome!! I am trying to get in touch with Motul representatives and see if they can get it home delivered. Or else shall pester the Kamla Yamaha, Sewree SVC and see if they can help me get hold of one.

I am not sure about your views on the TPS: i will check with my technician. I think you will have to manually lock it. Tell you what when i am going for the upcoming 500 kms service, if we are unsuccessful in hotwiring the Pulsar's TPS then i shall do a small "pic treat DIY" of how to lock the TPS to full for the benefit of the community.

UPDATE:

I was finally able to get in touch with Motul's official distributor and marketeer in India, Atlantic Lubricants and they were very prompt in organising a home delivery of a can of Motul 300V 15W50 engine oil. I was really greatful and impressed with their back end customer service. Full brownie points from my end.



I would also like to mention Mr. Arun from Rane Private Limited, Opera House; the official Motul seller in South Mumbai who was very helpful to coordinate the whole thing for me. I usually make all my engine oil and Motul related products purchase from Rane Private Ltd. So if any of you folks are looking for a good discount on Motul products in South Mumbai, this is the place to go.


Cheers,

Re: Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

You should have got TWO cans of oil, and a filter, since the early kilometers are where the new engine running-in produces more metal particles, and changing the oil filter most strongly recommended => 1.2 liters of oil!

Re: Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

I already have my friend.. The second one is now lying at the technician's workshop. My frantic calls yielded some positive results in no time. I always replace the oil filter along with the engine oil change at every service.. been doing that's since, day one. Oil filter costs just 35 bucks INR here so no biggie.


Cheers,

Re: Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

Just a completely O.T. question, if you guys don't mind: why do you keep calling your money, Indian Rupees: "bucks"?
"Buck" comes for nickname "green-back", referring to the color of the back of US Dollar banknotes, while your notes are red, pink, blue and purple...both sides!!!??!??
Americanism? Adulation of all US things????
Incidentally, you just created the "buck INR"

Re: Run-in report at 346 kms & other details

a mix of everything.. acceptance of western civilisation in Indian culture.. and then well there you have it!!

Cheers,

Run-in Report at 500 kms

Hi All,

Today at exactly 500 kms on the trip meter, i made it to the technician's workshop to get the 1st oil change, tappet checked and the new BS 29 carburettor installed.

First the technician drained the old oil and removed the oil filter. he then got the new oil filter installed and then filled her up with Motul 300V. Next he started the bike and let the oil circulate completely for about 3 - 4 minutes and then switched off the engine. Right after that, we then moved onto replacing the stock BS 26 carburettor with the BS 29 carburettor.



Pic 1: BS 29mm carburettor now installed on the bike.

The BS 29mm carburettor is a direct fit in place of the stock BS 26mm carburettor so one doesn't have to do any tinkering around with it while installing. As shown in the picture below, the BS 29mm carburettor comes with an inbuilt choke lever so now the stock choke mechanism on my bike is rendered non-functional.



Pic 2: The choke lever cable now just kept hanging at the side as BS 29mm carburettor has an inbuilt choke lever

After inspecting the Reed switch from the Pulsar 180 we finally came to conclusion that it is incompatible with the CDI of FZ. So then the technician started the process of locking the TPS at various postions to see at which the engine was responding best. After a testing out the various TPS positions with the engine being revved all the way to the red line and then leave the throttle to see how the engine responds to the locked TPS position input, he decided to lock it in the middle position and then we let the engine cool down completely.



Pic 3: Throttle position Sensor of our bike. It is connected to a lever which is connected to the butterfly valve of the carburettor. To test the TPS positioning, use a screw driver or an equivalent tool which can go inside the designated spot inside the TPS and rotate the inner spring action circle at various turns to see when the red light on the console comes On and switches OFF. We then let the engine cool off completely and went for lunch.



Pic 4: The TPS being locked manually at different settings by the technician to see which allows the engine to rev freely.

Post lunch break, the technician started the valve clearance check. Now if you all may recollect, at the start of the build we had kept the valve clearances at 0.10 mm inlet and 0.12mm at exhaust. The technician after inspecting the valve clearance set it within the stock parameters of 0.08mm inlet and 0.12mm exhaust. Below are the series of pics documenting the whole process:



Pic 5: Engine head cover being removed to access the valve clearance adjustment nuts.



Pic 6: Engine head cover now removed. Notice Motul 300V greenish oil evenly distributed across the valve assembly



Pic 7: Valve Clearance adjustment nut.



Pic 8: Valve adjustment gauging scale. We selected 0.08mm for inlet and 0.12mm valve clearance for exhaust valves respectively. Both these figures are within the stock valve adjustment limits.



Pic 9: Using the gauging scale, the technician is now setting the valve clearances to the correct level

Noobs please bear in mind that the engine should be cold in order to get the tappet setting and valve clearances right.

He then moved on to setting the TPS again and then tune the carb accordingly and see which one is responding best with the TPS position. He finally created a base map and asked me to test it out for a day or two and based on the feedback he will then work on the tuning and TPS part. I am currently using 117.5 main jet, 17.5 pilot jet and Needle jet from Bajaj Pulsar 180 jet kit on the BS 29 mm Carburettor. After the work was finished, i left the workshop and then started testing the bike at different gears and rev ranges at short bursts to see how she responds.

So here are the initial observations:

1) The TPS locked at mid level position, the engine warning light doesnot come ON. The engine revs very fast to 8000 rpm beyond which i am observing knocking which i suspect is due to the fact the CDI is not able to provide the correct ignition timing required for that rev range. The engine warning light does come on at times say when i let go of the throttle and let the bike decelerate all the way to idling, ofcourse downshifting. Also the Red light comes on when i am slowing the bike down in traffic and downshift and apply a bit of gas between 2-3k rpm. At the moment in order to get rid of the red light glow as of now, one has to switch off the bike using ignition kill switch and then put the switch back on; start the bike, the red light is no longer glowing.

2) The acceleration is now something to speak about! At 1/4th-2/4th throttle i am hitting 65 - 70 - 85+ kmph in no time. If i attempt WOT then the bike lunges forward with so much enthusiasm that it does put a big grin on your face. Though when i left the throttle to decelerate, once the revs reach 3k rpm, it is taking quite a lot of time to come down to idle. I felt that the carb AFR is definitely on the richer side but then i decided to take a second opinion thus chose to consult with abhimanyu31 on the same. He too suspects that the fuelling is currently on the richer side. Lets see what we both can conclude after a proper inspection and tests. Engine is also knocking at lower rpms if i try to pull the bike on a higher gear which never used to be the case with the stock bike. Again I am sure the TPS locked at mid level is the culprit for the same.

3) I did a short speed test on an empty stretch to see whether all the money spent was worth it or not. Now my ride has a different soul. From a lazy 153cc commuter bike, it has suddenly become very eager and extremely sensitive to throttle input. At a slight twist of throttle you will cross 70 kmph without having to put any effort from your end. I was able to hit 112 kmph on the speedo seating at upright position and at such a short distance which was more than enough to convince me that the RC kits have now given a new life to my ageing ride. Though as mentioned earlier: 8000+ rpm i am getting a lot of knocking which more or less i am certain is due to the CDI not getting correct throttle input due to the TPS locked at mid position. Lets see, will let abhimanyu have a look at it and then we shall decide the best course of action to get the carburettor tune and the CDi thing sorted out. Till then i will keep the rpms under check and not rev the nuts off her. The mid range has now become very well pronounced and post 4000 rpm there is a strong surge of power all the way till 8000 rpm. Even with a pillion at the back, one doesnot notice any lack in power. With add on power the extra weight of pillion is no problem at all for the bike to move forward without breaking a sweat. Though knocking at rpms below 2-3k becomes more prominent.

4) The engine now cranks at one go without applying any throttle. Idling is very stable. There are no flat spots which i have witnessed so far throughout the rev range though top end i am refraining from doing any further tests till we sort out the fuelling and CDI ignition timing. I am still wracking my brains on how to hotwire the TPS with the BS 29mm carburettor to make the overall refinement of the bike closer to stock.

If one compares the UCAL BS 29 carburettor with that of the stock BS 26 carburettor the major thing which is keeping me intrigued is the place where the metal cap is sealed shut on the BS 29 carb.



Pic 10: A comparo pic between UCAL BS 29mm Cv Carburettor & Mikuni BS 26mm CV Carburettor, Notice the place where the TPS is mounted on the stock carburettor and then the place where there is a cap sealed shut on the BS 29mm Carburettor.



Pic 11: A close up of the lever which actuates the TPS in BS 26 carburettor.

I am quite itching to somehow hammer out the cap on the BS 29mm Carb to see what's there. If there exists a lever similar to the stock BS 26 carb and there is a proper air seal between the venturi wall and where the lever is placed on the BS 29mm Carb then all our woes related to the TPS is solved. Though i am bit hesitant as there are no replacement caps if i damage the one on my carb. I may end up having a non-functional carb lying around in my hands. I may try to get hold of a scrapped carburettor from the scrapyard and begin my crude engineering experiment. If the results are positive then Gents you can thank me later!!

5) Last but not the least the RC Camshaft. Post valve clearance checks, the cam noise has come down drastically. At idling till 4000 rpm the noise is not evident. Beyond 4000 rpm the stitching noise makes it presence felt. So i guess there is no solution to it. The "stitching noise" is here to stay. I am really not keen on removing the decomp unit and change the valve clearances to 0.06mm and 0.08mm as suggested by Joel. i feel i would rather have reliability than put all my efforts in reducing the cam noise and lose out on engine life plus the constant headache of checking valve clearances at short intervals.


I have covered around 80 kms since, the oil change after rounds of tests on onroad behaviour, acceleration tests and roll on tests etc. The bike was given half an hour breaks every 20 kms in order to ensure that the engine gets enough cool off period before i resumed my tests.

More reports later. Till then stay tuned


Cheers,

Possible TPS installation on BS 29 CV carburettor

Hi All,

I was finally able to get hold of senior rider abhimanyu31 and discuss with him my woes related to the Throttle Position Sensor, The current knocking issues at 8000+ rpm and the suspected Richer AFR.

He was kind enough to give me time and also in general help me look at possible solutions for making the stock TPS work with the BS 29mm CV carburettor. With the Reed switch and the magnet assembly TPS system of Pulsar 180 found to be incompatible and the idea of hotwiring thrown out of window, we had to think something more radical to see if it is possible to make it a functional proposition.

abhimanyu31 asked me to check with the service center guys if the whole lever assembly, spring mechanism as highlighted on the image below of BS 26 carburettor can be bought separately:



Pic 1: Lever assembly, spring mechanism of Mikuni BS 26 carburettor


The idea is to look at a possible attempt to swap it with the stock lever of the BS 29 CV carburettor as shown in the image below:




Pic 2: Lever and spring mechanism in BS 29 CV Carburettor


If at all it is possible to swap it then we shall retain the round slide of the BS 29 carb and mount the BS 26 carb's lever and the spring mechanism inside while keeping the TPS lever out from the designated spot where the metal cap is sealed from. Visual inspection made it look like the screw mounts on the lever of the BS 26 carb and the BS 29 carb for the round slide are same size.

Though i am not sure whether Yamaha does provide such parts to be available for sale on the counter individually. If not i always have the local scrap yard to rummage parts from. Below is the exploded view of the stock BS 26 CV carburettor:




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Pic 3: Exploded view of the BS 26 CV carburettor


The major challenge? Well besides sheer luck and hoping that the lever shaft is of exact length to that of the BS 29 carb, the spring mechanism on the BS 26 Carb is locked into position by a nut as highlighted in the Pic 4. Whereas the same nut is absent from the BS 29 carburettor as shown in the pic 5. Now, this is just a guess though: we both felt that the metal cap on the BS 29 carb's side will most likely have the nut to hold the whole mechanism. If that were the case then we may have to look at ways and means to tinker around and get the lever mechanism out from the side where the spring mechanism is located on the BS 29 carburettor and then attempt in connecting the TPS from that side.

If we are able to get past this then the next problem will be how to mount the TPS system tight in its place on this side of the carb?



Pic 4: Nut on the spring mechanism holding the whole assembly



Pic 5: nut absent on the spring mechanism. Looks like it has been pressed.

So let's see. Still planning and trying to figure out if we can somehow get it working.

After consulting with abhimanyu31 i have started opening her up, giving various loads and hard throttling at different gears. There is a definite change in the character of my bike which is becoming evident the more i continue clocking miles with these kits. Well the power i was looking for, it seems the kits definitely have what it takes to make this ride zoom past 90 kmph in no time which if we all compare with the stock bike is something really difficult to achieve. At times i am noticing a sort of piston slap, i am not sure if i am describing it properly.. but say the engine is idling and you raise the throttle, there is a metal clunking noise and for a brief moment it feels like the engine is not running (say less then a second) and then everything is fine. According to abhimanyu31 it is normal and is to be expected out a high compression and tight tolerance piston and same has been witnessed in his R16 as well.

With tuning and CDI thing still needed to be sorted out, right now its too early for me to give out my verdict regarding performance, reliability VS $s spent: in short was it worth it for me??

Will be going for a 400 kms extensive test ride soon to see how the kits fare.


As of now have clocked around 700 kms on the trip meter.


Cheers,